Noise cancellation?

[SubterraneanFireForge]

Sorry — this is long:

I live in the city and work in my stair landing between the yard and bacement. Not xxxxxx xxx the neighbors with a lot of noise is a big part of the equation to continue make things. 

I have a small gas forge and cast Harbor Freight anvil and recently acquired a large metal wedge I’ve been using as a spike anvil. 

CAST ANVIL
My cast anvil is securely fastened to a stump atop flat metal slabs and is wrapped in an old climbing rope with bits of short scrap metal intertwined in it to weigh it down.

I’m going to get a thick chain to replace the rope. I’ve also heard of people placing a sheet of silicone between the stump and anvil but I’m worried about losing rebound. Should I be? Has anyone tried this?

I’ve also heard of people using large magnets. Does this do anything? 

THE FORGE                                                    The sound of the forge itself is something I couldn’t find a lot of information on addressing.
Would a higher quality forge or more insulation do a better job insulating the sound as well as the heat? 
Is there some way to muffle the rumble or make it travel less far?

SPIKE ANVIL                                                                    The spike anvil, while having beautiful sharp edges, rings like a bell and I’m not sure what to do about it apart from wrapping it in chain or the rope from the other anvil. It’s currently about a quarter of its length into a stump. Would hammering it more deeply into a stump make it quieter?

INSULATION?                                                          Is there some sort of insulation I could line the walls of my little forge zone to stop the sound from traveling?

If anyone has any advice or suggestions for noise cancellation I’d love to hear them.

Thank you and happy holidays!

[Nobody Special]

I can't help you much with the forge, but someone on here will know. For the anvils, the usual solutions are wrap chains around the middle, put magnets under the heel and horn, and a silicone mat underneath. Having the anvil firmly attached to the base also makes a huge difference. There's a big difference between ain't gonna fall off, and not a bit of wiggle or vibration when it comes to "securely attached".

One noise reducer that I've seen work well but looks hideous is gobs of silicone caulk under the heel and horn, but it's not exactly common and it looks weird. You could also look for something like a Fisher Norris anvil, which had a cast iron base and a steel top - very, very quiet. For the spike anvil, I would imagine having the base sunk in all the way to the top of the spike would quiet it down but make it difficult to remove. Dunno, I haven't used them much. 

[George N. M.]

Urban blacksmithing presents some unique challenges.  Noise is just one issue.  A cheap HF anvil will wear out pretty quickly but it will be quiet.  Magnets work pretty well at dampening sound.  HF welding magnets work pretty well.  Also, be careful that all your blows hit hot metal, not the anvil.  Don't use the technique where you tap the anvil between blows to the metal.  Chain, magnets, silicone caulk all work well and combining them should quet things down as much as possible.

lining your workspace with things like acoustic tiles or blankets will cut down on any sound.  However, you still need adequate ventilation to prevent carbon monoxide issues.  I strongly suggest that you invest in a CO detector and if it goes off get out immediately.  No "just let me finish this heat" or "in a minute".  Get out NOW!  It helps to have your propane tank outside you work area where you can turn it off from outside.  Then, let things ventilate for much long than you think is appropriate.

Can't help with forge noise other than the observation that some forges "roar" more than others.  The forge gurus can address that much better than I can.

Finally, cultivate your neighbors with talking to them and giving them small hand forged gifts like bottle openers, brooches, spike knives, etc..  If they know you they are more likely to take up any issues with you directly rather than complaining to third parties.  Find out if any of them have unusual schedules and are, say, sleeping during the day.  If you can time your forge sessions for when they are gone any problems are minimized.

Don't use large tools for small projects because they produce unnecessary noise.  Use the minimum size that will do the job.

Finally, depending on where you are located you may look at an off site forging location like a rented garage or storage unit or space in a "makers" location.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand." 

[Frosty]

Noise is a problem with close neighbors alright. I have a dangerously loud anvil if you hit it instead of the work and chain and magnets helped but not much. They work better on other anvils though it all depends. When my old spruce block anvil stand was getting too old and rotten to be much use I welded up a steel tripod stand and dang if it didn't really damp the ring. Later I tried it on my Trenton and it went from painfully loud to spectators speaking in normal tones and nobody wincing. 

I'm no exert in sonic stuff but I do know loud anvils are so because the compression waves from the hammer resonate, (bounce back and forth) in the anvil's steel. I figure the steel tripod being mild steel with almost no two pieces the same length, well, 4 are but most are different and the anvil is only wedged into the rim so everything rubs between anvil and stand. I figure the resonant vibrations from the anvil conduct into the stand poorly and resonate in the stand. When the compression wave returns to the anvil it conducts back WAY out of sync and the two different wave forms self damp.

For an example, touch a ringing bell with a nail, the clear clean ring turns to a buzz. 

The roar from the forge might be damped some by putting a barrier in front of the openings. Not right in front but a couple few feet and sheet rock was made to stop fire and damp sound. Hand a blanket on the far side can't hurt. The thing to remember about propane forges is you need to be in line of sight with the flame to get the full roar making it turn a couple corners helps. 

A simple frame structure with fiberglass insulation damps sound too.

I don't know of a perfect solution other than distance but lots of things help.

Frosty The Lucky.

[lary]

Don't think I can add much to what has already been said. Other than maybe two pieces of angle iron laid across the feet of the anvil, and anchored  down to the stump real tight with lag screws. Your situation makes me think of Glenn at GS Tongs. He does his smithing on an apartment balcony in Taiwan.