So I recently have acquired a log of seasoned poplar weighing about 1000 pounds from what I can remember from the last time I looked at it it was approximately 2.5’ in diameter and around 4’ in length i plan on buying a larger chainsaw bar in order to be able to cut this in half so that I can use it as an anvil stand once I get a proper anvil  I was thinking about possibly making a carve out on the bottom for a toe jack to lift it if necessary but my question is is it even worth it to make this cut out or should I just leave it flat

Cut it the right length in the first place and you won't need to alter it's height. Don't try solving problems you don't have. 

If you'd waited until you had an anvil to measure you could've had the people you bought the poplar block from cut it to length for you. MIGHT have cost you $20 but it would save you the cost of a chainsaw bar you'll probably only use the one time. If you're going to put a toe jack under it why bother with a wood block, just stack some lumber and nail it together. All a jack will do besides lifting it out of contract with the planet is make it shaky and spongy. 

Don't be in such a rush, take a little time and do it right. The ONLY thing rushing guarantees is making mistakes permanent more quickly. 

Frosty The Lucky.

21 hours ago, Frosty said:

Cut it the right length in the first place and you won't need to alter it's height. Don't try solving problems you don't have. 

Hey it’s been a while the reason it is so large is I got it for free from my step brother who works for a lumber company and this peice had been sitting there for ever and he was able to get it for me and now I understand about the toe jack thanks I am probably going to buy the chainsaw bar for my father as a Christmas present in all reality and thanks for the feedback!

Sorry if I came across so short, I had a lot going on when I replied. -20f, Dead pickup w/plow, snowing hard and a fretting wife. We were supposed to get 2-4" of snow, then 3-5" and this morning I've got about 14" with the promise of serious snowfall today / tonight. Woo HOO! It's been a good 4 years since we got enough snow to need plowing, now It's looking like a 5yd loader would be nice. Heck the current weather said we have 2-3 more low fronts blowing in from over the pole. 

I might not be spending much time online for a while.

I don't mean to be making excuses but weather makes them for you. Later.

Frosty The Lucky.

 

On 1/5/2026 at 8:17 AM, Thesterlingcrab said:

weighing about 1000 pounds

That's close to right for green poplar, should be around 800 lbs, (1.25 squared x pi x 4, x roughly 40 lbs per cubic foot) and will vary depending on species and water content. Might weigh as little as half that seasoned. Gonna shrink dome and might check too. I've buried a few stumps partially when I used to forge outside under the edge of an overhang, which gives you a lot of stability and a lot of flexibility to change the height. Makes it a lot more difficult to rearrange your location though and can be prone to rot over time, depending on a number of things.

Not everyone does, but I've found that debarking also cuts down on ants and rot. I tend to agree with no toe jack. It will just make you unstable. I like an excuse to buy new tools too, but sometimes there's nothing more expensive than free stuff.

11 minutes ago, Nobody Special said:

can be prone to rot over time

Poplar is particularly prone to rot, even when not buried. If your smithy has a dirt floor, I'd consider some other stand material.

If you're okay replacing it in a few years, bury the stump to the right height. It will be stable and usable until it rots away. 

I used to use tulip tree (Called tulip poplar, not a true poplar) logs, and those worked fairly well. My current setup is with sawmill cut oak cubes (about $40 for one) They're excellent, and I highly recommend getting something like that, especially if you have a flat floor. These are cut to stand securely. 

Oh just build a steel tripod and forget all the recurring PITAs.

No, there is NO good reason to put a steel plate under the anvil, I used 2" angle iron flange up to make a rim the anvil just slipped into and made my hammer racks to they drove between the anvil's foot and flange. Just bare steel stand to anvil, the differences in resonant frequency damps any prolonged ring. Plain old ear plugs is plenty.

Frosty The Lucky.

Without gainsaying anything in Frosty's last comment, please note as well that a layer of silicone caulk or thin rubber (such as a piece of innertube) will further dampen the ring.