New Anvil

If you could build an anvil, what would you include and/or change in the london pattern anvil ?

Mike, good question. Hoping you get lots of replies. I am just about to buil one and ideas are good. I am using a piece of logging truck spring from a HDX that is almost 2 inches thick. t will be welded to an H beam. I want to have a hole in the top for inserting cutters, fullers, third hands etc.. A horn in not necessary at this point in time but I do have a large pin that may get welded on eventually.I want one end of the surface plate to be square and the other rounded, for cutting and bending.

ghostdog

I would definately add a tool for holding my beer . Just kidding. What i miss a lot with a 'traditional' anvil is the possibility to have a 3th hand. Yess, i know there exist several possibilities (ie a spring powered u shaped iron aroud the anvil, a vise grip setup in the hardy hole, a flexible chain around the anvil with pedal, ...) .

I've been working on Achim's homemade anvil (just a massive square block of steel with 1 edge rounded off) and must admit it's great for forging knives: one doesn't need the nose of the anvil.

Keep us informed on the building of your on anvil ghostdog...

Tim, you have any suggestions for a 3rd hand? I have a couple of thoughts but would like to hear more.

I looked for a large block to use for an anvil for quite awhile but gave up when I found the logging truck spring.

All I need to do now is go and rent one of those power saws with the cutoff wheel attachment and cut my material to length.

ghostdog

Here is one way to get an extra hand that works well for a lot of things.

Bob, is that one you made? I've got a couple I made years ago that go in the hardie hole. In fact I found them both when I put a footing under my anvil last year. Is the one you have in the picture made of any certain steel? Something that really comes in handy at times, kind of like having a tail. Ray

Bob, thanks. That is one of the methods I am thinking of, I use those dogs on my wood working bench. The other thought I had was to weld a cinch binder to my h beam on one side of the anvil, an end of chain on the other side and then just adjust the chain to whatever length based on item being forged and tighten cinch binder.


ghostdog

When i was forging my first axe a while ago I was desperately in need of a 3th hand. I improvised by taking a length of chain, attaching 1 ens to the wooden anvil stand, chain over the anvil, and attached the other end to a large wooden pedal... I only need to slip the steel under the chain and put my foot on the pedal to tighten the chain. Works great after some experimenting with the chain length.

I've seen a great idea somewhere on the web: a guy (or girl) took vise grip pliers and adapted them by removing 1 jaw and welding the vise grip to a piece of steel (for the hardy hole). The final result was a vise grip hardy hole tool, able to press anything against the surface of the anvil.

Tai has an excellent setup for holding a chisel and or swage over the anvil. I'm not sure if it is here on this site or on his. Heck it might have been deleted in the BIG CRASH. ANYway it was good. Maybe he will post it again

I started this thread over on www.keenjunk.com go to the junkyard forum if you want to check it out.

H-Beam will be pretty noisey I think. I have worked on some and takes a pretty heavy piece to be effective as an anvil.

A friend of mine, Virgil Vines made that. It is for the prichart hole so it is a little more flexible.

A home made holdfast seen as used on my anvil. Made from 1.5" sq. tubing for the frame. The springs are automobile valve springs. The cam I forged from a 3/4" thick piece of mild steel. It is secured by two 10mm rods in the base. To remove I just slide it off.

www.anvil.co.za/Tutorials/tut_tools_of_the_trade.htm

Here's a tip to add some weight and cut out some noise. I did it on my RT anvil and it works fine:

Weld a piece of angle iron on each end, so the I beam forms two dams, one on each side. The L iron should form a "hook" (my english just went out the door) so whatever you cast in there doesn't fall out. I.e., weld on the narrow end. A thousand words and one picture....

Cast these dams full of lead.
The lead will shrink on cooling, but a few hard raps with a hammer along the edges swells it out and you have a heavy, relatively quiet anvil.

Tiaan

Tiaan, that is awesome. I really like that concept.

Sweaney, I am going to weld the anvil face to the H beam with the beam in a vertical position and the h beam I have is very heavy.


ghostdog

That might work add all the mass you can to the beam, Tiaan lead in the angle iron might be a good trick if it is too noisy.

Tiaan that is one handy holdown it is on my list of things to get done.

Here's the link to the clamp invented by Paw Paw

www.anvilfire.com/21centbs/

that is another really kewl idea, Thanks Sweaney.


ghostdog