Step by step anvil stand

[Kent]

Fed up moving the anvil and finally settled on a spot. So it was time to knock up a good stand an adjustable one as anvil height is very important. Too low and your stooping and getting a bad back. Too high and you are not getting an effective hammer action

 

[pedrobedro]

Stand with your arms loosely down by your side and make a fist and your knuckles should rest on the top surface of the anvil. That's the recommended height according to a local farrier.

 

[Windy Miller]

Stand with your arms loosely down by your side and make a fist and your knuckles should rest on the top surface of the anvil. That's the recommended height according to a local farrier.

That's exactly how I did mine. However, I've used a fair few others that did not exactly 'fit' me, and I've never noticed any ill effects.

 

[Kent]

Stand with your arms loosely down by your side and make a fist and your knuckles should rest on the top surface of the anvil. That's the recommended height according to a local farrier.

Yes quite correct if your not at the correct height you can suffer tennis elbow and it's very much more tiring as the blows don't recoil correctly either
Just got line fixed today but speed seems way too slow to load pictures yet guys sorry

 

[wristpin]

Anvils always used to be mounted on a lump of tree trunk to absorb the shock and stop them dancing about.
Was once told that the top should be at c**k height but it was not specified whether flaccid or erect!

 

[Kent]

I just measured on me it's the same. Sort of handy! Imagine if it wasn't

 

[Peloquin]

Anvils always used to be mounted on a lump of tree trunk to absorb the shock and stop them dancing about.
Was once told that the top should be at c**k height but it was not specified whether flaccid or erect!

Is that base or tip?
Despite what Mrs Peloquin would tell you there is a significant difference.

 

[skotl]

Anvils always used to be mounted on a lump of tree trunk to absorb the shock and stop them dancing about.
Was once told that the top should be at c**k height but it was not specified whether flaccid or erect!

Can't imagine having the anvil at chin height would be very comfortable

 

[Gareth0123]

Can't imagine having the anvil at chin height would be very comfortable

At least short arses like you would be able to see what you are doing, me I'd have to stoop down to below knee height

 

[Kent]

First a rough sketch. Can't really call it a drawing

 

[Kent]

Used scrap 5 mm plate salvaged from a barge I converted a while back
Marked out in French chalk. Note the diagonals there wasn't many straight edges and no right angle to start off

 

[Kent]

From square I marked out the taper. You need some taper but too much and you will stand back from the anvil having to place your feet someplace
This leads to hunching and a bad back

 

[Kent]

Ok you can perhaps see just how "reclaimed" those plates were!
Now for the cutting. Too embarrassing to take them down to town and borrow a guillotine I used the gas axe
Note the centrepunched dotted lines. Even under heat and flame these give an easy reference for the cut

 

[Kent]

I placed a scrap bit of box to guide the torch with the nozzle well centred on that line.

Actually this was soon dispensed with and I went to cutting free hand as things were moving quick and the torch was juddering through friction
It's normally a good trick though so I included it here

 

[Kent]

Clean up time with the grinder. Dross and the odd stop start etc

 

[Kent]

The grey finish on the plates is some sort of heavy paint on zinc they put on under a layer of spray on insulating foam it's not nice to cut or weld through. But it's all free scrap!

 

[Kent]

Next to start tacking up
The magnets do come in handy for this I only use turn on off types or you get a hedgehog
Ground off some of that zinc stuff for fitting the Base plate not for the magnet
In the end you will see the Base plate was fitted much lower down as I changed my mind

 

[Kent]

Those corner to corner joints as you might guess did not have perfect fit up! They were however good enough to run along in one go even if I did have to draw a few circles in places
It's imperative the joints are sealed with full welds though or the sand filling will be falling out

 

[Windy Miller]

Interesting write up so far - keep em coming!

 

[Kent]

Having now been able to check welded sizes and square I cut the floating top plate and the fixed bottom plate
Here is the Base all welded in. Fit was OK again " as good as one might expect " to keep my eye in I welded it in in one position without turning per side so I got in one overhead. Two verticals and a flat fillet
The difference with doing it in the shop to in the field on a boat is 1 I got a seat 2 my floor doesn't rock