Thread: Anvil How to mount one

The traditional way is to spike it to a stump.
Some people chain it down.
The better it is attached to the base the more stable it will be and if attached well enough it can dampen the ring of hammering.

The basic is to keep the anvil from bouncing around or falling off the base, so whatever works for you.

ron

I used coach bolts and attached mine to a stump.

The height should be such that if you stand in front of the anvil on the stump and make a fist your knuckles should just touch the top of the anvil.

Also it should be level but some smithies like a very slightly sideways slope across the width so that any scale from the beaten metal falls away from them.

When I bought my (second hand bargain) 100kg anvil, it came with a seemingly solid shop made welded steel frame. Bad idea. It is too light and rings like hell. You want a base that dampens the ringing. A heavy hardwood stump is best, the heavier the better. In the old days they used to slide steel bands around the stump (much like you see around a wine barrel), to prevent it from splitting. The steel frame may work better if it is cast in concrete, but I have not tried this, because it would be impossible to lift. By the way, I was surprised how easy it is for me to lift a 100kg anvil from its base. This is so, because an anvil offers a very nice grip to my stretched arms whilst standing straight right above the anvil, with its weight between my legs. I never thought 100kg could be that easy....

I put a metal strap around mine but not to strengthen the stump, which is a bit of gnarly spotted gum, but to hang tools off.
My anvil is only 112 lbs so it's not that big. This pic was taken before I bolted it down.

I also added adjustable height HD feet - because I simply could not get the base of the stump to sit flat on the concrete and no matter what I did it rocked around even if it was just a whisker.
Most of the anvil stump weight is still taken by the floor the feet just take the rocking out.

If the anvil is heavy enough (100+ kg) and you don't plan double ganging full size sledge hammers onto it, then cutting out a hollow for the anvil to sit in is a neat alternative.The alternative is to make a strong frame/box and screw it to the top of the stump for the anvll to sit in.

Hello,
As there were no holes in the foot, I mounted mine with a couple of pieces of angle iron, held in place with threaded bar which tie to a single rod through the stump. Its strong enough to move around the workshop and outside, even onto the leg vice base as pictured, without coming adrift.




The ones at work are sitting on heavy steel legged stands which are fine if not moved about. They probably ring a bit more than a stump mounted one.


Cheers,
Andy

I have'nt got an anvil....yet

they seem to hold there value.

Here's my anvil mounting, hammer in some long 1/2" spikes at an angle and bend over the feet.

AnvilMount.jpg

Your knuckles should be level with the top of the anvil with your arm by your side.

Regards
Ray

Originally Posted by eskimo

I have'nt got an anvil....yet

they seem to hold there value.

As long as you buy a good anvil and take care of it (eg do not drill holes into or saw into etc), yes your grandkids are likely to sell it for the future equivalent of what you pay today. As long as it is not economically feasible to 3D print steel horse shoes, there will always be a market for anvils (and even then, you probably still need an anvil to adapt the 3D shoe properly). From that perspective, an anvil is potentially one of the safest and longest lasting investments you can do in your life. But stay away from cheap Chinese anvils. An anvil must sound right, it must properly rebound the hammer. Some cheap crap anvils made from recycled soup cans sound and feel from new like a worthless cracked anvil (well, you always get the iron price by weight, and anvils are heavy...). A good quality brand new 100kg anvil costs around $1k or $10 per kg. Used anvils in good condition, regardless how old, regularly fetch about half as much. So anything below that is a bargain. Chris

Here's my Anvil on it's stand which is a piece of 14" auger barrel filled with dry sand with a piece of 1/4" plate lying on top of the sand.The hole is so I can move it around with a forklift.It's a lot quieter than other anvils I have used.
John

Originally Posted by rascal

Here's my Anvil on it's stand which is a piece of 14" auger barrel filled with dry sand with a piece of 1/4" plate lying on top of the sand.The hole is so I can move it around with a forklift.It's a lot quieter than other anvils I have used.
John

Geez,
That anvil looks identical to mine ecxept the weight stamp, Mine is 133lb.
I inherited mine from the old man, who inherited it from grandad who believe it or not
inherited it from his Father (my Great Grandad)
I understand from Mum that it is well over 100 years old.....