| One of the first tools that you must acquire as a | | | | Some smiths have used bent steel as staples driven |
| beginning blacksmith is the anvil. Anvils come in many | | | | around the feet of the anvil. This will keep it on the |
| styles and shapes and price ranges, but all need to | | | | stump but the staples eventually loosen and it rattles |
| be mounted on a sturdy support to work. | | | | around. |
| Traditionally the anvil was mounted on a large heavy | | | | The best solution is to bolt the anvil as tight as |
| stump, typically of elm or maple wood. This provided | | | | possible to the stand or stump. Although not |
| a platform that raised the anvil to working height and | | | | traditional I have seen heavy metal 3 legged stands |
| would endure the pounding of the steel with heavy | | | | work very well for blacksmith anvil bases. The point |
| hammers. In old pictures and paintings you can find | | | | of bolting the anvil down is that you are effectively |
| many variations of this mounting on a stump. You will | | | | adding the mass of the stump or the stand to the |
| often find tools arranged around the stump for easy | | | | weight of the anvil. In general the heavier the anvil |
| access. | | | | the better as more of the force of the hammer |
| Today we have more options when it comes to | | | | stroke goes into the bar instead of moving the anvil. |
| mounting an anvil. Height is just as important as what | | | | So if our stump weighs a 100 lbs and it is bolted |
| it is mounted on. I have worked on anvils too short | | | | tightly to the anvil we are effectively adding a 100 |
| and ones too tall. The actual height can make a | | | | lbs to our anvil. Of course it should be a good anvil to |
| dramatic difference in amount of work you can get | | | | start with. |
| done and the rate that you fatigue at. The old rule | | | | What I have used effectively is a thin strip of steel |
| of thumb for anvil height was to stand straight and | | | | front and back of the anvil. Flat bar ¼ inch thick by |
| make a fist and the distance from the floor to your | | | | 1 inch wide works well. These strips are lag bolted |
| knuckles is the height to the top of the anvil. | | | | with heavy lag bolts into the stump. In the middle of |
| If you look at this height from the side you will see | | | | the strip there is a regular bolt and nut. I have a chain |
| that with a hammer in your hand and a piece of steel | | | | going around the waist of the anvil and over laps at |
| on the face of the anvil your elbow will have a slight | | | | these bolts. I can tighten the nuts until I have |
| bend to it. This bend is actually a shock absorber. If | | | | tremendous pressure pulling the chain down around |
| you have a straight arm at the end of your hammer | | | | the anvil holding it secure on top of the wood. This |
| swing you will stress your elbow joint and the tendon | | | | has worked well for me for many years. There is an |
| inside. This can be very painful and can limit your | | | | added benefit that it will dampen down the noise of |
| blacksmithing severely. I prefer to err a little more on | | | | the anvil if yours happens to ring a bit loudly. |
| the side of caution and have set my primary anvil at | | | | Another idea for mounting an anvil is to make a |
| wrist height when I am standing beside it. | | | | plywood box that is the right height for the anvil. |
| This gives me a little more cushion on the impact. | | | | Then fill it with concrete and 8 bolts welded together |
| Another consideration is the type of work that you | | | | to a frame. The bolts will need to stick out of the |
| will be doing on the anvil. Small light work, we tend to | | | | concrete so that you can position your anvil between |
| bend over to look closely at the detail as we are | | | | them and then bolt it down with straps over top of |
| hammering it. This places a strain on the low back. | | | | the feet. Make sure your concrete is level and you |
| Heavy work, we tend to be more upright allowing | | | | should have a completely secure base. Be cautious |
| more power to be provided. Usually on large bars | | | | with this because you may never be able to move |
| accuracy is not required until we get to the refining | | | | your anvil due to the weight. |
| stage. | | | | Some people have suggested a plywood box but |
| If you work constantly on large bars your anvil could | | | | filled with sand. I have never liked this idea since as |
| be set a bit lower. If you work on small delicate | | | | you work on the anvil it tends to move around and |
| details then a slightly higher anvil can make a huge | | | | you are constantly leveling it again. The other |
| difference. | | | | problem is there is no effective way of bolting the |
| The actual mounting system of the anvil is very | | | | anvil down to the mass of the sand. |
| important and often over looked. If you go into an | | | | With a little foresight in constructing your anvil stand |
| old traditional blacksmith shop, the anvil is often just | | | | and using a height of about wrist height and bolting |
| sitting on top of the stump and not even tied down. | | | | the blacksmiths anvil tightly to its base you will be |
| This is the worst scenario. The anvil will move around | | | | able to use your anvil to its full potential. Make sure |
| with each hammer blow and eventually you have to | | | | that is level and that the base is heavy. |
| reposition it to keep it from falling off the stump. | | | | |
