Powering up you anvil

What technical aspects? You put black powder in the cavity under the anvil,supply a cannon fuse,sit it atop another anvil and you're ready to go! You might have to put tape over the cavity in the top anvil to keep the powder from falling out while you sit it on the other anvil.

I wonder if you really can expect the bottom anvil to remain level and true when the blast goes off ?

Vegemitesandwich said:

Figured I'd get some yucks from you guys. No George I wouldn't dream of shooting a valuable vintage anvil besides you need a matched pair. I bought a cheep, Chinese I assume 80# off eBay just to see how it was made. You would have to remove over .7" in order to true the bottom flat as there is an arc between the front and back feet. Multiply that times 2, I see broken fly cutters whizzing past my head. I don't think I will be using that particular model. I won't argue the safety aspects of this stunt which is why it has always been a non-starter until I found a land owner with enough space to consent. Theoretically, if the base anvil is plumb, level, and stable on a heavy metal plate, the bases are true to one another the "flier" should land in a 10 yard radius of the base. I have located a place where I believe this can be done safely from ample distance with additional physical protection. While I am quite flattered at all the concern for my personal safety could we get on with the technical aspects of how this might actually happen?

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In addition to leveling and truing the anvil, the center of mass of the top anvil would have to be positioned directly over the charge. I suspect that the traditional anvil shooters learned how to position the anvils by trial and error. There weren't many blacksmith physicists then.

A bottom anvil wouldn't be required. A piece of heavy plate would work. It would have to be heavy enough to withstand the force of the explosion and preferably placed on well packed earth.

I wouldn't use a cheap Chinese anvil. They are made from cast iron and, based on other examples , not necessarily the best iron. While they may work for smithing, I wouldn't rust them not to fly apart under severe force. The anvils that were traditionally used had a wrought iron base which is structurally much tougher than cast iron.

If you are serious about doing this, I would suggest that you contact someone who is experienced in anvil shooting. An internet search should turn up lots of leads. Trial and error with something like this can lead to serious error.

No,those cheap Chinese anvils are not good for smithing. They have no hardened,thick steel top on them,and would dent as soon as you hit anything on top of them.

I saw a NOS Fisher anvil in a flea market some time ago. It had a 1/4" thick steel top welded onto it from the factory. That was the thinnest top I ever saw!! Even the normal 3/4" tops will eventually get sway backed over time,with enough use. How long would this 1/4" thick top last ?

By the way,this reminds me of a 100# anvil I saw at an antique shop. It was very old,and had about a 3/4" DIP in the sway backed top. The old lady said:"Well,all you've gotta do is take a little sand paper"! Yeah,I'll wait while you flatten that for me!!!!!

That was over 25 years ago. I still go down there every few days to watch the old lady,who is STILL sandpapering the top of my anvil!!! But,she died of over work. They buried her in a shallow grave behind her antique shop,and put the anvil on top of the grave,to keep dogs from digging her up. It was a pretty sure bet that no one would STEAL the sway backed anvil(Well,an ANVIL SHOOTER might!!!)

O.K.,I made that all up.

Good anvils are made of steel. Crappy ones are made of cast iron. Cast iron is bound to turn to shrapnel with a pound (or less probably, much less) of powder under it. It's hard to find a good steel anvil anymore. I don't know if anybody is still making them. If you find a good old steel anvil, buy it, it will appreciate. If you're going to do this I highly recommend using a steel anvil like the one the guy had in the video. Notice he wasn't using a Harbor Freight special.

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And as for the cow, what on earth are you talking about? Do you intend to launch an anvil at a dead cow? or from atop a dead cow? or what?

Commonly heard just before the visit to the ER: "Hey, Bubba, hold my beer and watch this!"

strantor said:

Good anvils are made of steel. Crappy ones are made of cast iron. Cast iron is bound to turn to shrapnel with a pound (or less probably, much less) of powder under it. It's hard to find a good steel anvil anymore. I don't know if anybody is still making them. If you find a good old steel anvil, buy it, it will appreciate. If you're going to do this I highly recommend using a steel anvil like the one the guy had in the video. Notice he wasn't using a Harbor Freight special.

Skip to 4:45... more info @ 6:50

And as for the cow, what on earth are you talking about? Do you intend to launch an anvil at a dead cow? or from atop a dead cow? or what?

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On the off hand chance that my skyward anvil landed on ole' Bessie. I would be obliged to pay for her.

A good quality new anvil is $1200+ and I am not paying $$$ for an old one that has literally had the hell hammered out of it (Ebay) and we are all in agreement that the Chinese cast iron ones are unsafe, much less a scourge to the community. I will keep looking, but I have the attention span of a toddler when it comes to such things......oh.....wait.....squirrel.

I THINK they usually want $3.00 a pound for an OLD anvil. Sometimes the anvil's edges are broken off and messed up. That is a guess,as I haven't been anvil shopping for years. Luckily I got mine for $150.00(IIRC). And,it was hardly used,from a school. I think the boys tried to see who could hit it the hardest with a ball pein hammer,is all. But,it took HOURS to belt sand even those little marks off. My anvil is pretty hard. They are usually about the hardness of spring steel.

I made the patterns for the anvils they use at the blacksmith's shop in Williamsburg. They are 18th. C. pattern,made of 4140,and one has been used hard for over 30 years. The other,an earlier type,they are still trying to get someone to cast it. The foundry in Texas where they got the others cast closed down,and the idiots LOST their pattern. WHY they left it there for DECADES I don't know.

There's a bick iron I made for my own anvil. Made of 01 steel. Intended mostly for my wife's jewelry making.