H. Houses Anvil

[Eric Smith]

In watching and observing closely the H. House DVD, I noticed that Hershel has about  a 30 lb anvil on his bench. Anyone here keep a small anvil on there bench? Most vices have an anvil, although some of the srecialty vices used by gun builders do not. Do you have one on you bench?

[rsells]

I have a large anvil with replaceable horns and cutoffs, a swedge block, and a small anvil that is not attached to anything that I use on my bench, small table, etc. to do work as well.  The small one comes in handy.
                                                                                     Roger Sells

[Acer Saccharum]

Yes. A 20 pdr.

The vise anvils are usually cast, and rough, and soft. A real hardened tool-steel anvil is best. Mine is cast steel, and I wish it were harder.

[Eric Smith]

Hmmmmn, You got my attention! Tell me more about your bench anvil. how heavy? I do also see the need for a good swedge block. Don't know exactly what to look for.

[bob in the woods]

A 20 pound or so on my bench, and a section of rail on a stump for nice ,finish work on small items [ well finished/polished surface ]

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

I keep a small "jewelers bench block" (5" x 5" x 1") on my bench, it's small and very convenient. Use it for straigtening pins and inlays and small parts, and for checking flatness of inlays, hammering out silver and brass for inlays, patchboxes and hinges, riveting, etc. very convenient, one of my favorite tools. It's very hard tempered steel, file won't cut it, very flat with nice square edges, made for hammering on, you ain't gonna hurt it. For anything heavier I use my vise. I don't do any heavy forging requiring an actual anvil.

[P.W.Berkuta]

In watching and observing closely the H. House DVD, I noticed that Hershel has about  a 30 lb anvil on his bench. Anyone here keep a small anvil on there bench? Most vices have an anvil, although some of the srecialty vices used by gun builders do not. Do you have one on you bench?

Sure do - it was my grandfathers then my fathers and now mine don't know how old it is but it has seen some use  . As best as I can read the name it says "Fisher Harris" on the side.

[Eric Kettenburg]

I just use a big block of steel I picked up at a scrapyard.  Heck of a lot cheaper than an anvil.  Can make some radius edges etc. w/ a grinder.

I wish mine was harder too. 

[oldiemkr]

I have a 15 or 20 pound one handy. I thought I would use it more than I actually do.

I have 2 Wilton vise's with a small anvil surface and I use them more often for small stuff.

[Chris Treichel]

I have a chunk of railroad track and a 2x 2 x8 inch block of steel that I use if I need something quick to pound on say like having to peen a rivet or some such.

[alyce-james]

Smithy; Good morning to you Sir. I purchased a 30 pounder (anvil) in the mid 1970's for my work bench and have used it to this very day. Tried a vice anvil and found the thing worthless. Have a great day, AJ

[gusd]

Have a 20 lb. on my bench
Gus

[Ken G]

My bench anvil is about 25+ lbs.  I think this was once a piece of railroad track.   It really doesn't need to be an anvil as Eric said. Just something that's hard, solid, and you can move around easily.    
Cheers,
Ken

[Bill]

WOW Ken! What a a great looking shop! Your "little" anvil looks like a lot that I've seen over the years made from a section of railroad track. (If you ever want to burn up a lot of acetylene and grind the living daylights out of steel make one of these out of a section of track!) 
The Peter Wright looks like a really nice one. I like the post vise next to it. Like I said a real nice looking shop!

[Habu]

I'm in the "chunk of railroad track" school.  Maybe that should be "chunks of railroad track," as I have a few, along with a couple of old dollies for pounding out dents in auto bodies.  The surfaces are fairly clean, I use them for work where finish matters.  I use the anvil on my bench vise for cutting with a cold chisel and the like. 

[David R. Pennington]

I have a little anvil on the bench that is good for doing light forging that I can heat with acetylene torch. Recently aquired a beautiful old Peter Wright 147 lbs. that replaces the old dead cast anvil I was using. The P. W. rings like a bell and the hammer rebounds like a rubber ball! She shows a lot of use but is not swaybacked and still has some square corners. There is a little chipping on off side but is a joy to use. From what info I could find it was made between 1860 to 1890.

[Hungry Horse]

I have at very nicely made bench anvil that was made from a piece of train track. It even has a hardy, and pritchel hole. It very light, maybe seven or eight pounds, and has a long horn that helps when making curls in trigger guards, and such. I have a 125# forged anvil that rings like a bell. The little anvil has a plate that allows it to fit into the hardy hole of the larger anvil for forge work.
 I just picked up a Peter Wright with the for broken off for twenty bucks, and a nearly new hardy mount shear for forty, at a farm sale. YYYIIIPPPEEE!

                                   Hungry Horse 

[LynnC]

Put me in the RR track bench anvil category.  Milled flat on top with the step for the chipping block, Horn torched  then smoothly ground out.  Even made a little hardie chisel to go with it.  Bout 17 lbs.  Does all I need at the bench.  The Wright 147 pounder only gets used if I'm forging a trigger guard or butt plate.......Lynn

[Bernard]

I keep a 10 lb Anvil on my bench. Vises are for holding stuff not for pounding on. Sheet forming and forming pipes and patch box hinges can be done using a machine vise but my gunmakers vise isn't suitable for that kind of work so the anvil takes the pounding.

[Dave B]

I too have a 10 llb bench anvil made from rail road track. its an essential part of my bench tool collection.

[DB]

What's the ideal size?

[Meteorman]

got an old 20-lber loose on the bench.
got it for next-to-free at an auction.
use it a lot.
beatin' on a homemade banana patchbox lid here.
/mike m

[dannybb55]

I have a 30 lb Bickern that's about 200 years old. I got it at a junk shop for about 5 bucks. It has 2 nailer's pritchels in the heal, a nice face and a small bick.