Anvil

[DaCodaBuchan]

Montana Leather sells a two pound anvil that can mount to a workbench. Would this be as good as a granite slab for smaller work? Would the metal react with the leather in an unwanted way? Would there be any reason to not use one, at least until I purchased a slab of granite?

[bruce johnson]

The metal in the anvil will react with damp leather and cause black spots. I do use anvils a lot though. I use a 5# for setting small rivets and snaps, or set it on a cutting pattern to keep it from shifting. I usea shoeing anvil to set copper rivets on or to slip the heel into a pocket with a piece of poundo over it to punch a slot inside a pocket. They are pretty handy, but won't replace a rock.

[DaCodaBuchan]

The metal in the anvil will react with damp leather and cause black spots. I do use anvils a lot though. I use a 5# for setting small rivets and snaps, or set it on a cutting pattern to keep it from shifting. I usea shoeing anvil to set copper rivets on or to slip the heel into a pocket with a piece of poundo over it to punch a slot inside a pocket. They are pretty handy, but won't replace a rock.

Thank you, I will purchase one at that very decent price. I won't expect it to work like a rock though. I'll keep shopping for a granite slab.

[WyomingSlick]

Montana Leather sells a two pound anvil that can mount to a workbench. Would this be as good as a granite slab for smaller work? Would the metal react with the leather in an unwanted way? Would there be any reason to not use one, at least until I purchased a slab of granite?

I am getting a funny picture here. When you ask "Would this be as good as a granite slab for smaller work?" I am wondering if you are thinking about tooling on top of an anvil. Anvils are for setting hardware ( rivets, snaps, etc) on - while for tooling, most use granite, marble, fine finished concrete slabs, and I've even seen a fella that had a lead slab.

Edited January 9, 2010 by WyomingSlick

[DaCodaBuchan]

Well, yeah. I do nothing wider than a belt so far. I need something to stamp on and the slab I had my eye set on was $70. I figured an anvil at $16 would serve the same purpose. I'd have to put a stamping pad on top. I want one either way. It sounds silly, but since I want it anyways, I figured I'd ask if there was any danger of using it for leather as well before I had the money for the slab.

[bruce johnson]

For stamping, look for a piece at a counter top place, headstone shop, Habitat for Humanity store, etc. These places usually have something that will work. Some of the counter places have sink cutouts or a corner cut for free. Some of the headstone places have a broken slab pile. It will be way more satifactory than trying to balance on a 2# anvil. You still need an anvil, but not for this.

[JAM]

At a weekend tooling class I took last summer, a fella suggested going to one of those factories that create the Corian-type countertops - they pour a hard resin to make them and have runoff material leftover after each big pour. This fella had a classful of students go to the local factory (in Spokane) with plastic rectangular kitchen tubs and ask the folks there to fill them with the runoff at the end of their next batch of pouring. They ended up with 1'x2' slabs, ~2" thick, very hard and great for tooling (and free). And you could probably have one poured as thick as you want.

Julia

[DaCodaBuchan]

I may look for a place like that around here. I think the habitat store may carry something I can use. If not I have my sites set on teh Pro leatherworker tool set in the next few weeks and that kit includes a slab.

[sdkid]

I was at the hidecrafter site yesterday and they have their slab on sale for 14.95. The shipping is 20 I think. Just another option.