Recommendation for an Anvil

[Rawhide]

i would just get a flat steel plate, this way when you have that large piece that's hard to hold, you can lay it on your bench and the rise of the plate is not enough to make holding the pieces awkard while setting the rivet.

Marlon

[ArtS]

Here is one on ebay that appears to be a handy design. http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Machinist-Vise...1QQcmdZViewItem

ArtS

[esantoro]

Thanks for the additional replies and information on the hardy hole, which looks interesting.

Sometimes I have a bit of trouble getting the heads of tubular rivets for my handle assembly to stay positioned properly on an anvil surface, while I hammer on the caps from the other side. Are there any special tools do help do this? I have the small round concave button-looking anvils from Tandy, which can't be used. I also have the concave hand-held setter from OTB, but this requires me to put force on the rivet head down into the rivet cap, and the caps set better when force is applied from the cap end down onto the rivet post.

Ed

[bcurrier]

I use a 3" thick, 10" diameter piece of stainless steel that I found in the cut-offs section of my local steel service center.

Bill

[esantoro]

I never imagined I would start getting so into anvils.

How I wish I could afford both the space and the price for this one on ebay: item #200218172835

Ed

[esantoro]

ED, i do have the harbor freight anvil, you have seen a 5# one on the bench before.

i like the heavy one( 55#) for setting copper rivets.

the square hole is called a "hardy hole", there are a lot of different items a Blacksmith

will make, too help him make these items he will use a "Hardy tool"

when i bought mine it was 29.99 0n sale....

Luke,

I've been looking around the net for hardy tools. Many seem to be about 1 inch wide. Is that about the width of the hardy hole in your 55# harbor freight anvil?

Ed

[Luke Hatley]

ED, yes the hole in mine is 1" square.

[esantoro]

i would just get a flat steel plate, this way when you have that large piece that's hard to hold, you can lay it on your bench and the rise of the plate is not enough to make holding the pieces awkard while setting the rivet.

Marlon

Hi Marlon,

I know exactly what you mean about positioning awkward pieces.

Ed

[anvilcustoms]

I never imagined I would start getting so into anvils.

How I wish I could afford both the space and the price for this one on ebay: item #200218172835

Ed

Be careful, anvils can be addicting!! I've been collecting anvils for 17 years now. I've bought and sold somewhere around 600 anvils or so.

A couple of years ago, I had the LARGEST Hay Budden anvil known in existence at 701 pounds. It came off the Missouri-Pacific Railroad.

I just purchased a 255 pound Arm & Hammer anvil.....best anvil ever manufactured.

That Fisher Horseshoe anvil that you mention was a GREAT BUY! I would have bid on it if I had remembered to. Probably worth closer to $1500 or so. The HORSESHOE emblem on the side is extremely RARE on a FIsher anvil.

Anyways, check out some of my MINI anvils that I make right here in my shop.....

[bcurrier]

Now those are some cool little anvils! Do you sell them? If so, how much?

Bill