I finally tried forge welding on a cheap anvil and it went exactly as you'd expect

Was out in my backyard shed last Saturday attempting to weld two pieces of rebar together, and the anvil actually slid off the stand halfway through the first hammer strike. Has anyone else dealt with an anvil that just won't stay put no matter how you brace it?

3 comments

3 Comments

craig.john1mo ago

That part about the anvil sliding off the stand made me wince, because I had the exact same thing happen with my granddad's old anvil two summers ago. Only difference is mine tipped forward and almost landed on my foot (which would have been a real bad day, let me tell you). What finally worked for me was drilling some holes in the wooden stand and bolting it down with big lag bolts, plus I wedged some old rubber floor mats underneath for grip. I've also heard of guys using thick chains wrapped around the whole setup, like a poor man's strapping system, but I haven't tried that myself.

martinez.kim1mo ago

Oh man, that rubber floor mat idea is genius (wish I'd thought of that before my anvil took a dive off the stand last month). Mine landed right on my toe and I swear I felt that one for days, it was like the universe was telling me to stop being cheap and just buy a proper stand already.

eva_thompson1mo ago

Stack some sandbags around the base of your stand before you even start. I filled a few old feed bags with playground sand and piled them against the legs of my stand, and that thing doesn't budge an inch now. Also, if you're using a wooden stand, try cutting some cross braces that go diagonally from the legs to the floor - stops any sideways wobble before it starts.