Dimensions of an anvil?

- A
- Andrew H. Wakefield
  
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posted
17 years ago

Mon, Nov 15, 2004 3:21 AM

Ernie, or anyone else that might care to chip in --
Where could I find the basic dimensions of a given-sized anvil? I keep
mulling around the possibility of making a 4" wide (thick?) anvil, and I've
done a lot of studying of the pictures and description Ernie has provided
(many thanks!!) -- from which I think I *might* be able to guess about how
tall, long, etc. to make it ... but I wouldn't mind having somewhat more
exact dimensions to work with. I realize that probably the dimensions can
vary considerably depending on personal preference ... but I'd love to know
what the personal preference of some knowledgeable people might be!
What I'd really like to know is any or all of the following, for a 4" anvil:
How tall should it be?
How long should the flat top be?
How long should the horn be?
What is the largest diameter of the horn?
How wide is the narrowest part of the body (ie, where it tapers in from the
horn and from the heel)?
How wide is the base (where it tapers back out)?
Approximately how far in from the end of the heel should the hardie hole be
located?
Are there any other dimensions that would be helpful / critical for making
an anvil?
TIA for any input. If you have a favorite anvil and go to the trouble to
measure it to answer these questions, a triple TIA!!!
Andy

- A
- Andrew H. Wakefield
  
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posted
17 years ago

Mon, Nov 15, 2004 3:30 AM

Oops -- I just looked again at Ernie's picture of the rough-cut anvil, and realized that there were some dimensions on it -- 13-1/2" tall and 31" long. Is that correct? In the picture, it doesn't look like the anvil is that much longer than it is tall??
Meanwhile, I also remembered one other dimension I'd like to know -- how thick should the heel be at the end -- or should it taper all the way down to a sharp edge?

- E
- Ernie Leimkuhler
  
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posted
17 years ago

Mon, Nov 15, 2004 12:17 PM

Got to the Metalworking.com dropbox.

formatting link

scroll down to Anvil_pattern.gif
I scaled the pattern for 4" thick steel plate. It didn't take long to add the dimensions, but it was a pain to get my CAD program to export it as an image file. I hope those are enough dimensions for you.

- S
- Steve Smith
  
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posted
17 years ago

Tue, Nov 16, 2004 1:17 AM

I'm not Page, but I saved his post.
Steve ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 23 May 1996 09:52:54 -0500 (CDT) From: Page Thomas Subject: Re: Weight of anvils
One can estimate the weight of a standard anvil by its dimensions.
10lb anvil. face is 6 x 2; horn, 3 1/2"; hgt., 4"; base, 3 1/2"
100lb. face, 14 x 3 3/8; horn, 9 3/4"; waist, 5"; heal, 13/16; drop, 13/16, hh, 7/8
125lb face, 15 1/2x3 1/2; horn 10 1/2; waist, 5 1/4; heal, 7/8; dp, 7/8; hh, 15/16
160lb face, 17 1/2x4; horn, 11 1/2; waist, 5 1/2; heal, 15/16; drop, 15/16; hh, 1"
200lb face 19x4 1/4; horn, 12; waist, 6; heal, 1, drop, 1; hh, 1 1/16
225lb face, 19 1/2x4 1/2; horn, 12 1/2; waist, 6 1/2; heal, drop, 1 1/16, hh, 1 1/16
900lb face 28 x 8 horn, 19"; height, 18; base 19x16; hh 2"
A farrier's anvil will usually have a longer horn and shorter face, but other dimensions are close.
One should be able to estimate the weight of their anvil, + - 25 lbs.
Page
Andrew H. Wakefield wrote:

- A
- Andy
  
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posted
17 years ago

Tue, Nov 16, 2004 2:55 PM

Ernie, you are great! Thanks so much for taking the time to post this.
One question about design: I've noticed that on some anvils, the horn seems to be more of a regular cone -- in other words, the slope on all sides is a straight line -- whereas in the design you have posted, and what I am more used to thinking of as an anvil shape, the taper curves along the sides and bottom (but is straight along the top, of course). Any thoughts about the advantages or disadvantages of one design vs. the other?
Thanks again,
Andy

- A
- Andy
  
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posted
17 years ago

Tue, Nov 16, 2004 2:58 PM

Thanks, Steve! This information, along with Ernie's posted drawings w/ dimensions, will be most helpful.
Now, if I can just find the time actually to MAKE the anvil, rather than just thinking about it ...

- E
- Ernie Leimkuhler
  
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posted
17 years ago

Tue, Nov 16, 2004 9:33 PM

The anvils with a more conical horn and pyramidal heel are of German and eastern European design. They like their anvils chunky and solid.
The more graceful American Pattern anvils like the Trenton, Columbia and Hay Budden anvils are a more evolved design, based on more working surface per lb. , and what actually gets used.
The curved horn with more mass in the middle of it's length is based on the fact that most American anvils for a long time were used for working horse shoes. A straight conical horn doesn't work as well for this.
Check out a current Centaur forge catalog to see how far Farriers anvils have evolved away from blacksmiths anvils.
Brooks anvils are made in England and personally I think they look like cartoon anvils best dropped on a coyote's head.
All anvils will work for beating on hot steel. The niceties of the design just make for a more productive and enjoyable experiance.

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