Anvil Making

DIY low tech and high tech anvil manufacturing

Almost every blacksmith either starts on a homemade anvil, plays with making RR-rail anvils or has THOUGHT about making anvils. Do-it-yourself types often spend a lot of effort making anvils of various quality. It is not as if anvils are not still made, they are and there are numerous makers, or that good used anvils are not available, they are if anyone looks. But blacksmiths, especially hobbiests like to do things the hard way, so they make anvils.
This is not a manual of how to make an anvil or step by step plans with details such as welding and heat treating. It is some methods and examples of ways to make anvils and how others have done so.

General Considerations for Making Anvils

How real anvils are made and what features all blacksmiths anvils have. Methods of making fabricated anvils. Tools and skills needed. Notes on concrete.

 Guru’s Anvil Making Sketchbook

Anvils the Guru would like to have time to build. Original design drawings, methods and some unique solutions to construction. Mega anvils, fine art anvils and armourers anvils.

 Stefaan Meeus Anvil Sketchbook

Traditional and original design drawings

 Pieced Anvil

Our oldest and original anvil making article.

 Low Cost Anvil

Don’t let preconcieved ideas about what an anvil should look like get in the way of having a good usable tool.

 RR-rail and Crane Rail Anvils

Based on our March 2000 iForge article we demonstrate the best ways to make RR-rail anvils.

 Skeleton Anvils

Making anvils from a popular scrap shape.

3 Hardy (Hardie) Holes

Ways to make hardie holes in DIY anvils with and without machining.

3 MORE Hardy (Hardie) Holes

MORE Ways to make hardie holes in DIY anvils with and without machining.

Radiusing Anvil Corners

About edge radii and chart of suggested dimensions.

Flame Cut Stake Anvil

A production design by Jock Dempsey anvilfire guru.

 Modern Medieval Classic Anvil

An orginal design by Jock Dempsey anvilfire guru.

 Anvil made by BurntForge

Italian style fabricated anvil.

 Anvils made by 16 year old Canadian

Two anvils made by Daniel Boettger of Canada. A Medieval Pentagonal and late German style.

 How NOT to make an anvil

The wrong way. . .

Gallery of DIY anvils

User built and Do-It-Yourself anvils.

Fabricating a Swage Block

While not technically an anvil some consider them such. Making one fits in with the techniques listed above.

 Fabricated Cone Mandrel

A low use tool that is handy to have.

Machining a Conical Anvil Horn

One step in manufacting anvils in a modern shop.