My anvil stand finally gave out after 15 years

I was shaping a heavy shoe on Wednesday and my old wooden anvil stand just split right down the middle. It was a pine stump I cut back in 2009 and it got me through hundreds of horses. I spent the rest of the afternoon building a new one out of oak with some cross bracing this time. Cost me about $40 in materials and 3 hours of my time. Has anyone else had a stand fail on them mid-job and had to cobble something together quick?

3 comments

3 Comments

kevinw945d ago

Blew out a cheap pine stand I built for a buddy, split clean in half while he was setting a shoe.

blair9905d ago

Figured out the hard way that pine was never really the right choice for long term use but I never wanted to admit it lol. Always thought a good solid stump would hold up forever but yours lasted 15 years so I guess that's pretty decent honestly. The oak with cross bracing sounds way smarter though, I bet that new one will outlast us both. Gonna keep this in mind when I finally get around to replacing mine.

the_hayden5d ago

Take a look at how the grain runs next time you pick a board for a stand. That split @kevinw94 saw usually happens when the grain is too tight or has a knot right where the load hits. Cross bracing is a must, but even with oak you want to avoid big knots near the stress points.