My anvil stand gave out halfway through a shoeing job yesterday

I was working on a big draft horse in Springfield, and the whole thing just tipped over when I struck a hard blow. Had to stop everything and prop it up with scrap wood blocks to finish. What's the best way you guys have found to anchor a stand in a mobile setup?

3 comments

3 Comments

wadescott2mo ago

Mobile stands are a real weak point. You need something heavy and wide at the base, not just propped up. I've seen too many guys try to get by with light tripods or flimsy sawhorses. My setup uses a big section of tree stump bolted to a heavy plywood platform. It doesn't tip because it weighs almost as much as the anvil. Adding some rubber matting under the platform keeps it from walking on concrete.

drew_chen2mo ago

Is it really that big of a deal though? I get the idea but most of us aren't swinging a sledgehammer all day. @wadescott's stump setup sounds solid for sure, but overkill for lighter work. I've used a sturdy tripod stand filled with sand for years and it's never moved on me. As long as the base is wide enough, you can get away with less weight.

kelly_hart282mo ago

Hot take: weight is everything. I had the same problem with a light stand last year. Bolted a steel plate to the bottom and filled the legs with lead shot. Now it's a tank. The trick is getting the center of gravity low. Sand helps but metal is better. A wide base just means it slides instead of tips if it's too light. My current rig has maybe 80 pounds in the base itself and it hasn't budged since.

-1