anvil hold fast

ScottRoush

ScottRoush

Joined
Jan 10, 2010
Messages
1,818
where can you get one? or how have you guys made em? I'm assuming some spring coil would be a good place to start.

i need something to hold down bar stock so I can hot slit. i tried modifying a drill press clamp to fit my hardy but it just isn't strong enough.
 
I've seen two different hold downs used. One uses the hardy and one uses the pritchell hole. The pritchell would be the easiest to make. Take round rod just smaller than the hole, shape a curve that extends up and over with a flat on the end. When you shove it in the hole the pressure against the stock makes it stay in place. I wish I had a picture to show you. Hopefully someone will post a pic for you.
 
I made one for the pritchel hole, too. Just used rebar, leaving it normalized. You want it to slip easily into the hole, but not real sloppy so it will wedge well. Here's a link to anvilfire, scroll down near the bottom of the second page here and you'll see a demo called "hold downs." It's #125 on the list. While you're at it, ejoy the other demos if you have not seen them before...

http://www.anvilfire.com/iForge/
 
thanks.... i wasn't sure if rebar would be hard enough.. i looked all through anvilfire and never came across that!
 
Get a bike chain, drape it over the face of the anvil roughly in the area of the hardy hole. Then using some 3/8" round stock make a foot loop or pedal that allows you to pull down on the bike chain. Anything you put under will be clamped down to the face and it's a no handed setup.

This design obviously requires your anvil to be fastened to the base and clearance underneath but it's extremely fast and effective once you get the process down.
 
thanks.... i'm not sure if i have the clearance.. but i'm gonna look into it... seems simple
 
It depends on your rebar. The first hold down out of that bar, I quenched to cool because I was in a hurry and didn't think it was very high carbon rebar. The first time I put it in the anvil and tried to tap it down on a workpiece, it snapped. Oops. So I used the same bar to make another, then just air cooled. I only used rebar 'cause that's what I had on hand that roughly fit the pritchel hole, coil spring would be a better choice IMO.
 
Here's a link to a picture of an anvil holdfast. It slips over two pegs on the anvil stand. The springs are old auto valve springs. http://www.knifeknowhow.com/smiths_tools.htm

Another option is to convert an old pair of vise grip type pliers. Cut off the lower jaw and weld on a peg to fit the hardy. It must extend all the way through the anvil. A horizontal hole through the peg fitted with a pin will keep the vice grip in place. You can also weld on an extension to the top jaw if necessary. (A jaw extension causes a sideways pull on the peg, making it jam in the hardy hole, whereas you need to fit a pin to the peg to keep it from pulling up when you use the vise grip as is.)

To clarify a bit: the anvil face "becomes" the lower jaw of the vice grip.
 
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KnifeKnowHow said:
Another option is to convert an old pair of vise grip type pliers. Cut off the lower jaw and weld on a peg to fit the hardy. It must extend all the way through the anvil. A horizontal hole through the peg fitted with a pin will keep the vice grip in place. You can also weld on an extension to the top jaw if necessary. (A jaw extension causes a sideways pull on the peg, making it jam in the hardy hole, whereas you need to fit a pin to the peg to keep it from pulling up when you use the vise grip as is.)

To clarify a bit: the anvil face "becomes" the lower jaw of the vice grip.
Click to expand...

No need to kill a pair of Vise-grips.

There is already a similar clamp sold as a drill press hold down.
Extend the threaded lug with a coupling nut and a section of threaded rod through the hardy hole of the anvil.

$11.25 at Grizzly
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Quick-Release-Drill-Press-Clamp-10-/G8079
g8079.jpg
 
i've got that same clamp... but my welds were pulling apart. i'm no genius with my wire feed. but did it again and it works lovely. it's becoming one of my better friends...

i guess a coupling nut would have been the better way....
 
"lo-tech" version: you take a piece of rebar or other round stock suited to your anvil's pritchel and forge a sort of "L" with the long arm slightly bent so that, with the short end in the pritchel, and hammered lightly down on what you are forging, it holds it fast.
Something like this:

HoldfastII.jpg


I prefer to forge a small ring on the "holding" end to make it easier to remove the whole thing (by tapping sideways on the ring).

"Hi-tech" version: cut away the jaw of a suitable vise grip, and weld to the remaining stump a section of round (for pritchel) or square stock (for hardie). I'd use square stock as this can put some strain on small section round stock.
Put in hardie and grip the stock like you'd do with vise grips, only now the anvil is the grip's lower jaw.

Due to construction restraints this latter tool won't work on thin stock: you have to put something between top jaw and thin stock as buffer.
 
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