I have been plugging holes in my workshop lately, adding a few things and improvising others. One of the things I have been stuck with is making a DIY light-duty anvil. Nothing major here. I don't do blacksmithing. Only the occasional straightening a bent nail or piece of metal. I figured that instead of buying a real anvil, I should just find a block of wood and fix a thick sheet of metal on top. Wood block has been improvised by nailing three 2x4s on each other. But I spent a looooonnng time thinking about a heavy sheet of metal, but got nothing.

My wife threw a few pots and pans, and I investigated them, but they were not thick enough. So, the question is: can you think of anything that is available in most stores, or around us, that is thick enough for this purpose ??

I am looking for anything that is about 4x4 inches.
No problem if it was rectangular or circular, but should be around 5 mm thick ± .

Thank you

Maybe you could find an actual small anvil at an 'antique' store or flea market? I've got a small 30-40 lb. one that grandpa had that went to my dad on the farm that now lives in my garage so I would think some of the small ones are still around in rural areas.

I'm in Iowa and found several in the state for sale using craig's list and a general search on the web. If you can't source it locally, shipping costs would be a deal breaker! We've also got some blacksmithing groups and in the Des Moines area is the Living History Farm where there would be a bunch of folks that may know of a local source to get a small anvil.

If you can't do that or something like that - check out steel targets and with the local gun shops or shooting groups. There are several of those that are thick steel, come in several (flat) shapes and sizes that could work for a flat hard surface. Another idea is to check with any local metal shops in your area for a chunk of "scrap" they may have and/or a heavy equipment or vehicle shop could have some 'junk' parts from heavy equipment or engines you could adapt for your use. Maybe a 'junkyard' if there is still such a thing anymore.

A cast iron pan is about 3 mm thick. I don't know whether that's thick enough.

MacGyver would just use a stick of gum and straighten the bent nail on the foil wrapper. That only works if you connect the wrapper to a battery and douse the nail in hydrogen peroxide. (jk)

The classic improvised anvil is a section of rail track. If have railways near by, might find a discarded small section.

Over here we have Welsh bakestones. Upto 1/2" thick flat cast iron. But probably cheaper to buy raw metal stock unless find one in a thrift store.

Thanks guys



That would be OK. But I am worried about anything cast iron, it may be too fragile to take hammer pounding. I don't know.
Besides, most of these are too big.




Good idea. I will try it.
They will definitely have all kinds of bits and pieces of metal around them.

I don't think so. Even if they were scattered there, lots of people will find them and sell them to metal recycling companies.

A lot of older vises have an anvil on the back.
Other things I've used in the past to have something solid to pound on are an old brake drum or disk.

Another common one, is just an old lump hammer or sledge hammer head.

Thanks guys

Real great ideas

OK, this talk about anvils reminds me to ask you about shovels and spades. What's the connection ? LOL. One of the projects I was planning for in the workshop (using an anvil) has to do with a spade/shovel that my brother gave me after he finished his house construction.

There are two types I use in the home and garden. One type has a concave blade with a pointed tip. I use this type for digging the garden soil. The other type is has a flat blade with a straight front edge. I use this one (just like a bulldozer blade) to clean the tiles from dried clay or leaves ..etc. The straight bottom gives maximum contact with the floor.

Now the spade that my brother gave me does not fall in either category. It has a rounded (concave) blade, with a straight edge !! I couldn't figure out where it should be used. Its straight front edge is not great in digging soil, and its rounded bottom does not help contain debris or leaves on the floor. This is why I thought if I had an anvil, I would bang the blade and make it flat to use it for scraping the floor or cleaning leaves.

Before doing that, it would be wise to ask you guys to educate me about the uses of such a spade configuration. Maybe I could use it where it is intended.

Thanks.