My old anvil stand finally gave out after 20 years of service

It cracked right through the middle last Tuesday while I was shaping a tricky hind shoe, so I had to weld up a new one from some scrap I-beam I had sitting behind the shop, anyone else ever have a piece of gear just fall apart mid-job?

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1 Comment

jesse_west10d ago

Did you check how the old one was braced underneath? I see a lot of stands fail because people weld them solid at the joints but forget to put a diagonal gusset that takes the twisting load when you're hammering on a shoe at an angle. That crack you got sounds like it started from a little hairline that just spread over years of vibration, not one big hit. I've had the same thing happen with a leg vise that gave out mid-clamp, just a slow metal fatigue thing you never see coming till it snaps.