Italian "Pig" Anvil Restoration and Stand Fabrication

In this video I finally flatten the 75 kg (165 lbs) forged anvil I got 6 years back when I first started blacksmithing. I ended up removing only 1.5mm from the surface to get most of the working area 100% flat so I can now use this as my clean and super flat anvil for fine and small work.
This is also the reason why I made the stand this tall taking the face of the anvil up to 90cm high so I don't have to bend over quite as much when doing finer forging work. For heavy work I do have my other monster anvil at the right height: • Stand for BIG 290kg (6...
This is something I wanted to do for more then a year now, every step of this project took a real long time but I am now super happy to have this other cool anvil to work with when I need!
And if you are curious the base took 6 bags of 25 kg pre-mixed concrete so with around 10kg of steel frame it ended up weighting around 160 kg (353 lbs). All together anvil and stand sits at around 235 kg (518 lbs).
Find some stuff I use for my projects in this amazon storefront:
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It's affiliate marketing, so if you order something from here you'll help the channel for free! Thank you!
Thanks a lot for watching, I hope you liked the video!
Suggestions and comments are welcome.
Leave a like and share to anyone who might be interested!
0:00 Milling
4:09 Stand
7:38 Mount solution
9:14 Anvil grind and finishing touches
10:12 Result and tests
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[@avago2day]

No talking, no music, perfect!

[@alistersshop5787]

Black beard project videos are always perfect

[@stanbinary]

No product promo as well

[@avidcollector869]

just like my wife, silent and pretty

[@larsfrandsen2501]

Yup

[@maxbowen6482]

It’d have been prefect if it had gone back on a good bit of lumber instead of a concrete base. Just my 2pence

[@TommyG_0311]

i absolutely love watching anvil restorations especially when they get cleaned up on a mill. it's so aesthetically pleasing

[@robusthedgehog]

It's a shame even really worn down anvils cost a fortune these days. I would love to restore one myself

[@ShainAndrews]

@@robusthedgehog Anvils have NO business on a mill. It's what douches do for the views and kids think it's cool.

[@dragonwing4ever]

@@robusthedgehog "its old so it must be worth a fortune" I'd rather buy a new one for a 1/3 of the price

[@AndyFromBeaverton]

@@dragonwing4ever You get what you pay for. I'd rather pay 3x as much for a century-old anvil over something cheaply made in China you got at Harbor Freight.

[@dragonwing4ever]

@@AndyFromBeaverton yes and no, old anvils are a bit of unknown when it comes to the steel used on the face, while there are many high quality old anvils you can aswell get new ones that are quality aswell, here in aus we have bsl which are cast from 1040 or 1050 i cannot remember which and nordic edge which are cast 6050 steel both are high quality anvils at a fraction of the cost of an old one

[@jacobshort6528]

I like that you used an engine hoist to pick up and move the anvil. Way to save your back and knees!

[@GeneralJoefish]

Jesus man, I’d never pick up an anvil by hand 😂 there isn’t a chiropractor on earth that could fix me afterwards

[@cdgonepotatoes4219]

@@GeneralJoefish there are light anvils that weigh less than 20kg, which is the "safe max weight" for an adult to lift. I'd say it's either or when it comes to a solo workshop.

[@thedazzlingape2006]

or you could get some straps to lift it like an old timer. and theyre still doing it at the age of 80 so...cant be that wrong. I picked up a 50kg benchshear, couldnt lift it of the ground, but with aid of one rope on my back and the thing got lifted like a feather. I was fine. back breaking is for idiots. work smart not unsmart

[@lewissammons]

Passed the ball bearing test with flying colors, you can barely even measure how little force is lost! Really like the concrete base design and you did a damn fine job dressing up the working surfaces.. Nice job!

[@BlackBeardProjects]

Thank you!!

[@gorillaau]

I had my doubts on the concrete but it seems to be a very clever low cost sokution. Id like to see an update video in a years time on how it is holding up. Perhaps a little more steel reinforcing for next time?

[@sandybarrie5526]

you can also use hardened glass marbles wish will bounce higher than steel ball bearings.

[@jeanladoire4141]

Damn you're lucky that this anvil had a deeply hardened face, usually we NEVER remove steel from the surface beacause the hardened layer is sometimes very shallow. But it looks good as new!

[@BoB-Dobbs_leaning-left]

Looking at the chips that came off whilst machining I would guess that it is a Cast Iron anvil, so no hardening is needed.

[@medicbabe2ID]

Probably not luck. Pretty sure he knew what he was working with.

[@jeanladoire4141]

@@medicbabe2ID a case hardened anvil is kinda hard to recognize i'd say

[@AaronBelknap]

I love a good anvil restoration. Using a mill to flatten the feet THEN flattening the top is brilliant and wondered why others don't do it more often. That stand is quite stout. At first I was what's he doing? Brilliant! I love it! That anvil turned out beautiful!

[@robusthedgehog]

At first I was like "that table sure won't have enough mass" but then you poured concrete and I had to laugh

[@IR-nq4qv]

nice pitch and tone, no ringing, the sound falls flat and is absorbed into the base, which is overall great ergonomic height that's tailored to your own comfort, easy on the back and shoulders. All together a great package that you will enjoy for years to come. Good job indeed

[@moseshorowitz4345]

Beautiful result. I expected you would hand scrape it, but the milling machine was a much better solution. I was concerned about the lack of "give" in a concrete stand over the original wood, but I suppose the material you added where the feet would rest would be spongy enough to compensate some.

[@OzanTheWise]

@Jack Young No, less give means more hammering force is lost to the anvil and/or the base when you hit, instead of used to deform the part. You want your hammer bounce as much as possible when you hit the anvil without a part in between. That shows that only a very small amount of force is absorbed by the anvil/base. Because, when you swing the hammer with an X amount of force, you want less of that amount absorbed by the anvil/base and more of that amount absorbed by the part and the rest is recovered (bouncing the hammer back) if not used to deform the part. That way, most of the energy you spend with your swing is used for deformation and most of the energy that is not used for deformation helps you gain momentum enough to raise your swing to the starting height easier with less energy, hence the efficiency.

[@sethbracken]

You have a good instinct for editing. You know when a process should be shown, edited out, played at high speed, shown in slow motion. It’s so good.

[@joshsickles1163]

Nice work on that. I have not seen many restorations that get that clean!

[@pabrowncoatbrewer7154]

I couldn’t agree more. It really was damn good work.

[@tomweil9274]

I am always so impressed by individuals who have the talent and ability to bring back to life something that a lot of people would simply cast aside, beautiful job !

[@lovejcdc]

Absolutely love that anvil, you did a fantastic job bringing it back to life.

[@robertmanley7556]

Yes sir very very nice work !! That Advil has a very nice ring and 27 inch ball bearing bounce is great !! Very nice smooth and flat surface and very nice stand as well !! 👍👍

[@williamsforge6263]

Awesome. I used sand in mine. It's nice seeing someone want to have a solid base with a solid mounted anvil. Lots of guys just nail them and the anvil rings like a bell and moves all over the place. 😆

[@Enigma-Sapiens]

Great job on a beautiful anvil!

[@tonywatson987]

Very nice build, and an elegant solution to securing the anvil to the base. Well done!

[@JacobE-23]

Probably my favorite anvil restoration video to date! Love the stand you made for it, and how you attached the anvil to it. Simple but effective.

[@lynmidl86]

Теперь можно поставить на полочку и любоваться каждый день

[@Argel_Aurelian_Tal]

Да тем более о амартизацыоных способностях бетона легенды ходят , одним словом нужно объяснить человеку почему наковальню вот уже лет с тыщу на деревяху ставят.Поржал от души.

[@lynmidl86]

@@Argel_Aurelian_Tal вот и именно. Хрен знает зачем он вообще такую фигню делает.

[@endurogubbarna]

I just bought a 176kg Söderfors from 1916 today! Don't have a mill but I will do my best to restore it as nicely as you did with yours!

[@lostbuffalo196]

BEAUTIFUL....BEAUTIFUL. Great job. I especially liked the remote control you secretly installed in it to "rotate" while you took the final pictures. ha

[@campbellmorrison8540]

That base is Brilliant. So when you say pig iron I thought that was pretty soft but that anvil seems to have good ring and bounce and can obviously take a good hammering without denting and yet you were able to mill it flat, I'm impressed

[@RedBeardOps]

Bro... I may need to mail you my anvil to surface... lol - This looks awesome!

[@stepheno1870]

So satisfying to watch, great job, what a beauty with an ACE stand…… Have a great holiday, see you in 2023….👍

[@davejustdave4721]

You my friend are an amazing craftsman. Keep up the great work. Bravo 👏 👏 👏

[@karcinoma]

that thing is so beautiful I would be scared to put a scratch on it! absolutely stunning!

[@Charlielizard]

Good Lord, this has got to be one of your best restoration videos. Was surprised when I saw the concrete; but after all was complete, the "bounce test" with ball bearing tossed my concerns out the window. Brilliant video as always! Wish you and yours the Happiest of Holidays. Thanks again for a fabulous video.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@JaapGrootveld]

Wow... that turned out so much better than I expected.

[@playwithmatters7676]

Oh man that's going to be great to work on. Like forging by itself wasn't amazing enough already. Haha great job !!!

[@rocket8417]

I watch a lot of these anvil restorations and this is by far one of the best ones.

[@alanpreston3111]

12.31 minutes of pure craftsmanship….👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻🙏🏻❤️

[@JMS-2111]

As someone who worked in a museum (not as a restaurateur) I will tell you this, this anvil was not restored (that is a wholly different procedure). However this anvil has been repaired and upgraded, which is as impressive to watch and admire as a restauration.

[@comfort_in_discomfort]

Great rebound. Anvils are a thing of beauty.

[@horstszibulski19]

Finally a non-singing anvil in your workshop! 😉 Sweet thing, the top plate looks gorgeous! That gave me a idea how to make a anvil stand for my own workshop, thx a lot for showing! 👍👍👍

[@JENNISWISS]

💥 BIG 💥 COMPLIMENT MY FRIND. super nice job and great result🍀🍀🍀

[@tazarcher3880]

Satisfaction at the end when you hear that hammer ring on the anvil. Love that noise

[@Twigglebaron]

Almost seems a crime to hammer on such a beautifully restored anvil, but I suppose that's what they're for. Beautiful restoration.

[@wookieecantina]

Great work, absolutely loved it! Thanks for creating and sharing.

[@pcvtintin]

The stand…🤯 Nice job!

[@fabiogiacomelli3410]

Damn, pig anvil is my dream anvil. You did a awesome job restoring it!

[@user-zp8kx6pk3k]

Te veo hace muchos años ! necesitamos un Work shop tour . es increible lo que aprendiste y avanzaste en poco tiempo ! te mando un abrazo enorme desde argentina !

[@BalearicBeatnik]

Absolutely stunning! Best wishes from the uk 🇬🇧 ❤

[@Smallathe]

A very cool clean-up and refurbishing. Loved the new base - very cool and very heavy :)

[@SonoraSlinger]

Been waiting to see this exact video. Our anvils are similar so this was awesome to see and gather ideas from. Looks solid af

[@dumpsterfire6351]

Oh thank god! I saw you putting boards down and my eyes got huge…just super duper cement forms 🎉

[@ironhammer3734]

Outstanding restoration. I wish all of them could be restored that well.

[@clayfree7428]

That will be there LONG after you are gone. Beautiful!

[@mjo326]

I need one of those. Brilliant and beautiful work!

[@user-op8fr3vf7w]

Очень приятно было смотреть на восстановление, спасибо.

[@budilov]

It was very interesting work! ❤

[@stephenjohnson6841]

What a great restoration of an awesome anvil! Job very well done as per usual! Thanks for sharing!

[@Beltfed45]

That turned out fantastic! Great work!

[@neffk]

That's not a stand.... THAT'S a stand! Nice work. I admit I was a little worried for your mill table but it looks like everything turned out OK in the end.

[@richardlangley9066]

That is absolutely beautiful. Excellent job on the restoration!

[@javierpaz4689]

La mejor restauración que he visto hasta la fecha. Bravo!!

[@bradthayer6782]

Nice restoration. I am concerned over time that concrete will crack and chunks fall out without more rebar or reinforcement.

[@eatenkate]

In the beginning i was like DUDE shouldn't you mill the feet first? And then you turned it upside down and all was well again. This was 100% the exact amount of excitement i needed today so thank you for that (:

[@vogs72]

There is an honest reason anvils rest on wood - it’s a lot more forgiving than stone or metal if you’re spending all day over them. That said I’ve never seen a shiny anvil like that, and it does it’s job.

[@yanm4098]

Concrete basement is a fine solution! I think I will make one for my anvil

[@josetonon5726]

Maravilhoso trabalho de restauração, sem comprometer a originalidade. Parabéns pelo seu trabalho.

[@alainqueyras372]

Hello and Well done!!! Superb restoration 👍 But this brings me a reflection that has matured for some time. I've been a subscriber to the channel for quite a long time and I have to admit that you've succeeded perfectly in everything you touch. Repair of machine tools, creation of tools, the forge, the cutlery, the foundry, I forget... and it becomes particularly annoying!!! 🤣🤣🤣. In fact, it shows me how bad I am and it's not easy to accept. Finally, it also shows my room for improvement. Let's see the positive side. See you soon in a new video which will be great as always. Sincerely. 👍👍👍

[@kielmeyer1]

Beautiful work love the old world style.

[@OriginalMomo]

Beautiful work as always

[@lacaver64]

The best work for the anvil. No vibration and its very heavy

[@ironcladranchandforge7292]

Beautiful anvil. Nice job!!

[@ClintsHobbiesDIY]

Excellent vid, restoration, base and mounting system.

[@Donorcyclist]

Very nicely done!

[@nikolaroshupkin5410]

The most beautiful anvil in the world !

[@simoneboxler1065]

Greeting from the italian alps. I have one of this anvil (porco). Was my grandpa anvil and back in the day (he passed away 10 years ago) he say to me that this anvils are full made of steel. There's not only a steel plate...

[@neilkloppenborg8399]

Great looking anvil! And knowing your channel, you’ll make good use of it! Cheers

[@minnesotatomcat]

That is the best idea for an anvil stand that I have ever seen. Beautiful old anvil too 👍

[@henryguyonnet2963]

Enclume trop haute pour forger.

[@yeagerxp]

Very good restoration 👍👍👍Thank you for sharing. Be safe🇨🇦

[@RH-om1ph]

Also, on a manual milling machine, you need to push the direction of cut of the end mill against the material. Otherwise, you'll rub against the part and burn up the edge of your end mill going back and forth in either direction like that. Not to mention, carbide endmills are far better than high speed steel for most applications.

[@checoleman8877]

That rebound was perfect.

[@bruce150]

Beautiful work as always ! 12:10

[@user-ju1cz1zz2s]

Hello. My favorite section. Good video!

[@marty01957]

Good job! That should last another hundred years!

[@oohhhhh]

What a fun job! Love the base. Cheers, brother.

[@vinceianni4026]

Beautiful restoration mister good job well done

[@Justlookingaround24]

Watched three times. Like it better each time.

[@benjaminclifford2095]

That is amazing 😍 I've wanted one for many many years.

[@9Antonian]

Just a beautiful restoration, thank you sir.

[@josephcormier5974]

That turned out great excellent video awesome content thank you for sharing this with us six stars brother

[@trainnerd3029]

Trued up and put back in service… That’s better than just a restoration! Hope you can figure out something cool to do with the original stand… Great video!

[@elopez1369]

Nice work. I think you need a big fly cutter, like the one @inheritancemachining just built.

[@Triumph2727]

Very well done. Thanks for sharing.

[@ALPACABOWLCOMPANY]

Awesome job. Fun project. 💚👽

[@sandybarrie5526]

real super craftsman here. wow. envious,.

[@kjellski]

Awesome job mate! And a phenomenal rebound for the little money invested in the stand! I don't know if it's of any concern for you, but I found that a big chunky magnet gets rid of any ring the best... by far! :)

[@s56505]

When clamping for the foot flattening operation you lifted the work piece to one side with your first clamp you can see what I'm talking about when you let the clamps off the horn side fell. This is further proven when you started the top the horn side was last to touch off. This is line with the feet being out of zero. All of the operations were out there for the anvil is all out just because you did not take the care with your first set up.

[@guyemmott4009]

Hope the floor is upto that point loading weight...Superb work..

[@saoralba5114]

Absolutely fantastic .

[@LakshmananLM]

I like that I can never see where your creativity takes the restoration every time. Merry Christmas and a happy new year.

[@drycreek3204]

Seems to work well, but I'd say that the concrete will dry fully & start to break apart under the hammer blows. Great job on milling it flat for a good working surface!

[@craigcox1441]

That is a beautiful piece of art music to my ears at the end

[@RH-om1ph]

Just tips from a machinist my friend. The end result was amazing. Good video.

[@NathanRodger]

This is IMMENSELY satisfying… ❤

[@Triumph2727]

Damn that’s clean! Nice job! I’m super jealous!

[@mcseforsale]

Was anyone else super happy that it wasn't an epoxy pour? Concrete was an excellent idea.

[@BrianSheppard]

That was truly beautiful and satisfying to watch.