100-year-old Anvil Stand from Reclaimed Oak 

A video by an Englishman filmed in France swearing in German xD, perfect!

I watch a lot of creators on you tube and I can genuinely say, that any video you post I watch from start to finish without skipping any parts. You are indeed a truly skilled craftsman Sir. Keep up the good work.

One of the few channels I don't scrub through contents, Enjoyable from beginning to end. Thanks Carl.

The way you said “it’s not my proudest moment” reminds me of almost every one of my diy projects!!

Thank you for the fact that there is no music to be heard. I like it when you can hear your own noises, e.g. the kiln, the ratchet when screwing things together, all the machines. I can't wait to see what happens with the shepherd's wagon.👋👌🖖

As a young girl I spent many hours watching my German Dad in his workshop. So hearing you swear in his mother tongue was priceless ❤❤ Love your work!

3:25 I don't care what happened in the video I was just happy to see that you came back and through the frisbee for the 🐶

so glad you don't edit off the mistakes. i can relate a lot more.

As a german subscriber I can assure you, your „Oh Scheiße“ was very outhentic and very well pronounced!

I've been Blacksmithing for 30+ years, including for the National Park Service, and personally I think inserting the steel strap within the anvil stump was a work of genius!! Good job!! For future reference, to increase that 14mm hole to 16mm, you could have taken the broken 16mm drill bit and heated it in the forge to yellow hot and burned the holes to size. I've done that many times. It could have saved you some money.

Very nice! As a blacksmith, I wholeheartedly approve of your build. And, to be honest, those hooks you made are exceptional for someone who hasn't spent much time at the anvil! The only thing I'd suggest is that your finials always curl to the outside rather than the inside of the hook. This gives you a more "rational" appearance and doesn't clog up the space inside the hook where you want to hold things. What you've done is basically create a barb like on a fish hook and it'll always be grabbing at what you hang there, making removing things an aggravation. Next step should be to forge some punches so you can forge in a depression to accept a countersunk screw head just below the leaf end you forged. This gives you two screws per hook and prevents the hook from rotating on the wall and scratching things up. Plus, it adds a little more topographical change to the shank and really drives home how this is hand-forged iron goodness! There's no end to what you can achieve now that you have a forge and anvil. Just remember that we blacksmiths are called the King of the Trades for a reason. Honor that legacy in everything you forge, and you'll go far in life.

When I'm watching your videos, I always have to think about the saying from John Butler: "He was a quiet man, an artist, a craftsman." Beautiful work Carl 😍

Love the Oak face 5:27

Oh FFS, now I'm off on a descent into anvils, big hammers & forging rabbit holes! But as ever, thanks, an astonishing display of attention to detail and squareness.

yay its carl time again

A tip for using an auger bit in a power drill - grind the threads off the lead screw so it won't pull the bit into the wood. Then you can pull out the drill to clear the chips while keeping it running. This style of drill was originally made for use in a hand brace where you need the help from the screw. They can also be sharpened with a file if you mess up the cutting edges . Good luck, great videos, thanks

I saw on another YT channel that a good way to check the solidity of the mounting for your anvil is to drop a ball bearing from a set height onto the flat part of the anvil. The higher the bounce, the more force is being transferred back into the ball bearing, and not being absorbed into the mounting/floor.

Excellent! And thanks for showing how the work ACTUALLY went. All too often, these videos make things look fast and effortless - and that is simply not reality.

I see new carl rogers video, i click.

A good boy? Well, yes he is! Thanks for remembering, Carl.

Tips from a Blacksmith. You don't need a really heavy hammer. Lifting a heavy hammer is very tiring. A hammer two thirds the size will be much easier to handle and will only require a tiny bit more work time. You might have noticed that blacksmiths appear to strike the anvil rather than the piece of steel being forged. This also helps reduce strain on the arm. Moving the hammer sideways away from the work and letting it fall on the anvil means the anvil takes the shock rather than bone and muscle. Quenching steel hardens it and makes it brittle. If the steel is much more than a couple of millimetres in thickness, prepare to go through lots of drill bits. Just letting the steel cool gently overnight will make drilling far easier. I definitely like your chain strap. The chain will stretch over time and the threaded loops will address this perfectly. Well done.

Really enjoyed the craftsmanship, but the video creation and editing is right up there too. Well done.

You learn fast. Smithing is soooooo much fun. You can knock out beautiful, simple ,functional pieces really quickly. Great for pressies.

Again with the long holes! All I could think of was the Indiana Jones line, "Snakes! Why is it always snakes?!"

it’s amazing how just knocking up a jig or a stand or a temporary bench to make doing another job easier can end up being a massive job in itself. but then doing it right from the start is always the best way, and your new anvil stand will last generations. and only get better with age! fair play for including your fouls ups with the rods too. fantastic video as always Carl

I'm glad to see you gave your dog some love, because when he's gone you're going to miss him a lot

Your dog wants a big hug

I’ve been hoping for a new installment and this did not disappoint! Is there no aspect of a build that you won’t attempt yourself? Your quick mind and willingness to show the missteps as well as the successes help make your videos such a joy to watch. And Rafa is indeed a very good boy!

Honest mistake....saw that coming while you were drilling. Been there and done that, but I didn't have a snappy blue jacket to wear. (but it IS on my wishlist) Your channel is awesome, Carl, thanks for sharing.

Beautiful work you did on the reclaimed oak stand, it's gorgeous. That anvil look mighty heavy not that the stand isn't. I liked that you chained the anvil on, and nice black smithing on the hooks. Thank you.

Well, that was immensely fun!! Love your "oh sh*t" moments. Everyone has them and I'm glad you include them. It was especially fun watching you learn a new skill!!

so good to be able to reuse some old oak, fantastic wood. Once used a telegraph pole isolator beam for a piece. Beautiful. Looks like a decent ironmongers too. Stuff you want at a price you are willing to pay...as opposed to.... ...then they run out of stock. Nice bolt bodge.

I was told to keep the anvil as close as possible to the furnace to keep the heat in the work.

I don't care what you do Carl , I would watch you , no matter what. Those hooks turned out quite nicely. I think you will make a pretty good blacksmith. You've got a knack for working with your hands.

Really ingenious idea for the chain! Love it

The breaking off of the lead screw was a blessing - you should take that auger bit and dress it up to create a “Bare Foot Auger”. You can buy such an auger for ship building but a lot of folks just build their own. The problem with drilling difficult woods such as oak is that the lead screw has too much pull and it will not follow a straight line - see one of the most recent episodes of Tips from a shipwright on RU-vid. Lou shows how a bare foot auger works and how to make one. You want to start with a ships auger or electricians auger. Not to be critical but everyone I know just gets a tree stump and cuts it level “enough” with a chainsaw. I was taught to make four oversized staples out of 1/2 round stock and drive them in at an angle to capture the anvils four feet

Today just got a whole lot better 👌🏻

blacksmithing is hard, time consuming, work. I know a farrier/smithy and watching him hammer and shape steel is incredible to watch. He has been at it a long time and can make you just about anything you could imagine now.

("My kingdom for a bandsaw!") As always, great work on old wood! I'm so jealous....

You sure can hear how solid that wood is when you dropped that timber!

It can't just be me that finds the sound of the oak hitting the dirt floor so very satisfying?

For once a sponsor of a video that actually is relevant and I am interested in. Thanks.

Nice job, young man. You're right determined to turn yourself into a world-class craftsman yet. Keep up that work ethic, and you'll be there in no time.

Installing the flat bar to be used as a securing device for the anvil was pure genius! Never seen that before...really hope it works well over the long run...just brilliant :)

The smile on your face when you heated up that piece of iron up to try on your anvil the first time is just devine, just like a new toy you get to try ;p

just love how it ended up having a FACE in the tops of the 4 logs! Perfection. Mr. Blacksmith will always be watching....and judging! 😆

Love your work! It might be worth looking into Nyloc nuts or thread locking compounds if you find the nuts are loosening over time due to vibration. It should be easy enough to swap them out if needed. Looking forward to the next video!

Carl, Carl - you are so skilled - building the rest of the blacksmith workshop with furn, etc, simply passed without saying.. Those hammer blows for lengthening/sharping etc. takes a lot of training and skill sharpening to perform in a good manner.... WOW! And there was still much added. I think that those hooks - or personalized ones - would be the so far best merch you would have.

I've missed your videos! Glad you're back....

You've unlocked new skills. Well done.

My father was a cabinet maker and I recall seeing him back a drill out to remove the chips before drilling a through hole. Since you are drilling hard wood and lost a couple of drills perhaps this method would work for you. It seems that the drill bit is binding before it is breaking. I enjoy the projects that you do and am looking forward to seeing the progress on this one.

That anvil "horn" looks as smooth as a baby's bottom ! Well done !

that chain mounting solution is simply brilliant

I am amazed by your precision!

Satisfying progress!

You let those babies in the shot! They’re helping.

Very enjoyable! I like that you're not afraid to try Asian-Made products such as the Vevor anvil, an item that many would sneer at. Instead, they would prefer to do without for weeks, months, even years, waiting for just the right hundreds of years old and obscenely priced version to come their way.

when I see you cutting old oak with a handsaw, my wrists hurt. Flashbacks from renovating my 200 year old "oak and mud"-framework house I suppose. Tough tough tough material.

Thanks Carl

Maybe try to put some L-shaped steel corner protectors for the anvil-stand to prevent the chain to "bite" into the wood and in the consequence getting loose...

Carl - you are getting better at presenting - do more of it!

Hey, great video ! If you want to reduce significantly the ringing, you can always add a rare earth magnet (or regular one) stuck on the horn of the anvil. That'll reduce drasticaly the ringing, it did for my anvil. Cheers for the work and can't wait to see more of your projects !

It would be great if you posted more, it’s is almost therapeutic to watch, so calm and relaxed. Your skills are impressive and you are talented with commentating your video’s too. You can be very proud of yourself. When you see what you have achieved so far from the smaller things like this anvil, the chassis for the carriage and the even bigger things like a completely new roof on that big barn. I do something completely different myself but I hope I can watch a new one soon.

Thank you. I love watching. My late father was a cabinet maker.

Brilliant video Carl, looking forward to seeing you construct the tow hook

Brilliant way of assembly, congratulations

Your work is always so artistic and beautiful

Practice - Practice - Practice. And then more practice. You have the right temperament to become good. 👍👍👍

That was fascinating. You have a brilliant amount of skill and patience. Top work.

Now that you are a proper "smithy" this changes the game!!! Good on ya mate for tackling a new trade!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Your planning, craftsmanship and creativity are all to be admired. The hooks you made looked great. Nice job.

Love the content and it’s inspiring to see you work through different issues. I truly look forward to the new content. Your modesty is also nice. You admit when you’re new to something and learning. Disarms the haters ….a little

Really nice work Carl

Always a pleasure to watch your videos - thank you for sharing.

Loved the ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ silhouette shot👍

Love the prototype notebook

23:40 Blue is the classic colour :-) Thanks for the great content and nice execution! There's always something new or new tricks in every project for an experienced woodworker or metalworker as well. 28:18 Beautiful hammer! 1,5kg to 2,0kg is suitable for most users. 1,0kg and less for youngsters and kids :-) Some argue to even use 3-4kg hammers, but I think that you have to be extremely strong and big for that tier.

A wonderful video. Congratulations. Before the first blow to the hot metal, I felt all the joy that you was felt. Because I'm really looking forward to this moment myself! Sure like and sub! 🙏

Welcome to the blacksmiths family enjoy it and be patient.

Excellent stuff as usual Carl!

Great vid Carl - really enjoyed!

Absolutely bloomin' brilliant, Carl Vulcan Rogers!!

That was sooooooo enjoyable to watch Carl !

Thank you 🙏

Another enjoyable watch, thanks Carl 👍🏼

I think your greatest talent is determination.

Awesome as usual. great work Carl

If you put a nut on the bolt before you cut it, it'll chase the thread on the way off and take care of the burr.

You’re a total legend Carl! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

i wore my blue work coat today: for a brief moment, i looked around the shop for some seasoned french oak to fuss with but no luck. :)

I love my work jacket. Wear it almost everyday.

I saw a TV programme on house restoration, I can't recall which it was - there are so many nowadays but there was a section about having some window stays handmade. I think there were a few windows stays missing that were originally swan shaped at the end and were handmade to match the existing set. They were quite similar to the coat hooks that you made, just in a place or two. I was thinking that there could be a long term project that involved some local styles of iron mongery fabrication that are now fading out and you might become renowned for being one of the few who can keep a dying craft alive. Some things are going to be easier than others to make but there could be a file that you build up of all types of ironmongery that you can craft yourself. It might be worth thinking about the styles you'd get around Europe and what you might see around the area of France you are. If you're putting another oak door together some handmade hinge brackets over the hinges you use could look good and bolts or studs into the door that you've shaped yourself. Good video anyway....

I love when you make mistakes that I would make. I feel lots better about life when that happens.

Well done! You are blacksmithing like a boss!

Well done, looks fantastic!

I have been blacksmithing since 1990. I have made many bases for anvils. There is no right or wrong but I would not have glued the beams at all. In fact I'm certain that it helps if they are not glued because th separate beams move to adjust to an uneven ground. It works great on gravel floors or when you demonstrate out side like in a field. Jim in Chile

Carl another really enjoyable episode mate… interesting… informative…. not forgetting the problem solving …. More please…. Big shoutout to your family 👍

Very nice work, man, thanks for sharing!

Nice Job. 👍 I love black bear forge as well. Thank for your videos.

A cameo of the much belovéd wind chimes, saluting yet another job well done.