Simple Cobbler's Anvil Stand

General
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I’d been bolting my cobbler’s anvil to a sawhorse using some wingnuts, but the height wasn’t quite right and mounting it got old. I had some leftover 2-by-4, so I made a simple stand:

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The legs are 12 inches long, from Douglas Fir 2-by-4s. I originally cut them almost double that length, fearing instability. But I’ve slowly shortened them down. The stand feels stable enough, and it’s easy to stand on one of the legs to fix it firmly.

The center post is 4-by-4 Douglas Fir. You could also just cut two lengths of 2-by-4 and screw them together. My post is 27 inches tall. The total height from the floor to where the base of the anvil mounts is 30½ inches.

The hardware for mounting is ¼-20. I drilled the holes at slight angles, rather than straight up and down, to better match the contours of the base. The washers and wingnuts are a bit wide, but they make it easy to remove.

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One big lesson I’m taking away from all my work on wooden fixtures for shoemaking—this stand, a lasting jack, the IKEA saddler’s clam—is that it really pays to be able to adjust dimensions to suit your body. I’m set up to do that in wood, so wood has really been the ticket.

I fully expect that I’ll keep fiddling with the heights of all these things. I’ve learned to expect that, too. But I wouldn’t trade any of my DIY contraptions for a prettier, pro-made model. I’d rather have the flexibility to keep customizing and learning by experience where things should be to keep me comfortable.

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