The Complete Guide to Building the Perfect Anvil Stump

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A solid anvil stump is the foundation of basic forging techniques. It takes a beating from every hammer blow during the forging process, so it must be built right. A good stump should never wobble, wiggle, or rock. Both the top and bottom must be flat, and a strong hardwood is ideal if you want it to last for decades.
This is one of those projects you don’t want to redo often. Once you get it right, your anvil might sit on that stump for years without moving.
But one of the most critical features — and the one most people get wrong — is height. I’ve seen old movies and even modern YouTube videos where the stump is way too tall or way too short. That’s a huge disadvantage for forging. Too tall and you lose hammer power. Too short and your back will hate you. Forging is hard enough without being hunched over like an old man.
Let’s fix that.

How to Measure the Correct Anvil Height
There is a proper way to measure anvil height, and it’s incredibly simple — but it can save you years of wear and tear on your back.
With the anvil fastened to the top of the stump:

1. Stand next to it with your arms hanging freely at your sides.
2. Make a loose fist, like you’re holding a hammer.
3. The top of the anvil should be the same height as your knuckles.
   That’s it. Super simple.
   What’s not simple is cutting the stump to the correct length. It’s best to know the exact measurement before you head to the woods or the woodpile with your favorite chainsaw.

How to Measure and Cut Your Stump
Here’s the easiest method:

1. Stand naturally with your arms hanging freely.
2. Have a helper measure from the floor to your knuckles.
3. Take that number and subtract the height of your anvil.
4. That final number is the height your stump needs to be.
   Now you can go cut your log once — just make sure you cut straight.
   If your stump is too tall, you won’t get full arm extension when swinging the hammer. If it’s too short, you’ll be hunched over with a sore back. Simple, but extremely important.
   I’ve described this using a round tree stump, but you can use almost anything:

• modern lumber
• steel bases
• railroad ties
• 2x4s
• even scraps from Aunt Cindy’s old back deck
  As long as it’s strong, flat, and rigid, it’ll work.

Key Features Every Anvil Stump Must Have
No matter what material you choose, the fundamentals are the same:

• Correct height
• Rigid and heavy
• Flat on top and bottom
• Fastened down tight
  And if you want a bonus feature…

Bonus: Anti‑Vibration Setup
The ringing sound of an anvil looks great in movies, but in real life — especially indoors — it’ll drive you insane. Earmuffs will help, but that high‑pitched ting will make you wish you took up woodworking instead.
Thankfully, there are several simple ways to deaden the ring. They all work on vintage anvils like Hay Budden, Peter Wright, Mousehole, and even modern cast anvils from VEVOR.
My method is simple:

• I place a piece of foam floor mat between the anvil and the base.
• Then I use a mechanical fastener to pull the anvil down tight.
  When the anvil is pulled down firmly, the ring disappears. Now you can forge in peace without your ears feeling like you were at a Led Zeppelin concert.

Mechanical Fastening Options
You can use almost anything strong:

• Lag bolts
• Heavy‑duty screws
• Large spikes
• Bolts
• Twist binders
  My preferred setup uses two pieces of leaf spring from an old car. I drilled two holes in each spring, placed one on each side of the anvil’s base, and tightened everything down with lag bolts. Its best to use an impact wrench for this. When the anvil is cinched tight to the stump, the ring deadens and the whole setup becomes rock solid.

I have also written a guide on blacksmithing hammers you can check out.

Final Thoughts
Hopefully you found this anvil mounting guide helpful, and I hope you have a fun forging experience. A well‑built stump makes forging safer, quieter, and far more enjoyable.