Anvil shoots

[Lee]

Boy, slow weekend on the Forum. Is there any anvil shoots or anybody that does anvil shoots in the area?

[M Kerkvliet]

Boy, slow weekend on the Forum. Is there any anvil shoots or anybody that does anvil shoots in the area?


I haven't shot an anvil in years Jeff... dropped on on my toe once though...:biglaugh:

OK... I'll bite. What is an anvil shoot?

[Lee]

I just read about it recently myself so I will try to explain what I have read and watched on Youtube.

The base of an old anvil has a concave shape cast in the bottom. One is placed upside down, level, one to two lbs of blackpowder placed in the depression and the second set on top, concave down. A fuse is lit and the 100lb anvil goes 75-400 ft straight up when the powder goes off.

They have competitions where a contestant is scored on height and how close they can can get to the starting point. Some use a special platform instead of a bottom anvil. Apparently it started off as a way to celebrate an event a long time ago.

A new made anvil is not recommended and Youtube has some pretty cool videos of it. Don't quote me on this, I would like to know more, but it looks like alot of fun.
:woohoo1:

[Jerry Christiansen]

I have seen some of those pictures. Knowing what I do about trajectory of projectiles, and how far to the side something that we thought was shot straight up can travel, I don't think I want anything I own parked anywhere near the area.

I think it would be neat to see an anvil 400 feet in the air. I am not sure I want to see it at Rollag!:D

later,
Jerry Christiansen

[Todd Hintz]

My head hurts thinking about this! :bonk::biglaugh: It would be an awesome sight to see, tho!

[CaseyD]

What would even be a safe thing to stand under? Sure, watching an anvil shoot up and out of sight would be fun, but as I was told when I was young "you are playing catch with God" ...he will throw back, and you can only calculate to an extent as to where! :) Even thick iron (like a boiler barrel) would probably have a hole poked through it like thin tinfoil wrapping.

[Jerry Christiansen]

Hi All,

If you go to youtube and search for "anvil shoot" you will find a number of videos of this 'sport'. Other searching on the web will bring up some rules that different groups follow.

This June a few others and I are planning on attending the Western Missouri Antique Tractor & Machinery Association show (WMATMA) in Adrian, MO. They have an anvil shoot at noon each day. If you go to their site (http://wmatma.com/) you can see some pictures of their shoot.

In an earlier post I said I wasn't sure I want to see this at Rollag. I am starting to change my mind. Depending on where we planned to do this and who was in charge, it could be fun to see and safe.

If we do this at Rollag, someone needs to present the idea to the board of directors. The presentation should cover at least these points: 1) who is in charge, 2) where on the grounds this would happen, 3) when this would happen, 4) how safety concerns will be handled, and 5) cost to the show.

I probably missed some important points. If a person or group of people has an interest in this event, the WMSTR Forum is an excellent method to keep the dialog going.

Later,
Jerry Christiansen

[Jason Lange]

When World War One ended they placed our anvils on Main street in front of our Machine shop, which at that time was the Blacksmith shop. They touched off the powder and celebrated the end of the great war.:bannana: