[TheForge] Anvil Shoot

[xlch58 at swbell.net]

rhrocker at hilconet.com wrote:
> Ok, just a quick thought from a South Texas.  I love the shoots, but have never seen one in 
> person.  Admittedly, some of the videos I've seen were scarry!  However I think if it is handled 
> properly then I sure don't have a problem with it.  It should be done by an expert of some sort, 
> fire department personal (they do our firecracker displays) or someone with some explosive 
> experience.  The main idea is to be careful while setting up and shooting, so a 5+ minute fuse, and 
> no one within 250 feet (or whatever a safe distance is) might would work.  That's for the safely 
> issue, but the liability and all that, I dunno.
>
>
> Robert Hensarling
> rhrocker at hilconet.com
> www.mesquiterocker.com
> Uvalde, Texas
>
>
>   
I think the issue would be how far a bullet sized shard of anvil base 
could fly with lethal potential.   Not entirely unlikely when you 
consider the age and abuse these anvils get and the laminated 
construction of the wrought iron variety, though a thorough pre-flight 
inspection for cracks would help mitigate that.  I remember years ago 
reading a story of a man who was killed when a shard from a splitting 
wedge spalled off and nicked his jugular.  Bled to death before help 
arrived.   I have always dressed all of my tools (chisels, mauls etc) 
studiously ever since.   There is a blacksmithing book out there, called 
something like the "How to make woodworking tools"  that the smith is 
using the most lethal looking set of abused hammer tools I have ever seen. 

Anvil shoots are rare enough that it is probably difficult for an 
actuarialist  to calculate a risk for insurance purposes, so you get a 
silly number from insurers.    Many good organizations have been erased 
by litigation, so I understand Abana's viewpoint. 


Charles