anvil firing

What's that up in the sky?  A stealth F17?  No!, it's an anvil!

Firing anvils, it's a 150 year old Blacksmith's tradition.    
What could be more fun than sending a 200 lb anvil a couple hundred feet into the air!  
Oh! The noise... the ringing ...the smoke...

       This event is still sponsored in several US & UK cities.

Anvil1.jpg (28516 bytes)  ad-powder.gif (81289 bytes) Preparation ~ Very complicated!

1. Turn one anvil upside down.
Pour in carefully measured amount of black powder (plus / minus several ounces of ffg black powder)

gasket.gif (60295 bytes)

 2. Add gasket material (must be very precise)

blowset2.jpg (30294 bytes) anvil02.gif (76800 bytes)

 3. Place 2nd anvil on top of first anvil.
    (Carefully match alignment...?)
    Set up is complete

blowfuse.jpg (9329 bytes)

 4.  Light fuse & retreat (run like hell..)
     The fuse is burning!  anticipation.... 
Ka boom!  ...and there she goes!

anvil-fly3.gif (68265 bytes)

Please don't try this at home.  Especially in the home.

For more information & pictures, visit these websites:

Photo credits:  
Anvil video: http://www.anvilfire.com/iForge/tutor/July4th/top_index.htm 

Cannon-Mania wishes to thank the above web site owners for their permission to use their pictures.

Sites with lot's of information:

http://ncollier.com/anvils.htm
http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/57april/firing.htm

Cannon Mania does not sell anvils,  (yet)

    Click on "Home Fort" below to see the rest of the features of this site.  The "Arsenal Store" shows the cannons we offer.

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