I chose a 2-inch hardy hole over a 1-inch one for my new anvil and now I can't use half my old tools.

I thought the bigger hole would be more versatile, but my favorite old fullers and cutters just rattle around in it, so has anyone else had to adapt their tooling after a change like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

nathan_webb2mo ago

Saw a guy at a meet-up who welded thick collars onto his old 1-inch shank tools to fit a bigger hardy hole. He used some pipe cut to length, said it was a cheap fix to save his favorite fullers. Another option is making simple bushings from square stock that drop into the 2-inch hole with a 1-inch square hole punched through the center. Lets you use both sizes without modifying the old tools permanently. It's a common headache when you upgrade anvils.

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nathan2891mo ago

That pipe collar thing always seemed like a hack job to me before, but hearing it worked for him on favorite fullers made me reconsider. I think I'll stick with the bushing route though, keeps things REVERSIBLE.

noahbaker2mo ago

That pipe collar idea sounds clever for a quick fix, but welding onto a hardened tool shank can be tricky. You risk messing up the temper right where it needs to be strong. The bushing idea from @nathan_webb is the safer way to go, honestly. It keeps the original tool untouched so you can always go back. Why risk a good tool when you can just make an adapter?