Finally got a new anvil

[DanL]

Hi Bear...You will enjoy that Fisher. I have an old Fisher also and it is wonderful. However, you will find some floks who don't like Fishers.

Congratulations on your find.

DanL

[ThomasPowers]

Mill balls are available from at least 2' in diameter down to probably an inch or so.

I bought my first ones at a scrap yard in Fayetteville AR; a freind got his from a ball mill used to pulverize coal in WV.

There is a guy selling a bucket full in Las Cruces NM but wants $5 a piece---too rich for me.

Also fleamarkets...

Thomas

[keykeeper]

Nice anvil, Bear.

Now go out and beat some metal on it!!!

There is no greater feeling than becoming one with the hammer, the anvil and the fire!!!

[ApprenticeMan]

Originally Posted by ThomasPowers

Mill balls are available from at least 2' in diameter down to probably an inch or so.

I bought my first ones at a scrap yard in Fayetteville AR; a freind got his from a ball mill used to pulverize coal in WV.

There is a guy selling a bucket full in Las Cruces NM but wants $5 a piece---too rich for me.

Also fleamarkets...

Thomas

Cool thanks. I'll have to talk more with my local scrap dude.

[primtechsmith]

Here is one of yesteryearforge's "round anvils" with the fabricated base. I believe it is a mill ball.



Peyton

[ThomasPowers]

Sources of round balls: I find 1-2" ball bearings at fleamarkets fairly often and pick them up when they are US$1 or less. I also look for the trailer hitches that have a round top rather than a flat also for a dollar or two.

Ask at a crane or dozer rental/repair shop about used large ballbearings

Mill balls I found at the junkyard, fleamarket

Shotputs from used sporting goods stores

Flagpole balls---scrap yard

Ball ends from heavy machinery "ball joints"

My largest "working sphere" is the headache ball from a crane

A friend has a curved section from a *VERY* large valve, SS to boot! that he uses for armouring.

I picked up a globular O2 tank (small) once that I choped the top and bottom off of and welded full of junk to make a ball stake for armouring.

For light duty work we once found several 5 gal buckets of curved cast iron cups and balls used to grind eye glasses---various radii

and finally I was once in the shipping department of my previous co and a fellow had a 3" ball bearing that had been sectioned and etched he was using as a paper weight---it had been left there when the tool and die dept moved out back...he very nicely gave it to me.

Arcwelding on strange possibly high alloy balls requires pre/post heat and generally stainless rod is a good choice.

Thomas

[Jacob]

Definately a nice anvil. I saw it at the auction, too, but I didn't have that much to spend. I was mostly checking things out, but I bought a few box lots. I got 4 pairs of tongs in a box of old soldering irons, a bunch of morse taper drill bits and adapters, and a few sets of hold down clamps. I recently bought a camelback drill press so I was looking for tooling. I agree, there were a lot of resellers there, and people with lots of money. Overall the prices were pretty good, though.

Take care of that anvil. It's lasted this long.