Glenn

Alan Duboff has chosen to leave IForgeIron when I ask him to accept advice in the spirit it was given by someone with far more experience in blacksmithing than he had. Alan has deleted his posting and contributions to the IForgeIron site without IForgeIron permission or knowledge. Due to the removal of information from the site, he was banned.

"Old topographers anvils" - great idea !! I have no information as to the history of the anvil or the reason for the damage, intentional contouring, or present condition. It does weigh 137# (marked weight) if that is of any help.

Can this anvil be repaired?

Alan, you have been given the benefit of 40 years of experience, please take his advice and the advice of others in the spirit it was given. We need to get back on topic.

Once Trying-it had the a double shot of WV lump coal for the trip back, he found that WV to be rich in iron ore. Not sure what was in the black drum as it was a hitchhiker headed for Iowa. But there were 2 anvils, a bunch of "special" plants, a box of lead, a bearing that was torch cut and split into halves, a couple of gears, a couple of bearings, A 4" cylinder, a 3-1/2" x 40" cylinder, a couple of 2" cylinders, 6 pieces of 3", some cone shaped thing with threads on one end (maybe 125+ pounds), 14-15 pieces of spring steel some 1/2" + thick and 4" wide, some smaller, some assorted long pieces 4 feet by 1-1/2" dia, and a bearing with shaft, and a couple of loose pieces. He took on additional air on the tires, something about the air being fresher in WV and was going to take some of it back home with him also.

Trying-it delivered a new tredle hammer to Pam and WV was half way between so they met there. So he would not have to go home with an empty truck bed, Stan ask for a double shot of WV lump coal for the trip back. This is what he took home.

Honest Bob is in the Community Hospital, Springfield Ohio, and is scheduled to have bypass surgery, (four bypass) on Thursday morning. He is pretty up beat about it. Your prayers are requested. Old Moose

Thomas Dean's Work can be seen in the IForgeIron Gallery

Nick, As Alan said take note of any changes that could have contributed to the problem. Back up and make something simple in mild steel. You looking at technique, not the finished project here. Then provide us details, what you did, and what happened, so we can help. Pictures will help us a lot also.

Turn your metal. Use the anvil face side to side rather than horn to heel. As to "I could only look and fondle them for 30 minutes, cash and carry" that is not a red flag, that is an aerial flare, in my humble opinion.

Blacksmiths are problem solvers. If they can turn junk materials into tools and marketable items, what is the problem with attaching wheels to something in order to get it moving?

Have you used that anvil in it's present condition? Have you done enough blacksmithing on it to determine it can not be useful as an anvil in it's present condition? After you pay for the skill, expertise, AND experience needed to do a proper job on the repair, you may have close to the cost of a good anvil or even a new anvil involved. Offer the cost of repairs to Thomas Powers and challenge him to find a good anvil in good shape. You may be surprised with the results.

Both styles would be good material for a blueprint. :)

Good anvil ?? I would look at the beast and see if it had any markings. They could tell you the manufacture (Peter Wright, Hey-Budden etc). But usable anvils do not have to have names, or names you recognize. The weight that may be in "code" , the english hunderd weights, and stamped into the anvil. First number is x 112, second number x 28, and third an acutal number. 123 would be 112 + (28 + 28) + 3 = 171 The anvil may be many years old, and may have been used hard or not at all. The condition of the face and edges will reflect the past usage. The face may also be worn making a gap under straight edge laid horn to heel. A gap is not always bad, but reflects usage. Rather than using a ball pein hammer, use a heavy ball bearing and a clear plastic tube. You will have better control and can see the actual rebound without outside influences. Rebound alone does not declare an anvil good or bad. DO lightly tap the entire anvil with a hammer. It should NOT have any one place or local area where it goes THUD. Look at the anvil and it's value to YOU. If you have NO anvil, and this beast has all the faults possible, consider the price. A guide line price for a anvil has been reported to be somewhere near $2.00 per pound as a starting point, better anvils can go for more, poorer anvils go for less. That said Thomas Powers can find anvils at super low prices where ever he is located. There was a 100+ pound anvil purchased in Florida for $20 just recently. We can provide you much better advice if you can provide photographs. But if the fellow wants to sell the anvil, you may loose out while going this route. Cash talks real fast. The deal is what is acceptable to you and your need and a reasonable reimbursement for the item to the seller. If others have guide lines on this subject please post them and we can assemble them into a FAQ.

Ed has taken a turn for the worse. No details, just that he sounded poorly on the phone, said he was very sick and had to leave for some type treatment. He ask to be put on the prayer list so you could keep him in your prayers. For those interested, contact me for Ed's phone number. A short (10 minute) call of a positive nature would do a lot to lift his spirits. 570-836-2526

Just a guess, but it may be a device to hold angle iron at the bottom while it is being clamped in the vise.

Refighting the Civil War, or WWII, etc will not change the outcome. Please take it off line and use your email if you wish to continue the discussion. This is after all a blacksmithing site. Thank you Glenn

Welcome to the Central Minnesota Blacksmiths. Thank you for the photos of your last hammer in posted in the gallery. Please post your events here so all your members can stay informed. Please post your photos in the gallery so we can keep up with your work. Welcome to the forum, Glenn

Why not go to IForgeIron.com > tools > Swage Blocks and Stands. At the bottom of the page there is a drawing of a swage block stand by Jim Wilson there. Swage blocks and stands pinch fingers. Be very careful when placing the block in the stand.

Give us specifics on what you are doing. The more specific, the more assistance you can get from the welders here. Blueprint BP0052 AWS Welding Rod Classification is a place to start.

Strine I like the idea of constructing such a device on the Golden Rectangle proportion. Clever of you to think of such a thing. Short leg vs perpendicular leg then perpendicular leg vs long leg. Clever indeed. Would make a dandy Blueprint (hint-hint). Any takers?

I apologize for the quality of the photo. It shows the joint being a forge weld holding the two pieces together.

Welcome to the site. Swage blocks are useful tools when needed. For the one time use, inside or outside curves from many items can be used. See Blueprint BP0184. Seek out a blacksmithing group near you and ask if they know of any anvils that are available. Usually they can point you toward a reasonably priced anvil. Ask everyone you see if they know where you can find an anvil. The item may not be there when you return, so have cash in your pocket. Real anvils are out there and can be purchased, but you have to sometimes look for them.

Orientation is "as needed" for the job. Angles between members is 90 degrees Are the obvious ratios the same? Please explain or ask the question using different words. Holes are intentionally placed at those locations Scrap steel can be used for construction of this item Size is dependent on the job

Any ideas as to what this is and how it is used ?