njanvilman

As Steve and others have said, do not weld it unless you have a real need for a smooth horn shape. The steel horn plate in that area for your anvil is about 1/4" thick. It was never hardened. I would file or use a 120 grit flap type wheel and just polish it off. If you have a real need to weld, follow Steve's advise about a mild preheat, then mild steel MIG weld, followed by a post heat and polishing. Doing this on a hot summer day would probably be better than now. Leaving it out in the sun will do a lot of the preheat and post heating.

Even after 34 teaching high school Wood and Metal shop, I am still learning. Everything I show my students adds to their knowledge. I am always trying new projects. I emphasise that even though I know a lot, I really know very little, and life is a lifelong learning quest. Never stop trying a new thing, and never stop thinking.

The more you know, the more you realize you don't know.

I suspect that relative to earning power, blacksmithing tools [ and tools in general] are cheaper than at anytime in history. That, and the fact that most of them went out of production many years ago, I'm actually surprised that they are not a lot more expensive.

We all want stuff to go for cheap, except for our own work.

Well said.

Someday, some decorating guru on TV or a magazine is going to feature an anvil as a "must have" item. Then watch price go up and supply go down. I am still amazed at how many neat anvils keep turning up at auctions, flea markets, tailgating, and on line. Despite war scrap drives and changing technologies, there are still many, many anvils lurking out there.

"Is the Fisher process still in patent?"



I have been researching how Fisher anvils were made for 12 years now, and think I have it mostly explained. It will be in my book eventually.

When Fisher/Crossley was forced to stop making anvils in 1979, they searched for a foundry that could duplicate the process. Their search was unsucessful. So no more Fisher/Crossley anvils made after Dec. 1979, although I was given a 50 lb anvil from the last pour that was also the last anvil to leave the factory(in 1999).

and was planing on using expanding foam on the inside to cut down on the noise reverberating around.

I would stay away from any foam product near a fire source. Line it with cement board or firecode sheetrock. Fumes from almost all burning foam is toxic. An air space between layers would also help to cut down sound.

I think most anvils pre-1800 were forged, using large, water powered trip hammers. It took a large forge, and several people who know what they were doing to forge weld the billet from scrap and shape it into an anvil shape. Also an amazing feet forge welding a top plate onto the mass.

Someday I hope to build a large trip hammer, of the medieval type. Not sure what I will make, but it should be interesting....

NJAnvilman

Hi. Just back from the Gitchner event in Maryland.

The depression certainly appears to be a shrinkage defect. Yes, It does happen in iron castings. Sometimes a gas bubble get trapped, then during cooling it shrinks in. I have some anvils with severe shrinkage defects.

The B marks are batch or moldmakers marks. They are not significant to the history of the anvil.

The 25 is indicative of 250 lbs.

It looks like your anvil is in very good shape and with proper use, should give a few hundred years of service.

After you post pictures of the cleaned up anvil, I can answer better. Send any other question too.

I just uncovered the Mod# 182. I am kind of tickled. I just started metal detecting and have found nothing but scrap.
BTW MY son dragged this about 300 yards out of the woods. He's a brute.

The "model #" is probably the weight. From your description, that sounds around right.

Hi Dave. Happy New Year. Here is one that I make into Christmas ornaments. I used 8 rods 1/8"X6" and put two 1/2" long stubs in the center of each end. I stack it 3 rows of 3 rods (with the short stubs in center of each end). Forge weld them together on each end and then draw to points.

http://s758.photobuc...44.jpg&newest=1

http://s758.photobuc...45.jpg&newest=1

Are you starting with 1/8" square stock? I did not know that was even made.

Nice work and nice hammer control. Now try a bit bigger?

this is an auction in ohio where they are selling a large fisher anvil(look downward on the website, there is a picture of it} and this fisher eagle looks like it is brand new, with the paint still on it, amazing! My link

Stu, That is not original paint. But the anvil is in excellent shape.

Make a mechanical hold-down of some sort. Someday you may want to sell that anvil, and any weld on it will compromize its value. You have got to think long term.

Thank you. Not too far. I think I will send in a bid.

I am interested in buying your anvil. As Glenn said, price will be partially determined by your location. BTW, I am in central NJ. I will travel for interesting pieces. But not x-country.

About ten years ago I visited the factory on North Henry St in Brooklyn. The building is still there, and has the same street numbers as it did in when HB was making anvils there. The left part of the building was a welding shop. The right part and the parking lot was a tour bus headquarters and lot for the buses. The only trace of anvilmaking was in the rear of the welding shop where one could see the curved track for an overhead hoist system for manipulating the steel around the powerhammer. I could find no other traces. The one unanswered item was a 'bilco' type door going to a basement under the building. Wonder what is down there....

I will try to find my photos from that day. I was in the film era of photography.

Four HB anvils live here.

As said and reported, it is a Fisher. There might be a date on the base under the heal. I am guess by the small square Eagle, it dates from 1880-1910. The edges look a bit rough, but it is still usable.

I have been looking but have not found any information about the 2011 event. Anybody have anything about it? Thanks.

I am adding this based on the photos on EB**. The slot is not factory. It was sawn or ground in at some point in its 128 year life. It is not a factory defect or a "stress riser", whatever that is.

As it sits now, it is just a curiosity. Probably usable working around the slot. But I suspect that with any amount of heavy use, the anvil will crack down the body.

For a Fisher in that kind of shape, it is a good buy. If you use it correctly, it will last many generations. From the style of the weight mark, I am guessing it was made in the 1910's-1920's.

The horn was damaged at some point. It looks like it was broken off with a hard top hit. Unless you need the narrow end point, you can live without it. You can always make up a stake to go in the hardy to substitute.

There should be a date on the base under the heel of the anvil. From the square logo, it should have a date from 1880 to 1900. Lots on information already posted about the history of Fisher on IFI. But is was made in Trenton, NJ, during the time that Clark Fisher ran the business.

The anvil is a bit rough, but still usable. Work with and around the roughness.

Value and worth is in the eye of the buyer or seller.

Ask away. Any questions are interesting to me.

Sorry I can't help you but I came across an anvil with the name FISHER on it and on the side it has an eagle. I weighs in the 100# range, can anyone tell me anything about this type of anvil?

A picture of your anvil will help identify when if was made, and condition. If you post a photo, I can tell you a lot about it.

I have one identical to that one. It came from a forge in NJ. The smith specialized in corn knives, but did anything that came through the door. It has not been used in over 50 years. I actually bought a few of the marked corn knives at an auction a few years ago. I hope to put it in service some day. I like the compact design. I plan on building a tower above the hammer for the motor, and drop a flat belt down to the pulley.

Mine was very inexpensive, but I have seen them sell for 1500-3000.

That very closely resembles one I had that someone thought was an unmarked Fisher. 341lbs? Too rich for me!

The give-away that it was not a Fisher was the parting line around the axis of the anvil. Fisher were cast upside-down, "parting lines" are at the waist.

I think a bit of auction fever was involved in the price. It shot up from 500 to 2200 in about 15 seconds. The gentleman from Deleware that bought it was pleased. I guess that is all that counts.

I went for a long early drive on Thursday to a farm auction near Chambersburg, Pa. They had an interesting assortment of farm stuff, including a large anvil and several bicks. See photo for picture. Well, they finally got to the anvil after about three hours of selling. True to auction form, a bidding war ensued and it sold for $2200. It was 341 lbs, but unmarked. It was a cast anvil, with a steel top. But not a Fisher or Vulcan. It had the traces of the parting line on the center line of the anvil. I was amazed. $6/lb for a unmarked, cast anvil, not in perfect shape. The creasing bick/stake in the anvil picture sold for $100. Go figure....

I did come home with a large Beakhorn type stake that fits into a swage block. A beautiful piece in terrific shape. Round bottom post, not tapered. Also bought a smaller single sided bick that fits a hardy hole. Pictures this weekend after I get them out of my truck. I left smiling.

auction anvil.bmp

It has the Fisher marking on one end, the end has a faint 1881 (year date, maybe), a supposed angel on the side.

1881 was the first year FISHER put the dates on the heal of their anvils.

1880 was the first dated year, but the date was on the bottom.

Your "angel" is an Eagle. Fisher foundry was also known as Eagle Anvil Works.