Francis

Hi Stewart, I am looking at the Hay Budden 300 Pound Anvil on e-bay. I am new to the sport and looking to buy my first anvil. I built a little brake drum forge and I have been using a chunk of railroad iron thus far. Anyway the anvil looks pretty beat up. From what you can see looking at the pics is this anvil worth $300-$400? I have family up that way and I could pick it up from the store so I wouldn't have to pay for shipping. I am thinking I should go for it, just because I haven't seen a 300# anvil in this price range. Anyway if you get a chance to reply before the auction ends I'd like your 2 cents. By the way, thanks for posting all these anvils. It has been great to have so many links in one place. Francis

Hello All, This is my first post, but I have spent a lot of time reading other posts. That's where I saw someone's brake drum forge and decided to make my own. I am new to blacksmithing and wanted a forge without spending a lot of money. This forge cost me next to nothing although I did buy a blower. Here are some pictures of the forge I built. I think the brake drum is from a ford F-150. I got it from my mechanic for free. I put it in an old metal table that was lying in a load of scrap iron ready to be taken in. I built sides on the table and attached the pipe and blower. I just fired it up for the first time tonight and it worked just fine. Now I need an anvil, anyone know where to find one in southern Wisconsin? I am using a piece of railroad iron right now. I plan to make some tongs, chisels, and hammers so that I have some more tools and some more practice. Feel free to make comments and suggestions about the forge or advice for someone new to blacksmithing. Francis