zampilot

Would Kasenite dribbled along the edges and heated would produce a hard, sharpenable edge ? The instructor in my hawk forging class used it as such.

Good Girl and Good dad! She's gonna have to buy her own fuel! Sometime down the line............

Found another anvil at a large flea market, same markings, 'II&RC' on one end, a '7' on the other, the edges are beat to xxxx, several layers of paint visible, looks like a makers mark or crest (Fisher??) under the paint on one side. Guy wanted $50 to take it away but it's too beat up for me.

Good luck and shoot straight, even if a contractor.

I tried, he sold it!

If he can throw it, I'll probably not try to lower the price.

It was $1000 a few days ago. If he keeps dropping I may have to spend my stash $$.

Start hitting the farm estate sales, flea markets etc. You'll find a good one, then you can get rid of the russsian!

Works now, dont have an opinion myself. 75 lb Columbian cast steel BLACKSMITH ANVIL, great condition - $200 (Lisle)

Here are a couple of ads from Mpls/StPaul area, central Minnesota. I wonder if they'd move, as they are far to rich for my blood! KalahariJay are you out there? http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/csw/tls/1806158945.html http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ram/tls/1785594789.html

Jay, you live in 170 years of farm country which was the edge of civilization then. Start hitting the estate sales and flea markets, have cash in hand (several large bills and many $5 and $10 bills). Look closely at old farms, maybe they have a few laying around. Become an American Picker of Anvils, you'll find one, immediately after that first it'll probably be raining anvils, that's what happens. I lucked out at a no-chance flea market a couple of weeks ago.

154 lb Peter Wright, on side of step is rounded (looks made that way), no defects, light rust $350 in a flea market, by pure luck/devine guidance.

If that blower works with NO hiccups at all and the pan isnt rusted through $225 is OK. Beware of the Buffalo Forge blowers as they are rather cheap stamped parts, the gears may be missing teeth.

Bill, I've had the best results using citrus stripper. Brush it on, wait 30 minutes and wipe away with 000 steel wool.

Citrus Stripper would probably work well. Proper, and I mean proper waste disposal a must or it could cost you a lot of $$.

I stopped by a local flea market/antique show on the way home from 'up north', wondering "I wonder if I'll find an anvil. Fat chance of that I suppose". Lots of cool old stuff. The last row of tents had an anvil sitting in the mud. Heavy. Rub away the old grime and see it's a Peter Wright, 1 1 14. How much? $375. Take $350? Yup. Maybe I paid a bit much maybe I didnt. I've never seen one around here at any show. Also got 10 RR spikes for $1.

That they are, but I wont say anything for a while, they are generally a good couple that run the shop.

Start a fire and work the blower, keep it hot for a while, throw in some metal and get it orange, have fun! Fill in the voids if any. Your forge looks good, the only thing I'd do is to make the firepit deeper by adding more material to the sides, maybe about three or four inches deep by three or four wide.

You can go Flint and striker on Char cloth-wood shavings-twigs-blow the ember into the charcoal but it takes about 2 minutes. A propane "weed killer/ice melter" torch takes about 10 seconds to light your charcoal. I use both. BUT as others have mentioned, keep those buckets of charcoal close, you'll use a lot!! But it's fun!!

Does it contribute downward mass when shaping something in the vise? A 'post' to stick in the ground? Good looks?

I'd check it out with cash in hand!

I'm sure it's not "II&B", more like "ILL&IN". I'll check next week when I'm up there. The same antique dealer said a forge blower and large pan went for over $600 recently, he didnt bid on it.

I saw a 50lb anvil the other day with what is supposedly "Illinois & Indiana Railroad" in abreviated form, raised letters. Grey paint, looked old, several small casting voids in the underside of the base. Why would a RR need a 50lb anvil? The shop was asking $3/lb.