VaughnT

Well, those nippers look like they'll do wonders if you reshape them a bit. I'd definitely narrow the reins on that upper pair right at the rivet junction. They're mighty wide and narrowing them down will give you a bit more handle to work with. Same could be said for the lower pair, but just not too much. Shaping the jaws can go any of a thousand directions depending on what you're working with. The cast iron forge pan would not be hurt by claying. Cheap, unscented kitty litter is 100% bentonite clay (says so right on the bag) and you can mix that with a bit of water to line the pan. Portland cement mixed w/ sand and wood ash works as well. I had a forge almost exactly like that and never lined it, but I wish I had of now because it would have made working in it a lot easier. The idea is to lay the clay in at least an inch thick so that the heat is more evenly distributed through the cast iron. This will prevent cracking due to differential heating in the metal, and it also gives you the chance to form a bowl around the air grate to focus the coals and raise the sweet spot of the fire a bit. You're doing a bangup job and I can't wait to see it finished.

One of the biggest problems I've run into on CL is your word choice. Type in "blacksmith" and you'll get stuff that's not listed under "blacksmithing". I use searchtempest.com to search all of CL in my area, as well as Ebay, and small changes in what you're looking for will make a difference. And it definitely pays to ask everybody you run into. I got my Wilkinson anvil by asking a guy I know. We'd been drinking buddies for years, but I would never have guessed that he'd have an anvil that he wanted to get rid of. Sure enough, I mention my search in passing and he says, "Oh, really? I've got my grandad's at the house and you'd be welcome to it." Two odd years of looking and waiting.... and he and I had been drinking beer and watching football together the whole time!!!

I sent them an email for the specifications. I hope they say that it's an imported cast steel anvil and that the listing is simply a misprint. I doubt it, but it's nice to have it straight from the horse's mouth.

ND, I wouldn't hesitate to buy that anvil. It's in cherry condition, which is always nice, but more importantly.... its a great size. A fisher anvil is going to be wonderfully quiet, a true pleasure to work on, and that baby is very portable. If you hesitate, you might just lose out on it. I would put that anvil in the 100-120lb range, and that's a great size to have for the shop, even if you have another anvil. Bm454, you can quiet your anvil by bedding it in a layer of silicone caulk. I used masonry adhesive under my Wilkinson anvil and it instantly went from churchbell ring to Fisher quiet. Amazing, really. Give it a whirl and see if you can't forge after 7!

I'll bet they either typed the Trenton in the ad wrong, or the Trenton on the anvil is mangled and they thought it read Penton. And, if it's the latter, that means they don't really know much about anvils and you might be able to get it for a good price.

It that second pic, it looks like there's a tool-steel faceplate on the top, so that's a good thing. From the overall looks, I'm getting a strong "vulcan" feeling about it. Not absolutely sure it's a Vulcan brand, but.... With the hard faceplate, you'll be good to go. The only thing I'd suggest is to mount it very firmly to the heaviest stand you can. That will make a 100lb anvil work just as well as a 200lb anvil. And that makes a huge difference. And who knows, you might be able to talk him out of it in a year.

Really nice work! The nice thing about polo people is that they don't tend to skimp on anything.

Use what you have, and work it how you can. One of my rules is to consider how much it would cost in time and fuel (and you have to figure in overhead if you want a realistic cost analysis), and then look to see if I can buy it at that cost or cheaper. Burning up $100 worth of fuel and elbow grease to make a tool you could have bought for $5 is a bit silly, right? Sure, the skills needed to make that tool are important skills you need to learn, but you need to prioritize. Forging tongs, for example, is a great skill to have, but you can buy awesome tongs at the flea market for cheaper than you can make them. I'd love to have a power hammer, and I see a ton of neat projects I won't even think about trying because I don't have one. Until that time, I'll use a welder all that I can to save my time, energy, fuel and frustration level. Ya did good!

Fantastic job. For a first time working brick, you did wonderfully. Have you fired it up yet? We will definitely need pictures of it burning, and you forging. It's a rule! Congrats on a job well done.

Charlie, that was simply wonderful and I appreciate you taking the time to post it. I don't understand what you said, but I've never been one for the higher concepts of mathematics so it's not any fault with your writings. Do you think a complicated mechanism like you built, with all the various linkages, would be strong enough to motorize?

If it's close, you'd be silly to pass it up if you can get it for under $500. If they want over $500, I'd have to think about it a bit. It's a top-of-the-line cast steel anvil. It's a great weight for all-around smithing no matter how much you might grow in your aspirations. It's not too big to be difficult to move should you relocate. It's in unused condition, and a new anvil of similar weight would run you at least $600 plus shipping. Do you need it? Do you have the extra cash to spend on it? I would certainly feel good to offer her $300 as a starting offer. If she asks for more, you really don't have much to argue the price down with because the condition of the anvil is fantastic. If you can get it for less than $3/lb, you're doing great.

I would even consider a large steel ball on the bottom end to add more mass. I certainly wouldn't look bad and I have seen similar on older candle stands. Could you shrink the size of the drip plate and put on some nice handles on the sides of it? Something to give it a bit more flair while still being practical and visually appealing. Thin-walled tube with lead birdshot in the bottom third would certainly lower the center of gravity, and there's a lot of neat stuff you can do with tubing. Maybe use a combo of tubing and solid, blending the weld between the two, so you can do some decorative piercing or twisting.....

I saw something similar in a book on smithing, with emphasis on large stuff for trains and machinery. I'm thinking that what you have is a remnant that the hobby smith was using as a tool. That sure would be handy for forming forks or as a stake for bowls. You could even use it as a top tool to fuller or vein your stock.

I have seen a lot of people on these online videos that don't wedge their flatters. I've never understood the logic, but this isn't the first time I've seen folks tapping the head back on. Weird. Very nice edge tool, though.

Definitely need some nice spikes to hold it to the stump. A hot-cut would be very useful if you're up to that. Also a spring fuller and a hold-fast as they come in handy for a lot of jobs. If you have the metal, a couple of punches (round, square, diamond, etc) and chisels will help you a great deal. Beautiful anvil.

You most definitely don't want to get one of those little sanders. They are meant for wood and very light metal working, and you can expect the motor to bog down under any sort of pressure. The 2x72 grinder is well worth the investment. I realize that you strapped for cash, but it really is in your best interest to get the best you can. The majority of the grinder can be built with scrap metal you find around. The biggest expense is the wheels you need, and good wheels are definitely needed. Having said all that, the 2x72 grinder I built has been the single most used tool in my garage! With a variety of belts I can work any metal or wood, to any finish I desire, and it's been a boon, to say the least. You simply cannot imagine how great an aid these things are. Honestly, I wonder how I got along without one for so many years!!

Flint strikers are a very good way of honing your skills and turning out a marketable project. There are dozens of variations and levels of quality. I have a bit of 1/4" thick golf cart leaf spring (iirc) that I hot-cut a 1/2" wide piece off of, and by the time you hammer it a bit thinner and draw a taper and curl for the C-shape.... well, that's a good bit of practice.

The face on that fisher anvil looks a bit tall, but I guess it could be an original. If it was repaired, and the repair was properly done, the anvil would still be worth around $2/lb depending on where you are.

I would keep it as simple as possible, much like what they already have. The downside to the current stand is that it's ugly as sin and not very functional. We know the joint can't be threaded, and the top portion should be as light as possible while still being functional. So, I'm thinking about keeping the gist of the design, but using a pin in the bottom portion that fits a hole in the top portion. Something like a monkey tool being slipped over a round tenon on a railing. In this case, though, the monkey tool is the top portion of the stand. A 1/2" tenon should be plenty strong enough. I think the drip pan could be significantly smaller than the one shown. That thing looks as big as a dinner plate! Totally ruins any lines the stand might have had. Another thought is to go completely different. I'm of a mind to fabricate an upper portion that doesn't "match" or "fit" the lower. Let the lower be a stand for the upper hand-held candle holder. As long as the two pieces share the same look and design, obviously being a matched set, would that be unacceptable? Maybe something where the lower portion has a drip pan that the upper drip pan mates to. That would allow the upper portion to be set on a table or carried by hand. Did any of that make sense?

Hardy Hole: You don't need a clear shot to the floor with the hardy. Any tools that you might use shouldn't have a stem that's very long. Even if you use a spring-loaded hold-down, the spring and chain can bend and flex a good bit without any problems. Welding: You don't have any welding skills? Well, the only way to get those skills is to weld. I think this project is a great "excuse" for some welding practice, but if you don't want to do a full weld... The way you have it drawn, you have a lot of air space between the beads on the sides. I certainly would NOT remove any more mass from the middle piece. All that will accomplish is to make the anvil lighter and less efficient. Instead, bevel the corners of the middle piece so that you can reach in deeper. The bevels don't have to be very big, but anything is better than nothing. This will get your beads closer to the middle and make the joint that much stronger. Think octagon. Do you have a mig welder or stick welder? If you have a stick welder, you can separate the upper and middle pieces with a piece of 3/8" or 1/2" square stock running down the centerline. Smaller pieces can "wrap" around the hardy hold. Then you reach in with a 1/8" 7018 rod and weld. It's tedious and time consumer, but it gives you a very solid bond between the two pieces. One of the forum members did just this when he added a section of forklift tine to the top of a severely abused anvil. Always loved that story and have tried the same technique a few times just practicing my welding. Getting the slag off the bead is a pain, but other than that it's a very solid way of attaching the two pieces.

Wonderful link, Judson. I hadn't heard of them before, but you can believe they'll be getting some of my business in the near future!

That's a very nice design, and the execution is wonderful! I like the sinuous nature with the little flare at the base. That it doesn't show a lot of hammer marks or uneven tapering is a sign that she has some very good skills. She should be rightly proud of it, and you of her.

Have to admit that I've grown rather partial to the spring-loaded hold down I made the other day. Works a lot better than the chain-type I had used in the past. The good news is that since it's sized for my large anvil, I get the opportunity to make another one for my smaller anvil!! :D

Unlike anvils that have a tool-steel face plate, a homogenous, through-hardened anvil can have the face dressed without worrying about thinning the work surface. You can only grind away so much of the face on a Fisher before you run into the base metal. With a solid steel anvil, that's never a problem if the hardening goes all the way through the body.

Very nice design and it sure looks a right handy size. Do you think they are going to do any changes? Maybe more holes like the Hofi anvil? Other size options?