VaughnT

What I really like is that it can very easily be adapted to use on an anvil for those folks that don't have a press or power hammer.

Very nice setup. She sure looks happier on that fine stump than that travesty of a stand. If you bed the anvil in some silicone caulk, it will kill the ring almost 100%. I did it to my Wilkonson and it went from church bell to oak plank in a skinny minute. Far nicer to work on now that eardrums are getting a break.

Definitely a good day! Prices are kinda high, but that's the breaks when dealing with "antique" stores. The 300# anvil with an eagle on it could be a Fisher Norris anvil, and that would a great anvil for your shop if you could get it at a decent price. But, I'd certainly like to find out where this 1000lb anvil is at. I'd drive to a tractor store to see it even if I couldn't buy it.

Looks like a workable design. The only thing I'd change is to make it a three-leg stand so it sits level on the ground. Four legs will give you a bit of wobble no matter what you try.

Never seen antlers with such a realistic texturing. They look like the real thing!

That's an awesome little anvil, and I love the detailing around the bottom of the base! Very classy, that.

That is a very nice anvil! Reminds me of a Mousehole with the thick waist and short heel. That it is so well-maintained is amazing. Usually, the horn and cutting table are really worked over! Is it still usable? Absolutely. If you're careful, you might be lucky to get another two hundred years out of it. Value? To me, it's a priceless family heirloom.

Very neat idea! I just happened to have some 1" stock left over from my anvil stand build.....

So, basically, I have to buy all of them? With my luck, I'll buy a gauge and it won't have the size I need... so I have to buy another gauge. The thread pitch gauge looks to be the ticket. Now I just have to decide which ones would best fit my needs.

You cannot have too many anvils, hoss! A small anvil is great to have because it's easy to move around. Fisher anvils are great because they are so quiet. To get a small Fisher is, therefore, doubly great. Simple science. To get a Small Fisher in that good a condition.... well that's just icing on the cake!

It seems like I'm always having to hunt down a nut to go on a bolt.... and I have no idea which thread or such I'm looking for. It's trial and error. Just noticed, for example, that the leg vise I bought doesn't have a nut on the bolt that goes through the bottom plate. It's a large bolt with coarse threads, but you can't exactly buy one of those at the store..... So, looking around on ebay, I see a lot of thread gauges for sale, and some of them are rather reasonably priced. But I don't have a clue as to which would best suit my needs. I'm working on a lot of American-made stuff from the 1900's to today, so standard threads are the norm. But.... Thoughts? Who do you like?

It's just a matter of time........ http://www.ebay.com/itm/BLACKSMITH-FORGE-BLOWER-MOUNT-FOR-CHAMPION-400-LANCASTER-PA-/370711787171?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item565024f6a3 Hope this helps.

That Fisher is pristine, judging by the pictures. I don't know if it's worth $3/lb, but i'd certainly consider it for a Fisher/Norris anvil! That you got a steal of a deal on a 260# anvil, though, is a boon, indeed. Great shop-size anvil and I wish you good fortune on it.

How hot does the water in one of these systems get? I realize the tue's end sticking in the fire is going to transfer a lot of heat to the tank, but wouldn't the mass of the water and steel radiate that heat away rather quickly? Would it be worth while to add a set of heat fins to the tank to create more surface area to help dissipate the heat? Or, a second tank of water to draw the heat out of the first? Oily, do you think the casting would spall off during the heat cycles? I'm curious as to how one might be able to go about it.... I definitely like the idea of a backboard of some kind just for aesthetics.

Considering the rarity of the piece, I don't have any doubt in my mind that it's worth 5k or more. The odds of you finding another PW in such fantastic condition, literally as-new-fresh-the-foundry, are very slim. Is it a great general shop anvil for a production shop? Sure. But one errant hammer blow that chips those pristine edges will take if from as-new to used..... and there's a big difference between those two conditions. Remember, you can buy a brand new anvil that's every bit as good as an old PW or Trenton or Fisher, but you cannot buy a brand new PW, Trenton or Fisher. And that makes the difference.

Looks like someone did a repair on it sometime in the past.

Cocking handle - Space Shuttle Door Gunner. 1 each.

A 20# sledgehammer with one face buried in a bucket of cement will work wonders for a fledgling smith. Remember, 90% of making a knife is learning how to make a hammer and the steel move as like you want them to. Making dinner triangles, s-hooks, drive-hooks, squirrel cookers and steak flippers are a very simple and cheap way to learn how to move metal..... and a buried sledge is more than enough to make those.

99% of all forming actions on an anvil take place in an area that's approximately 4" square. You can only hit so much with the face of your hammer, right? A long london-pattern anvil has a lot of unused area, and the tool-holding capability can very easily be handled by a vise. Check out the scrap yard and see if you can find a long piece of 4" or 6" stock, square or round, and turn it on end to make a post anvil. Something like a train's axle is divine. The shape is very handy and puts all of the weight of the anvil directly under the hammer's blow.

Excellent work. But, is that hot cut's bevel really as close to 90 degrees as it appears?

Very nice. I think they'll look very good on that cabinet!

"I didn't think..." That's okay. You did say you're an Alabama fan.... Ya know, looking at your table, I was a bit concerned about the lack of room before that edge.... but then I saw those bolt holes. It wouldn't be anything troubling to bend some sheet-metal and form a small table extension that could bolt directly to the table. Wouldn't take much of an extension, and you wouldn't have to form a wall around it to hold the coal back because it's just peeking out through the gap in the rim around the main table area. Would make a great stock rest for all that small stuff we find ourselves working on. No welding needed, either. Fold, rivet, attach. So easy, a "Roll Tide!"-er could do it. As for the pipe cap, I'd continue using it, but I'd open the holes making it a long slot (say 1/2"x1-1/2") instead of a series of small holes. See that on a lot of old forges. Gives you the benefit of a raised entryway (so clinker drops below it) and you don't need to fab another piece.

You'll absolutely love the KMG clone, also called a knife-maker's belt grinder. Yep, they are spendy even if you do 90% of the build yourself, but soooo worth the money! I honestly don't know how I got along without mine for all these years. Wood or metal, rough grinding or fine finishing, it can do it all. Certainly the most used tool in my "shop"! "I had to put the firepot that close to the edge because there is a structural beam lengthwise through the middle of the table. Without a welder I couldn't rework the table that much." Hardly a valid excuse. You have a hacksaw and bailing wire in your toolbox, I'm sure, and everything is possible with that combo!

1) Landscape timbers (preferably pressure-treated) cut and stacked to for a bug-proof "stump". Best bet I've seen, and very easy to build. 2) Easy to make after you have the forge running and can make something decorative. 3) Highest priority. You simply have no room between the fire pot and the leading edge of the forge, plus it will help when working at the forge. You certainly don't need to surround the entire 4x8 top, but you definitely want to surround the area around the fire pot. Give yourself a 4'x4' "box" to work in. The other 4'x4' can be used for tool storage (which will act like a fourth wall). And don't forget a built-in stock rest since you don't have any room before the table ends. 4) Good if you're working indoors. A wind shield is handy if you're outside, and a hood can give you shade to see the color of the metal. But neither are 100% necessary unless you need to get the smoke out of the way. 5) Can't have too many of them. Make them as you need them. 6) Anything you have handy. I use a plastic pail, and am careful to not touch the rim with hot iron. 7) Handy, but certainly not needed for the smith. 8) Save your pennies and build a grinder-in-a-box or KMG clone. Well worth the money!! 9) See #8

If you want a grinder, drop the 6" bench-mount idea and go with a professional knife-maker's belt grinder. I built mine from plans available on line and can't believe what a difference it makes in the shop! http://usaknifemaker.com/grinders-sanders-all-kinds-c-99/no-weld-grinder-plans-download-4901.html Buying all the various wheels can get pricey in a hurry, but the basic body is easily fabricated out of scrap pieces you have laying around. The best part, though, is that these things are incredibly adaptable and it only takes a second or two to switch from one belt to the next. Grinds the heaviest metals or the softest woods with ease! Hands down, the best investment I've made in years.... and my old 6" bench grinder hasn't been turned on in years! If you decide to stick with a bench grinder with the stone wheels, shoot me a PM. I'm not using mine and will let it go cheap!!