macbruce

Welcome pstodds! You may just have blown your intro into a ten page debate :lol: I would give a new ''blacksmithing business'' about the same chances as a new restaurant... :( But there are alot more variables in running a sucessful BS shop I reckon. Aside from that, persistence is key to sucess as in any new endevor plus you need to wear more than just one hat...... B)

This depends alot on how much you have to spend. Good cheap used anvils are tough to find, good new or used anvils are easy to find but are spendy. If you can afford a new one that's the way to go imo but since you're a newbie it's easy to assume you're financially challenged.......or are you?

You're a very lucky man Jonnie, the hammer is cool as well...... ;)

I googled those puppies right away and they retail for $170 each! I'm testing the waters on Ebay for half that with a single and a pair....... :ph34r: They are NOS.

If all the anvils held by collectors were suddenly released onto the market I doubt the price of anvils would drop drasticly. There a plenty of anvils available, just not cheap ones. I like seeing people post how they found a fantastic bargain on a valuable anvil here but don't wait for it to happen to you, just be ready to pounce if it does. Meanwhile save your money or make do with what you can afford because someone who really has the passion can make a silk purse ON a sows ear.

I love my brace of Swallows......I tried several times to to discourage them from building their nest directly over where I stand when I operate my PH but they were persistant and I kept forgeting to close my doors....Oh well, there's an up side and a down side, the up being I love to watch them put on air shows in the building, and the down is at least not done when I'm running the hammer.......... :rolleyes:

No, It's common HR......Great for collars or........

An interesting short history of our favorite material, fyi. http://www.colorcoat-online.com/blog/index.php/2013/06/how-steel-changed-the-world/

Since Vulcans are prone to chipping, especially at the edges, I would radius them for sure because hard sharp corners are prone to chipping. I would use a 4 1/2'' angle grinder w/a 120 grit flap wheel or soft disc. and keep the grinder MOVING parallel along the edge till you like what you see. A radius about the size of a common pencil eraser or a tad less would do and don't ever hammer cold iron anywhere close to the edges on that one. A little cold flattening of stock near the center I think would be ok..... B)

''Also - what are the operations you use your press for the most? Thank you!'' I agree with Frosty but I like my 11gpm single stage 25 ton because it doesn't slow down when it goes under load thus the heat sink factor is lessened ............Operations? The first thing is make sure you know the do's and dont's of operating these machines, they can kill you. Bending/forming and closed die forging with presses is a treat...... B)

Nice load of freebies from good neighbor Brian..........A bunch of horseshoe steel bars in odd sizes; 7/8''x 5/16'', 3/4''x5/16'' and some 3/4'' half round much to my surprise.........Some 1'' mechanical tubing w/a 5/8'' hole and some weird bearings with a 1 1/4'' dia hole with hard shafting. Anybody know what these bearings are for? Thx, mb Just went to load my booty onto the steel rack....disturbed a wasp nest and got stung in the ear. I'll get the little buggers this evening when it cools down.......... :ph34r:

You were warned.... :lol: .....It kinda reminds me of the Fort Knox of anvils. It's kinda nice to know between NJ & NM the United States reserve of anvils is strong! The tour doesn't bother me and I believe people have the right to collect most anything, but I already have one....... B)

Life in johnstown................................................................Good question. Intelligent life? Not not an over abundance of that...... We gots our very own radio station though... :wub: ....http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftunein.com%2Fradio%2FKHNC-1360-s16926%2F&ei=2b3UUei1MoHwigLm1oGoAw&usg=AFQjCNFrAXxyLBgaB0CbUd26xKr3EYdtdw&sig2=XIA8ToheropVyKGMu6iu6g&bvm=bv.48705608,d.cGE&cad=rja Yeah, I'm a RMS member, come on up sometime, mb B)

:wub: Sweet!!!

THAT is not a given. Sometimes the price goes up PP on smaller anvils,especially if it's rare........pix please.

Take some scrap and practice this manuver before you go for the gold.....Bronze is tricky and will colapse from the heat if you're not carefull. For small stuff; do a little , then get out, do a little, get out (let it cool in between short sorties)and keep the amps as low as you can...hope that helps...

Saw my first ever Little Giant power hammer today on CL....I bought this around 1976 for $95 and rebuilt it, then used it for years before I got into Beaudrys and then on to air hammers. I have no idea who owns it now and the price is $4000.. :lol: ..The way I know it's mine is I built the jackshaft and motor mount. It's on Denver CL along with a 75kilo Peddinghaus for $850, not bad....(i dare not do a link)

Better than the shame of being fooled.... ;) .....It's really hard to be certain from those pics....Another red flag is I think I detect casting media imbeded around the logo that someone was too lazy to clean off, I mean if you're gonna be a swindler, be a good one...... :ph34r: :lol: I could be wrong.... B)

Looks like a casting of a real anvil......If there's a parting line down the center of the face and horn, walk away....................................

I agree with Dave, where it should have the most wear...It has the least. Back by the hardy hole it has pitting, over the center mass to the cutting tabe it's nearly pristine.....beware......... ;)

This hammer wound up on CL a couple of months ago for $3000 obo and it has disappeared........It was probably worth that much but I was hoping to get it for far less.....somebody got a good hammer.... B)

Sorry to hear that, $3 PP would have been a bargain....... :mellow:

Sweet, looks like a first rate job..... B)

I bought my Ped new in the mid 70's and it's arc welded. Yeah, I know, older than dirt.... B)