gauge

I have too much time invested in the base which is custom made to fit the Mousehole. I couldn't sell it for that reason. When my son get's older, I'll probably give it to him. Besides, I don't know how the rest of you feel, but I am very much attached to my anvil, (and all my tools for that matter). I couldn't see myself "trading up" just because I found something bigger or better. If I ever find a third or maybe a fourth anvil, I would probably just make a stand for each and keep them prominently displayed in my garage. Each anvil is old and has so much history, it just stirs my imagination each time I look at them.

I tried for over a month to build a base from a tree stump. I failed MISERABLY because I couldn't get the bottom of the stump to be flat and the entire base and anvil would wobble. Finally I went to Home Depot and bought a 2 x 12 x 16 plank and cut it into 8 identical pieces that were 2 feet long. Then I glued and bolted the 8 pieces together. So the entire stand is 11.5 inches wide by 12 inches deep by 24 inches high. You can't see it in the picture, but on the bottom of the anvil was a square hole that tapered into a cone shape. I bought a 1 inch round by 8 inch long bolt. I heated it in my furnace until it was cherry red and pounded it on the anvil until the head of the bolt was the same shape as the hole on the bottom of the anvil. I then drilled a 1 inch hole in the center of the base and inserted the bolt so the cone shaped head of the bolt fit snugly into the bottom of the anvil. This keeps the anvil centered on the base and unless the anvil jumps up about 1.5 inches it shouldn't fall off the base. I also appiled a strip of adhesive glue between the anvil and base. I also sanded and stained the base. I think it makes for a neat clean look.

Yea - She knows. I was so excited, I had tell somebody. She doesn't share my enthusiasm for old iron, but she doesn't prevent me from enjoying it either. Curious coincidence - I bought the Mousehole from the estate of a deceased farmer, and when I went to look at it, it was sitting OUTSIDE on a stump under a tree. Seller told me it had been in that spot for at least 50 years! When I stumbled on the Hay Budden this weekend, it too was sitting under a tree - only it was sitting directly on the dirt with part of the base buried - YIKES! Yet - to my astonishment, neither of these anvils are horribly rusted. My father always told me that the only iron that doesn't rust is stainless. Both my anvils date in the 1800's. The Mousehole from the 1820's! How is it possible that they didn't rust away into oblivion?

I just finally got around to building the base for the 135 pound M&H Mousehole that I purchased back in April. Sorry for not attaching a picture sooner, but after this weekend, I'm fired up about anvils again. Anyway, this weekend I passed a yard sale, and since the wife wasn't with me, (she doesn't like yard sales), I decided to stop. The guy there seemed to be selling mostly old tools - 40's 50's era. I asked him where all this stuff came from and he told me his father in law was a machinist and that he recently died and he and his wife were selling his estate. Everything was for sale including the house. I rummaged through dusty old boxes and picked up a few oilers and some lightly rusted wrenches and then...suddenly....I spotted it. Way off in the distance, under a tree was what looked like an anvil. I asked they guy if it was for sale, and he told me was planning on keeping it because, in his words, "no one would probably pay what it's worth". I asked if I could look at it, and we walked over together. On the side was a hardly visible "Hay Budden" and "Brooklyn". Under that was "194". It was a 194 pounder. Despite sitting out in the weather for how many years, it looked to be in pretty good shape. I asked if he was going to sell it, how much he would want for it. He said he thought it was worth at least $300. Thank goodness there was an ATM not far. He helped me carry it to my truck, and the rest is history. Now I need to make a ANOTHER base. The Hay Budden has an amazing sound. Maybe just because I currently have it resting on concrete. When I hit it with a hammer, the hammer leaps back in the air and the entire garage fills with the sound of a ringing bell. Ding...Ding...Ding... If I did this right, there should be 2 pictures below. The first is the Mousehole with the stand I recently finished. The second is the newly acquired Hay Budden. One question I have is, on the front base of the Hay Budden, under the horn, are the numbers 3475. There may be a one in front of it, but I don't think so. I assume this is a serial number. Would anyone know the date of manufacture from this number?

I still have to post a picture....anyway.... Brand: Mousehole Weight: 138 Pounds Price: $200 Purchased: March 2008

I know I know...I still haven't posted pictures of my Mousehole, but the wife lost the chip for the digital camera..... Anyway, I wanted to create a base for the anvil to sit on. A buddy of mine works for the electric company and has access to telephone poles that are chemically treated to never decay. Apparently they treat the entire pole and then cut them to the length they need. He gave me a piece they cut off of the bottom of a pole. It was 15" in diameter and about 2 feet long. Perfect - or so I thought. The problem is I have tried, (in vain) to cut it flat and I can't. I used a chain saw to get it pretty straight and then used a planer to try and get it as level as I can. No matter what I do, my base shakes from side to side. I just can't seem to get the base level. Any ideas? If I can't get it to work, I am thinking about just buying two 2" x 12" x 8' pieces of wood at Home Depot and cutting it into 2 foot lengths and then bolting it together to form a cube about 1 foot by 1 foot by 2 feet high. Any other ideas?

Wow! Quite a diverse bunch! OK - My turn. I am a CPA currently working as a Regional Finance Manager for a global consulting company. My real love is working with metal and restoring old cars.

Thomas - How rude of me! I never properly introduced myself. I live in Southern New Jersey near Vineland and Milville. I work in Philadelphia as a Regional Finance Manager for a global consulting company. I started restoring old cars when I was 13, and soon realized that a lot of parts can be fixed or made from scratch if you have the right tools, so I started to teach myself how to weld and I bought an Atlas lathe. In my opinion, the anvil is the oldest and most basic of metal working tools. Currently my "automotive" projects have been limited to old Land Cruiser and Mercedes Diesels. I'll try and post some pictures of the anvil this weekend. I am away on business and I won't be back home until Friday. By the way, before I left, the farmer that I bought the anvil from was both surprised and amused to see how happy I was with my purchase. He told me that he was sure he had at least one or two more anvils in one of his barns. He said he would look over the weekend, and if he could find them, he would call me. So, if he finds anything good in those barns, I might post pictures of more than one anvil. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for having me as a member.

I am quite certain the A&H anvil is gone. The farmer told me that he got at least a dozen calls and that people were on the way when I arrived. I believe him. I've been looking for an anvil for years and usually within hours of an ad being placed, I would call and the anvil would be sold. I just got lucky because this anvil was very close to my house. I paid $200 for it. I think that's a fair price. If I remember correctly, the A&H had lettering that faced outwards, (not stamped inwards). For some reason the A&H just didn't feel good to me. To me, the A&H looked like some one took 3 pieces of metal and welded them together and then never bothered to grind off the ugly weld marks. The face on that anvil was perfectly flat - like no one ever took a hammer to it and the corners were very sharp. It looked like someone put a 3/8" piece of metal on top and welded it down. Maybe it is suppossed to look like that. I should have brought a hammer with me so I could strike them and check for rebound. Like I said, I know little about Anvils. Thanks for thre responses, you guys are great! I'm looking forward to pounding some iron!

Found an ad in a local paper for a 50 to 60 pound anvil. I was reluctant to call the seller because I thought this anvil would be way too small. I drove over and an old farmer took me out back behind his house where he had 2 anvils sitting outside in the weather. They were both about the same size. One had "Arm & Hammer" stamped on the side, and the other was an "M&H Armitage". The A&H looked quite rusty and it appeared that someone welded a flat plate on top of the anvil. I am not sure if this normal or if it was later remanufactured. The surface was very flat and the edges were perfectly square. The M&H had a less flat surface and slightly rounded edges, but it had minimal rust and looked more stout to me. Guy told me I could take my choice. I chose the M&H. We loaded it on my truck and I was thinking, either I have gotten really weak or this thing weighs a lot more than 50 to 60 pounds. Took it home and looked at the stampings more closey. It says, "M&H Armitage Mouse Hole 1 . 0 . 26. I put it on a scale and it weighs 135 pounds! I was amazed that an anvil that sat outside in the weather had jut minimal surface rust. Anyway, I don't know much about anvils. Is the M&H a good one? Would I have better off with the A&H? I appreciate the feedback. Thanks!