journey333

Assuming it is your sons ebay page, I see that he did this. It is the first listing I see when I searched for "Holland Anvil Swage". Good job at undercutting the upsellers. I am an infrequent user of this forum and happened upon this thread after seeing an upsellers $275 craigslist ad for your swage block and going straight to Google to see what I could find about it. Now when it is time for me to purchase I know where to go.

I just have to say I love all of the knowledge I find in these threads. Thanks for the copper hammer education.

Ahh, thanks for setting me straight on that, JHHC. Looks like it needs a much shorter handle than it currently has. Thanks also for the copper hammer explanation, makes sense. Thanks for the idea, Irondragon.

I went out east of town to walk my dog in the desert, and came across a neighborhood yard sale and an estate sale on the drive (much to the dog's chagrin as she had to wait in the car). Came away with a nice draw knife ($1!!), a big eye drift that needs some love ($5), a copper (?) hammer head that is quite heavy ($1), a wooden mallet ($5), a few chisels (50 cents each), a small saw set ($4), a horse tail broom (stamped "SANITIZED") (free) and what I take to be an old wheelbarrow wheel that will see new life as a lazy-susan tool hanger of some sort. At my last stop (after the dog was finally walked) I came across this interesting tool: I was intrigued by the gears and had to ask what it was. I ended up getting a nice tale from the old fella about how he would help his grandfather use it to cut off bull horns. I am not sure if this tool will ever turn in to anything than a story waiting to be told, but I had to buy it. He asked for $5, but I felt like the story alone was worth that, so I gave him $20 and he was thankful and said the extra would go into the donation jar for his son's cancer treatments. Any idea what a copper or brass hammer would be used for?

I came across this anvil on craigslist, and was wondering if it is a real anvil or an ASO. Other pic... They just call it #9 anvil and don't list a weight. They want $100 for it.

I was cruising eBay and came across this 20 lb. SODERFORS BENCH ANVIL current bidding has it at $447.10--reserve not met! Any idea what makes it so special? Or is it the madness of crowds, so to speak?

As seen on CL

That isn't my stand, I was using it as an illustration of what I would like to do. I think I would do the same as you suggest, make the handle adjustable and serve double duty as a tool holder.

It is that one. I got it in the mail today, and it looks great. Here is a review I found. Apparently, he also wrote a book about metallurgy, The Sons of Vulcan. I just ordered it as well.

Based on your recommendation and another review online, I bought a copy off of Amazon. Looking forward to reading it!

I am about to start building my shop, which will be an open air smithy until I can afford to build a shed for it. I would appreciate suggestions as to layout. Here are some of the details: I live in the high desert of Oregon. The annual precipitation averages 11.7 in (300 mm), with an annual average snowfall of 27.6 inches (70.1 cm). The area I plan on using (without storage area) is 12' x 18'. It is mostly under a couple of large Ponderosa pine trees, between the house and a small storage shed that is overflowing with my tools and household stuff. I will probably remove the lowest branches of the trees, but they are not really in the way currently. I think having it under the trees is a good idea, as it gets really hot and bright here. I plan on putting down gravel, after I have set my leg vise in place (I have an 8"x8"x4.5' pressure treated board for that). My anvil is on a stand that I built out of 4x4's, and will of necessity be moveable. I might even put a handle and wheels on it like this one: Though the wheels would have to be bigger to go over gravel. I have a welding table that is 4'x4'. It will serve as my layout table for the time being. I have a small coal forge that looks similar to this one in size, though someone added 4" walls around half of the pan: What considerations should I use in planning the layout, other than the 2 stride triangle of forge/anvil/post vise? How should I minimize the fire danger of a coal forge under pine trees in desert dry conditions? I was thinking of building a chimney/wall that would help not only remove the smoke, but provide some shade for checking the color of the heated metal. Any suggestions are appreciated, as I am new to this and most of you have seen many shop set ups in your time, I image.

Just have to resurrect this thread to say thanks for posting this Timothy. My anvil is a HB from 1914, so it is nice to see the catalog as well.

Just to revisit this...it looks like the vise didn't meet the reserve price...at $866. I wonder if he sold at that price after the auction ended.

Well, if we are going to show small vises... V.C. & Co. Germany, with a serial or part number stamped on the back. Looked so much like a tiny post vise that I had to buy it.

Glenn that is a great work flow idea and I am going to use it and try to pass it on, thanks. Whirly, I hope to someday make tongs as nice as that. Good job.

Hay Budden is a good manufacturer, and this has been on my radar for a few weeks, just a bit of a drive for me (3+ hours one way). If you are close enough and an anvil of that size works, I think you should get it. See if he can go down in price a bit; I have seen it on cl for at least 3 weeks, so he may be willing to work with you.

You might give this guy a call, see if he is willing to work on price with you. http://waco.craigslist.org/atq/3066440089.html

Today a 1970 edition of Machinery's Handbook followed me home, for the cheap price of $3. The thrift store was selling books by the pound, you see. I had only yesterday been reading How Do I Get Started In Blacksmithing on Anvilfire, and recalled the title when I was browsing the books section.

Thanks Hayden, I will be careful. That is good information to know. Bentiron, you did better than me...I paid $10 each and still considered it a bargain.

As I am just beginning to outfit my soon-to-be built smithy, I just bought it to have a straight peen. Once I start actually forging, I will evaluate to see which hammers I really like.

Hahaha

I went, I looked and I bought. The spring is loose, especially at the bottom. The handle is bent. There is some heavy rust. The screw seems to be slightly bent, though I didn't notice until I had opened it all the way up.The jaws tighten a little bit on one side first. I love it, and I imagine all but the bent screw I can fix. The vise had been in the family since his grandfather's time. He was happy to see it go to someone who would use it. Cost me a beautiful drive over the pass and into the valley, $50 in gas and $50 in cash. I met a blacksmith who gave me some sage advice, had lunch with an old friend who I rarely get to see, went to a couple of junk stores. I stopped in the mountains to relieve myself and found a transmission and gearbox, could only load up the gearbox. Someone had dumped it within the past couple of weeks. It was a good trip.

Came across these big bar clamps while I was picking up my new-to-me post vise. I couldn't pass them by. One says "Tatum" and "1892", the other "Black Bros. Co." There is a date, but I couldn't quite read it. They are 56" long.

I was outbid on the one on eBay, then found this one for less than I had been willing to pay. Guess I should be glad I missed out.

Glad I saved it from the collectors, then. :lol: