Frozenforge

Nice anvil! Looks like it will only need a light wire wheeling and probably most of the red paint will come off. If you soak a rag with acetone and wipe the painted area first it should soften the paint and probably take some off as well, assuming its just spray paint.

Probably already gone but there is a 153lb Peter Wright on Anchorage and valley CL!

Would the ceramic pieces used in vibratory cleaners work? Something more readily available maybe possibly cheaper, especially if someone has some that are worn out for vibratory cleaning and are "trash"!

To state the obvious 1949 Fisher. Cant see any numbers on the top of one of the feet to indicate the weight but since you have established it to be 100lbs there you go.

Appears to be in mint condition! You got a great price on it as well.

It would also appear to have broken in half at the waist hence the bolts/studs and nuts at the base. A good conversation piece as is.

Be careful with the thin viscosity superglues, they flow like water and very quickly get into places you dont want or expect them. If you have not had much experience with spreading superglue over large areas be aware of the fumes, hard on the sinuses and makes the eyes burn!

Idle circuit on left, needle valve controls gas flow. On this setup idle circuit runs at about 1.5 to 2 psi. Just enough so the burners dont go out, forge temp drops off to red color but comes back to temp very quickly

Amazing how things shrink when actual tape measures and scales come into play!

That should make it right around 300 lbs. Very nice still.

IF the face is truely 17"x13" and I would estimate by the pictures is about 12" tall thats going to be in the 700 to 750 lb range. Every additional inch in height will add another 60lbs.

What a monster! Did you actually buy it at the auction or is that when you get a closer look? More pictures especially of the logo, if any would be great to see.

I think saw tuner anvils are cool, just a simple big block of steel with a hardened face yet their use was required to keep an industry producing.

TO ANYBODY READING THIS THREAD. THIS IS A SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE THAT CAUSES US TO RECOMMEND GRINDING THE FACE OF AN ANVIL !!  

Please read the whole thread to understand why!

Nice! I would suggest to start with the angle grinder to quickly get the majority of the material then go to the belt sander to see where the low and high spots are and to do the final finish surface.

Yea a belt sander would be easier to get a flatter surface but I dont know if he has access to one. However he does have access to an angle grinder!!  Gotta go with what you know!

Get a couple 40, 60 and 80 grit flap sanding disks for your angle grinder. Start in the mold split line and work all the way up and down the face keeping it moving all the time. Switch grits an do the same till previous marks dissappear. You should be able to get it close enough within a couple hours. It doesn't need to be perfect by any means to function adequately. Depending how you decide to mount it you may have to clean up the bottom as well.

Machine shops are usually around $100/hr and they will most likely have to flatten the bottom as well.

Definitely cast, find a bearing and do a rebound test. As long as you get a decent rebound, anything above 50% to 60%, should indicate its not an ASO.

Good luck!

Those are cool and I would think they would be pretty rare considering the size of stock they were for.

Toilet paper holder fo a buddies cabin. Not very much forging but still fun!

If the s/n is correct and doesnt have an A in front then it will be w wrouht iron body with a faceplate forge welded on. An A in front would make it 1919 which would be a steel upper half and wrought iron base.

Depending on how much time the workers took on the final finishing forging the plate and the joint at the waist could be difficult to see. Finish the wire brush cleaning see what shows up.

The anvil should have a good ring either way when tapped with a hammer.

S/N 19685 would make it 1895. As said above it is in great condition! Make a stand and put it to use. Probably has been sitting for quite a while.

Take a look at the Abana.org website. Scroll down and there are a list of lessons starting with the basics. Forging tongs are quite a ways down the list by the way!

Watching forging videos of an experienced skilled smith are informative, once you understand the purpose and function of each hammer blow, but they do make it look much easier than it is!

My first experience of forging was in 1978 (I was 13) in school in Stowmarket England. We forged a center punch out of square stock, heat treated and tempered. 

Needs to be hardened steel. A smaller ball bearing will work just its harder to keep track of! Clean off an area with a wire brush really good to get an true indication, especially if you use a smaller bearing that can be affected more by surface corrosion. 

MEK is nasty stuff. I believe it is used in the manufacturing of Meth. I had to get a special permitto be able to buy it in larger quantities. Aircraft maintenance uses it all the time. There are much less toxic degreasers that will perform just as adequately for this situation.

Complacency! Wire wheel and buffer.

The Columbians are cast steel with no face plate. Just the way they are ground after casting. 

Many also have a letter cast on the opposite side of the trademark. I don't know what their significance was.

Havn't put a handle on it yet. Just playing around with mokume quarters. Its been ageing for a few months and the copper is aquiring patina.

Here is the brand I have been using.