Fatfudd

looks like a nice anvil! I can't make out the numbers either. if you rub chalk across the numbers and then wipe it off lightly sometimes the numbers are more distinct. I can see a top plate so its pre-1908.

It looks a lot like the jet/china cast iron anvils. How much does it weigh? Jets weight various amounts up to 225lb. I agree with John McPherson, better do a test on the face before you buy it.

I hope your next post is that you bought that anvil, I would if I had the chance!

The Complete Modern Blacksmith: by Weygers has instructions on how to heat treat a rail anvil

I agree, don't change the edges right now. Maybe someday in the distant future you may decide you need to round the edges on other parts of the anvil but I really doubt that will ever happen. The way it is configured now is about perfect for almost anything you would want to do.

I don't mean to cause such gnashing but the anvil that its sitting on is the 200lb Hay Budden I picked up at the scrap yard for $1/lb. Its in good condition too,good face and the best rebound on any of my anvils. BTW I use the ThomasPowers method of locating/buying anvils. I payed too much for my first HB and OK for my second, but since becoming a convert have managed to stay at or under $1/lb.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/tls/3126513788.html

$100.

Melchior Sorry, to be clear I was referring to moving the flare when I said the nozzle not the jet. Leave the jet fixed slightly past the holes and just move the flare. You should do it outside of the forge so that you can mark the locations when the flame goes out. Also if you can set you pressure at about 6 psi when you are adjusting it will be a more accurate.

You may have already tried these suggestions, if you have, just ignore them. First put your gas jet a little further down in the burner. It looks like you have the end of the jet just slightly above the end of the last hole. I have mine positioned about 1 cm past the holes. Then loosen the nozzle and while running the the burner pull the nozzle in until the flame dies out. Mark that point. Then running the burner again push the nozzle out until the flame again dies. Mark that point. Now position the nozzle halfway in between the two marked points and tighten it up or fix it to not move at the halfway point. See if that helps.

Do you have a separate expanded nozzle that you can use to adjust your flame? Usually if the nozzle and choke are adjusted properly with the right gas volume you you won't have a stuttering issue. i assume you have read Ron Reil's forge and burner design pages on the ABANA website? http://ronreil.abana.org/design1.shtml

In general most anvils now a days have had some radius put on the edges, usually the far edge to prevent marring the metal as well as protecting the edge from chipping. I can understand why you have concerns by simply reading books regarding blacksmithing. That being said you probably won't chip your edges unless you intentionally do heavy pounding on your anvil's far edge. At first you'll use the far edge for drawing out hot metal and perhaps making some bends, you will just need to be careful with your aim while pounding. I'd suggest you take it easy on the grinding and learn more about working the iron. Then as you progress, when you want to dress the edges you'll know better how much you want/need. My first anvil was a nice Trenton with absolute straight edges. I was like you, quite nervous about hurting it, but held off on the grinder. I'm glad I did because eventually I really only radiused about 6 inches just back of the table. Never really had a need to do any more than that and never chipped any edges either. Of the two anvils I use most now one has a radius on the far edge for about 4 inches(3/8") progressing to another 4 in(1/4") and the other has straight edges which I have left alone. Another book you might want to read is Lorelei Sims- The Backyard Blacksmith. She suggests using a flap disk rather than an angle grinder since it gives a smoother surface and only doing a limited amount of grinding,

That looks like a very nice little anvil. It seems like I keep seeing reasonable deals on larger anvils in the New Jersey area so you shouldn't have too much of a problem finding one. Of course I saying "reasonable" as compared to NM where they try to skin you alive for anvils. Pay attention to the tailgating section on this website and I'm sure something will come along.

Well it sounds like a good anvil for a bench top. Your pics are just about the same size as the thumbnails so I can't really see anything.If you are looking for something more definitive we'll need better pics. Bench tops don't usually get beat up too bad and I wouldn't imagine you are intending to do much damage so depending on the price it seems OK.

what anvils, where?

Thanks Thomas- Postman seemed to say he was only listing the anvils that he knew of that were marked for others by HB in his book, he left it open that there were others. There are just too many similarities to the HB's to say it is is something else. I was sort of hoping someone had also stumbled on a Phoenix marked anvil and could provide some more clues. Anyhwo it is a really nice anvil and a real keeper.

There are a few American cast steel anvils also. The big question asked by Sask Mark, "does it ring when hit". Put it on a board or the ground, not on metal to really tell the ring. It looks like a really nice anvil tho. Do you have any idea how much it weighs?

I'm not a firm believer in the steel ball drop test as being completely definitive, but that being said, if you get 80% rebound with a 2.54cm steel ball dropped from 10in or 25.40cm then you have a fine anvil. Test it with a good hammer. In all honesty, if you were to drop a 2.54cm ball from 3 meters you shouldn't see an indentation on a good hard face, but you'd probably be chasing the ball across the room.

Hi Thomas- Thanks for asking a good question It has a flat bottom with a lip around the edge which is identical to my 200lb (1895 dated) HB. The one with the yellow paint spot is the Phoenix the other is my 200lb.

Good afternoon All- I stopped at a yard sale this afternoon and picked up an anvil that is very curious.It is only marked as you can see in the pictures "PHOENIX M,S, & S, Warrented" There is a weight under the logo of 149 which you can barely see in the pictures I have Postman's book AIA and it is not listed according to the features. It is 148lbs on my scale with a face 4 1/8 x15 and a 10in horn. It has a serial number on the right foot 531XX.(can't read the last 2 numbers. It has a flat base with a slight lip all the way around the bottom. It also has the number 6 deeply embedded in the waist under the left side of the horn. Postman states " To my knowledge only Hay Budden Manufacturing Company used this number on the waist" Postman also indicates that he encountered a Trenton anvil marked Phoenix with a 1904 date. To me this anvil resembles more the very early HBs in shape, that is its very similar to my early 200 lb HB (1895 vintage). My early 200lb HB's features do not correspond at all to the catalogues of the later years after 1908 and the Phoenix are slightly different also. There is no other HB markings that I can find. So to all of you who are more knowledgeable than me about anvils, what do you think? Have you ever encountered such markings? By the way, the anvil is in excellent condition with a great ring and rebound.

Thanks Phil, I missed that!

Since I can't figure out how to download this catalogue or copy it, is there a place where it can be saved on IFI for easy retrieval?

go rent an engine hoist, its cheap and easy

If you could post a picture so we can see what it's made of that might help. Most Japanese made anvils are cast iron and not worth very much.

Anvil looks pretty durn good to me for the price. I'd go for it if I were you. You could rub chalk all over the side with the lettering and then wipe it off, you should be able to read more of the writing after that. If you take some of the rust off with a wire brush on a polisher that'd help too.