Dragons lair

Large and spaced far apart numbers. Sounds more like stone weight to me?

Weight would be missing 1 digit? My smaller HB is clearly stamped  88 and weight is right on.

Farrier anvil would have 2 pritchel holes and a clip horn.

Ken

208 lbs, Made 1920. The whole top is solid tool steel from the waist up. Should have 3 numbers other side (top near the hardy hole) I have its kid brother 142lbs

Ken

1918 as per AIA

170 on the left  says Trenton. Weight on a budden is on the side below the logo.

Looking at the horn end serial # will be on the left foot.

Just a note here. This is one reason I fled the Braderton/Sarasota area over 20 yrs ago. Been chasing the arc for near 50 yrs smithing for less. Son when ya stop learning ya be daid. No elders are not protestants we have just been there and done that befor you were born. Did ya read it right then do it right? Or did ya just DO IT MY WAY?

One thing I have noticed here. Too many opinions and advice with NO statement of history. If a haven't made a living at aluminum welding please shut up. I have been doing it for longer than some of you have been alive. Have gas welded it. Stick Mig and Tig. HI freaq or not. Argon or not. AC or not. Wife went from soldering stain glass to mig and tig in one session. My Miller
can do from .5 to 460 amps(beercan to 1 inch solid) PM for advice.

IFI has always had the basic rules of No cussin, No fussin and treat each other with respect.  While I can relates to the frustration off clueless guesses not being helpful,    telling people to shut up is pushing your luck on the treat with respect clause.

Just a few notes from a 40 yr aluminum welder. AC and high freq is NOT required nor is ARGON. Can be stick welded and DC mig using reverse polarity. Any inert gas will do. Helium is great for more heat at the same amps. Prefer my old 330 ABP Miller tig /stick welder(from los alamos lab)
Ken

From my hobart 180 manual. 14AWG up to 50ft 12AWG up to 200ft Ref: 1999 NEC. That said I prefer 10AWG for my small welders and 8 for the big ones.
Ken.

Well his answer to my offer was that he's not ready to let it go for $260, and that with the name and rarity factored in, he thinks it will sell at $325. Which suggests to me he's waiting for a collector. A shame really, since it would be nice to see it in use. If things were perfect on my end then I might think more about the $325, but as things are I still have a lot on my plate getting the house in order before I get back to forging with any serious intent. The downside to buying a house is all the little things that take precedence. So, I'll just keep working with what I have and keep an eye out.

Great find, 1911 would be the last model HB made. No top plate solid tool steel from the waist up. MY favorite is my 143 lber solid top.
Ken.

OK, now the face of my anvil has the obvious wear and tear, it does have a good degree of hammer marks. should i try to smooth it? or do I leave it as is, and I think at some point it fell on the point of it's horn as it's a bit flat at the tip.

I have a 15 inch long piece of 1020 steel. It's approximately 5" x 6". I did a little forging just to see how it would handle the steel, and was frankly disappointed in the number of dings it got. They weren't all from missed hammer blows, either So, my question is, should I get a piece of 4140, which I have been told makes a nice anvil face or should I go the more inexpensive route and pick up a piece of 1045? Is the cheaper price of 1045 worth foregoing the better 4140? Or is there something out there better than either and just as inexpensive as the 1045? I would have either of these two pieces (I'm thinking 1/2 inch thick) welded to the existing 1020. Thanks in advance.

Just saw this in a random search and had to share...

Got a 37lb track anvil london pattern will stamp whatever ya want in it only $3700 shipping extra. (GEO Washington T jefferson ect)
Docs 0. Neighbor knows both of them.
Ken.

What kind of CNC? There are CNC mills,lathes plasmacutters ect. Everything from G code to plasmacam. Have run fadal VCMs
and own a plasmacam CNC plasma cutter.
Ken.

OK here is a thought. We have Induction,Gas, coal or charcoal. We have hand hammers. Air hammers and electric hammers.
1700s smith had what? Yeh I use O/A for heat sometimes. And TIG or MIG but I woun't tell ya its real hand forged. Also use
a CNC plasma and a vairable speed drill press. I think if ya offered a 200yr old smith a power hammer or a welder he would
take it and use it to make sompthing better faster and cheaper.
Ken.

Ok here it is one more time. ya want patina(RUST) I can't help ya. Ya want it to look like a new 100 yr old anvil(mine do)
I use the same stove black (polish) I use on Ya guessed it on my wood stove. Slather it on and buff. No rust just a nice old lookin black body with a shinney face. makes the old wood burner look like new also. Use it on sides of hammer heads also. My grampaw
taught rust is rust NOT patina. OK pop I finally hear ya(45yrs too late)
Ken

back up fast and PRAY!!!

Might work IF ya can clamp the tool perfectly vertical. If ya were southwest Va ya could drop by and use the lathe. Am always drilling out mig tips.
Ken.

yesteryear is absolutely correct, you can do big work on a big anvil, and small work on a big anvil, but one cannot do big work on a small anvil......................

Ah, but when you get the bill for the veterinary / chiropractic costs you'll be sorry you did.......

Soooo tomorrow I have to go up in a 160' man lift or crane or what ever to weld
SRI Lanka back on the Uni Sphere from the 64-65 worlds fair, ( i'm sure you have heard of it ) I need expertise from all you welding types out there, if the parts are 309 stainless will the 316 welding wire be better for the job ? I don't know what kind of welding machine I can get in the crane lift or if I have to get a two hundred foot ext. cord . They have to drain the fountain, I think they are doing that tonight, ( $17,000 a day for the crane, so my guess is they want it done rather quickly ) . I have anything I need at my disposal with a phone call, so what do you think ?. Don't worry I have plans for two cameras, so I hopefully will have lots of pics, I'm thinking mig if its not windy up there, I have 316 wire and blue shield 9.....or 3/32 309 rod......1/8 308...on hand ,....any ideas ?
11 hours until the crane goes up,.....haven't seen the job yet and won't until 10:00 AM E.S.T