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I Forge Iron

quint

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Everything posted by quint

  1. George there are a few old videos on you tube probably from back in the day where they refer to using whale oil and I am sure it probably was. Ofcourse some of these videos are probably pre 70's so makes sense they were still using it. Interesting stuff.
  2. Didnt mean to offend anyone as I was trying to come across as nicely as I could I think. I was primarily just saying look for some more answers/possibilities then just this one thread. I cant claim to know everyones experience. Sometimes ones experience can be outdated or limited in a certain area as well. The way I see it though in this area where the damage is at even if the fix failed it would be back to where he is at now so couldnt hurt that much (unless the end fell off and hit his foot or something).
  3. I would suggest since your not in the area of the hardened face to go to a welding forum and look up info for welding cast iron. If you think about it just because someone collects anvils doesnt necessarily make them a good or knowledgable welder, and just because someone knows about welding doesnt mean they know much about dealing with HT on some metals and retaining the hardness. However since your working on the horn I would say go for it.
  4. Yeah your right vaugn. I should have examined it a bit further.
  5. Looks like originally a sawyers anvil but I have never scene pics even of one that bad off.
  6. Box of sand with a steel top works wonderfully for me. Kind of a cross between the steel stand and sand mounted stands. I dont perceive any flex in the stand.
  7. I really enjoy my 200lb soderfors. It is a 1928 one as well. They will ring like crazy however I have mine on a hybrid stand of metal and sand. It is securely attached now with bolts and a chain. Gets rid of the ring so now its a dull thwap. So much quieter. Wanted to add it has very good rebound. The edges have a few chips in them but someone long ago slightly rounded most of them so they hold up pretty good now.
  8. My first guess with that flat bottom and the chipping is a swedish anvil. Does it seem like solid steel vise a top plate. Second thought would be a hay budden because of that weld line at the waste. Not sure who else does that and I cant remember what the bottom of mine looks like. Were there any remnants of numbers on the front foot at all.
  9. Thanks Frog, I was just going off pictures as I scouted around. I could have sworn I saw a few pics with the feet like that but could have been mistaken which ones they were from.
  10. Do you have any more pics and how much does it way. I am just guessing but the heel and nose look more vulcan but the feet more arm and hammerish. That line at the waste is more vulcan to me also. That would be my first guess but I could be wrong. Vulcan had raised cast inisgnia and arm and hammer were stamped if I remember correctly. If its a smaller arm and hammer it could explain why the heel is thicker looking then some of the larger ones Ive scene photos of. The larger ones the heel thinned out considerably.
  11. If you dont mind me asking what were you making Ben. Just curious. Also what made you purchase a Yost anvil. Saw your other post about that. Good looking anvil by the way.
  12. If they are medium carbon then quenching in water may get a little more hardness then oil. Would have to experiment obviously. Great find.
  13. Thanks Frosty hopefully be around for a bit. Having too much fun trying to find time to beat on hot metal. I cant remember the dates for the estimates for the first london patterns but Imagine like anything else it was a progression of a style or whatever you wanna call it, and that it ended up catching on once it got to a certain point. I know I tend to group the london pattern and double horn germans and what not in similar groups but do understand they are different and alot of that was due to the influence of the people in a area and what they made or even more simply what they liked as a group. The london pattern was brought over to the US if I am not mistaken and once it was being produced there probably wasnt much reason to change it except for certain applications with the exception of the saw makers anvil. Lots of the specific applications were just slight modifications of the london pattern which makes sense since it is far easier to cast an extra hole in a anvil then redesign the entire thing then hope that people will catch on to the new look. We all know how people like change haha. Then with all our industrial revolutionism where we moved to large equipment that could do the work of the 4 or 5 guys pounding on a anvil together well that kind of made the progression of different anvil styles a dead end road. Ahh well just thoughts and being tired.
  14. One thing I see is that everyone that seems to think the third world way of doing stuff is the bees knee yet just about everyone saying that is working on some nice sized london pattern anvil, and not because they cant find something else but because that is what they sought after. Not saying anything against anyone here and not wanting to start something, Ive just kind of realized that several of these threads seem to all end up having the same repeat pattern. I can understand that yes work can be done on all kinds of things from rocks and chunks of large steel from who knows what and I will admit some of those rock crusher things look pretty cool. However lots of the people recommending that or saying the london pattern isnt that useful yet they have 2 or 10 or 40 of them sitting around the shop. Kind of just an observation so dont break out the pitch forks or anything :D
  15. I got my HB for $2/lb but I also lucked out. Around my area they go for anywhere from $2lb upward to $6/lb and this tends to have no real basis in quality or make. Its very random. Another issue is up here there are a few "collectors" "resellers" whom I dont think have day time jobs so it is very very difficult to pick up an anvil at a decent price. My personal preference would be for the HB just because the top half of the anvil (depending on date) is steel vise just a top plate which as Fudd pointed out can be the issue of the sway back. But then again Ive used my old PW for quiet a few blades.
  16. Its cast iron. When drilled its the little chips and dusty. Plus it turns your hands black almost and is harder to clean up which is usually a good indication. Yahoo the crack goes clean threw so basically half of the top is secured very well like a new anvil. The other half is basically the steel plate with a chunk of cast iron hanging off of it. Basically gonna have to clean out that portion then fill it in basically. Gonna take a bit but hopefully I can get it done.
  17. Thanks for all the info guys, very much appreciated. Something I really like about getting a new old anvil is the learning that comes with it. Well atleast as often as I get them. I will be sure to post some pics of the repair but to be honest it wont be a quick job. Ill probably work on it a tad after work and its not a light undertaking for me anyways. But it should be fun and rewarding.
  18. NJanvilman so I was looking at pictures of these guys and looked at the one in show me your anvil thread. There is a fisher one in there that has square handling holes. Looks very much like mine (except mines got no name at all). '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>>
  19. Ok guess its probably not. Just coming up with ideas. Here are pics of the bottom of it.
  20. Wanted to add. Vaugn your right the body itself is in very good shape as is the top. If there were any castings or stampings on it they would be there. I took a wire wheel to it and the rough casting of the body is still evident. The only portions cleaned up are around the top plate and the angle cut offs on the corners. I have a theory about the break. On the top plate at the edges there are two divets or rough spots that have been filed smooth and the back one third of the top plate dips about 1/16 to 1/8" as compared to the rest that is perfectly flat. I am thinking something very large and heavy was partially supported by the anvil at one time causing a compression of that portion of the anvil. The top plate slightly bent downwards and the resulting force on the cast steel caused a kind of pressure crack. Atleast thats my best guess. Ill take a couple of pics tonight.
  21. Im really sorry guys. I have a bad tendency to throw cast iron and cast steel in the same meaning but when it comes to anvils it is a very large difference. I meant to say cast iron. Sorry about the confusion on the two. I need to proof read my statements before I post them. So that being said I do believe it is "cast iron" not cast steel. I took my angle grinder and cut a section above the crack down into it, this piece chipped right out. Proves I am pretty sure the crack goes all the way thru the body as I suspected. The broken portion does look like cast iron. Large lumpy grain type structure that breaks off unlike wrought iron and not similar to cast steel which usually in my experience is more uniform. Ive got it tilted up on my band saw so later this evening Ill take a picture of the bottom of it.
  22. Yeah sorry I guess I shouldnt say ring, it doesnt make much of any noise really. I am pretty sure its cast steel. With it just sitting on a wood block without tie downs or magnets or chains it sounds a tad quieter then my soderfors on the metal stand I built recently which is now bolted to each other. And no idea of the make. I was just thinking idea wise how it could have came to be like that. Thanks for all the tips and tricks everyone. It will come in useful.
  23. Ya know its odd because the face is near perfect as you would expect for one of these anvils that has only scene saw work. Originally thinking it was a fisher but now that you brought up vulcan I am wondering, didnt they have a phase where there castings were not all that great and causing flaws that would show up. I think I remember reading about that. I was thinking abuse as well originally but would have thought also that the top plate would have been cracked as well but it is solid. Luckily for me. In anycase I didnt pay much of anything for it so if I can get it working atleast close to its original glory Ill be happy. Plus be a fun learning experience.
  24. Thanks Arftist. That sounds like a good plan. Gonna be some work but if I succeed then I will have a nice anvil that is fully functional. As it sits right now for bladesmithing work I could probably get away with using half of it but I am worried about snapping the steel top and thus maybe causing even more damage say like propagating the crack farther. Anyways I think Ill go with your plan and with the way the crack is once I cut it out (grind it out) it should be a nice V into the anvil which should be a good starting point. Here are a couple pics. The end shot you can clearly see it. The side shot is a little harder but its the same on both sides (only included one side shot)
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