monstermetal

This is a very simple answer... The best anvil is the one you have in front of you and use often....

I repaired a Hay Budden in the same state by using underlay and then hardface to build up the missing tool steel plate... the anvil is still in use with maybe 6 years on the repair with no issues... I think this is a better choice than trying to weld a new plate on the anvil as you will never get a full bond and a void under where you work will negate much of the value of having an anvil in the first place..

Great looking helpers you got there... And looks to be a good use of zip disks as well!

Well sorry to mislead everyone... I did not know that Jake had everything pre-sold. Last time I talked he still had several available... The only one in the can not spoken for I bought for myself, a deep #6 Norton...

Ive got a container full of gear landing at my shop today from England, The stuff was shipped by Jake James and some of it will be available... There are many #4, #6 and #8 fly presses, A Blacker powerhammer and Im not sure what else... I'll try and take some pictures.... the can is suppose to be there between 11AM and 1PM.... Jake and Jorgen will be down this morning some time.... Should be a fun day (as long as nothing was damaged in transit) I'll report back!

there is a Beaudry hammer in Astoria OR laying on its side where the wood floor underneath gave way... Its in a long abandoned shop that has been untouched for many years... its a fair sized hammer, I would think at the very least as big as a 2B if not bigger... It had some sort of a timber foundation built into the wood floor but I have no idea what was supporting the timber foundation (I have never been into the building, just looked through the windows at all the goodies inside) A 2B is a little hammer really... Less than 8,000 pounds combined weight.... I would not think twice about running it on a floor like your describing... supporting it somehow to the ground below would be wise but I doubt it would ever pound it way through the floor with out some other extenuating circumstances (rot, fatigue, poor construction practices or whatever) I ran my 3B on a cart with casters, forged some 3" 4140 shaft... had to block the wheels to keep it from rolling away as I pushed the bar in.... Is it ideal? nope... but its silly to think a hammer this size simply needs a foundation to function.... To function most effectively yes... But its going to make dents in iron even if its hanging from a helicopter suspended in thin air...

It wont let me post a video for some reason... If you do a search for "hydraulic post vise" on you tube just that will pop up.... user name larryleelangdon

The biggest one I have seen I almost didn't see.... I went out to a guys shop to look at a hydraulic press, parked my truck right by his front door.. went in side spent an hour or two looking at the the cool stuff.... we walked out to the truck and stood and chatted for a good half hour before I went to leave... and as I was walking to the truck right in front of my truck big as life was this huge swage block sticking out of the ground.... I said "whats this?" he told me it was for a big press table for pushing bearings but there was suppose to be two to make up the outside shapes... Immmm I said well I could use it just with the one and would give him $200 for it... He said "deal!!" Got it back to my shop and threw it on the scale... right at 400lbs.... Beautiful shape, almost like new.....My Dad has it now...

If you catch them on sale you can buy a Centaur forge swage block for less than $400 with free shipping.... Thats one of the reasons I am surprised at old ones selling for anything like $500+ If your using it as a swage block they are great.... If your using it as a bolster then they are not so good as they dont have the versatility of through holes the old ones do.... But if what you need is a bolster find a heavy chunk of steel and have a machine shop put some big holes in it....

Yeah she is a looker.. A very nice shape... (not condition, the actual shape... Condition seems a bit rough but hard to tell until you get her clean) I have not seen one like that with the hardie set to one side.... I really like anvils with a long bick and the slope away beard underneath.. You did good!

I think they are comparable to other cast steel anvils.... I personally dont care for the bick/horn.... its a little blunt-ish for me... they have a nice sized cutting table and hold up well... If you can buy it right ($670 plus shipping for a new 112lbs seems reasonable to me) I dont think its a bad choice if you want a london pattern anvil... Its a bit more but personally I would save my pennys and get a Nimba... Spending a couple hundred more will get you a few more pounds and an anvil that in my mind is unbeatable in its weight class....

I have bought and sold quite a few (maybe 15?) I expect to get $250-$350 for a nice clean standard size (15-16" sq and about 150lbs) Ones with dishes bring the higher end and bigger ones (250+ pounds) bring better money but are harder to sell... Yater's also will bring more money.... expect to pay $750-$1200 for a nice set...

mmmm Well I hope there are no bad feelings involved. Can you share any more?

Yeah.... that was a smokin deal.... looks like a very useful press as well.... Based on the size of the cylinder It must have around 5"-6" of stroke? What is the die set that is in it for?

wow... thats pretty cool..... I would have been to scared to even try..

Thats a great pic... I believe if a smith has three hammers.... He will always have the right one for the job... But if he has 50... None are quite right for the job at hand... ( I stand in front of my hammer rack going... mmmm, close, nope... almost... mmm well I guess this one will do!) Not sure how that works but I find it to be true!

Yeah those are "list" prices... not what you could by one for... Milwaukee tool has a standard "list" price which is double what you pay.... ... I have dealt with this for years... there are quite a few tool company's that still have outlandish list prices... Here is a price list for Vaughn on the other side of the water.... I think you could buy one for about 20% more here if you chose too.. If not buy one from Vaughn and pay shipping to get it here and it would still cost far far less than those prices.... http://anvils.co.uk/products/view/56?cat=12

mmm... maybe textured copper? Now we are getting just a bit silly though... this thing is a mule, not a show pony!

I should also say this was the first project using my pattern cutting table... I had some issues with my pattern... it wanted to double back in places but I managed to get all four cut

I have a couple of the blacksmith depot drifts and would recommend them... Ive made maybe 60-80 hawks with one and its holding up well..

It kind of does hu?

I dont know how this ended up with a double post.... the other one has the picture...

I am the lucky owner of the only other Grant Sarver tooling anvil (Grants being the OTHER one) I finally got around to building a stand for it.... Sounds like I am going to have to build another one for Grant as well.... Total weight is 430lbs working height is 31.5" One of my die blocks cracked in heat treat so I have to make a new one (or try and con Grant into making several) I think this is going to be a real fine addition to the shop once I get it sorted.... I all ready have plans for some tooling add on's and a material support... Maybe some dedicated V block dies.... sky is the limit...

I am the lucky owner of the only other Grant Sarver tooling anvil (Grants being the OTHER one) I finally got around to building a stand for it.... Sounds like I am going to have to build another one for Grant as well.... Total weight is 430lbs working height is 31.5" One of my die blocks cracked in heat treat so I have to make a new one (or try and con Grant into making several) I think this is going to be a real fine addition to the shop once I get it sorted.... I all ready have plans for some tooling add on's and a material support... Maybe some dedicated V block dies.... sky is the limit...

Nice Job Alec.... That should make you happy every time you use it!