Revtor

250#, 1881

keeping it in a sealed ziploc really wont let it dry out will it? I'd wrap it in 5 or so layers of newspaper and then put that in a few paper bags. That should seal it enough to slow the drying (compared to no wrapping) but still allow it to dry out. Chem stabilizing Im not familiar with.

The powder coating might just flake off if you give some hammer time. I'd try that before burning it off. ~Steve

have him weigh it!!! He obviously has no trouble moving it around (sitting on his lawn) so a measured weight should be no problem, right?

An Ellis 8VT forge! It arrived christmas eve and I lined it, then put two thin coats of satanite, using a hairdryer as a "burner" for 45 mins to dry it out.. Fired it up for 5 minutes and let it cool in between coats. Then today put a layer of bubble alumina on the bottom and up the walls half way.. hair dryer for about 2 hours and then just fired it for 10 minutes.. So I think Im getting the hang of it, even though all I have is a hairdryer at this point as a blower. . I'm pretty happy with the setup EXCEPT there were no instructions at all in terms of lining or setting up the gas/blower. I know I need a real blower to finalize the build but for now this hairdryer puts out quite a bit of air and I can get the thing roaring bright orange at under 5psi. In terms of getting the forge burner set up correctly: -What should I be aiming for in terms of sound/dragonsbreath? -How will I know if I have my mixture set in the right range? thanks alot! ~Steve

Well, this anvil is basically brand new. . . So what would a brand new one of these go for if you wanted to buy one in a shop? ? The price is crazy, but better than store bought price!!

Sorry for bringing this thread up from the grave, but it's very interesting to me . . That armless ethiopian carpenter is unreal!!! Dave, did they guy ever figure something satisfactory out?? My idea is a piece of pipe on his belt (left hip) He slips the tong handle through the close fitting pipe and holds the other rein of the tong with his left hand. He can apply pressure to the tongs, rotate them around, choke up/down, etc all with his one hand one the free rein. This would require the pipe fitted to a sturdy belt or waist band, and custom tongs but most of the solutions will require something custom.

3/4 bolt and nut AND jam nut. have fun!!!!!!

If you weld feet onto the legs and then bolt the feet down you'll keep it from rocking... If it's not too wobbly to begin with. But going to 3 legs is probably the same amount of work and a better stand in the end.

Oh, they're I-beams, I see. . that makes more sense

Really cool, looks good! Is that anvil sitting on 1/4" x 3" straps?? Looks like it would be very springy . . . get her going!!!!!!

Tune that thing up!!! "ametylene", etc not needed

Wolverine before you pour, you could make grooves for nuts or add some sort of brackets to your forms to help with clamping the anvil down to the concrete bases. Maybe big eye bolts sticking out from the sides, lots of ways you could do it. post pics when you get em done! ~Steve

Still think it wont work.. The "nut" will get larger and sloppy. I'd cast it from liquid titanium epoxy or something like that. You could make the shape of the "nut" whatever you'd want, cast in holes etc. Ciladog's idea is great if the thread is large enough. have fun!!! let us know how you get on with this ~Steve

If you want to remove old paint, really the easiest way is with aerosol paint stripper. Wire brush it a bit first, spray it on thick, cover with a garbage bag let it sit for an hour or two and then go at it with a hand wire brush. You may need a second application. Wear full protective gear. Rinse with hot soapy water, dry with a heat gun/torch and you're good to go!!!! You can also just burn it off with a torch/wire brush. I really like that mounting bracketry at the foot, nice bit of work. ~Steve

looks like there might be a crack in the face, but is there really a big chunk missing?? Hard to tell from the top down photos.. A shame, my top plate is perfect, but my horn is all messed up, so our anvils are opposite brothers. ~Steve

I think the I beam will be a bit springy unless you hit it dead in the center... A short piece of railroad track is a good place to start.

Thanks for all the replies guys, Im going to actually move it and mount it tomorrow, Ill post a pic when it's done.. Yeah fixing the horn back to original style might be a bit much, perhaps just building up the top where the steel has come off and then shaping it a bit . . It'll be more of a beak than a horn! The anvil was only 10 minutes away. That and the overall size is why I jumped on it. Im hoping it cleans up nice. It looked better in person then in the advert pictures, so I was happy. The guy wasn't budging from $1 / Lb so I got it for $250. Yep teaching is a good gig. For me it comes down to how much longer I can put up with 14/15 year old boys!!!! ~Steve

Hey guys Im new here I figure I could introduce myself and the beat old anvil I recently brought home. My name is Steve and Im a High School Technology teacher. (woodshop, electronics architecture, mechanics, etc...) I've worked as a machinist for a few years and have a masters degree in metalworking (mostly jewelry) I took a forge class abut 8 years ago and really enjoyed it and lately have been thinking of setting up a little place to heat and beat steel into tools etc. . . A quick Craigslist search a few days ago and 10 minutes later this old fisher was mine. (I'm pretty impulsive . hahaha) It has Fisher, 1881, and the #8 cast into it. It's 249 lbs as it stands (minus most of the horn) The top plate is 5.25"x17.25" So yeah. . it has only half a horn and whats remaining of it has most of the steel top missing. For now 'Im just going to mount the anvil and try making some tongs, but eventually I'd like to restore the horn.. I was thinking of welding on a steel cylinder, grinding to rough shape and then hard facing a good layer on the top. Finish grinding. Sound doable? Lost cause? Well there's the introduction. Looking forward to getting going. thanks, ~Steve

Looks like a typical highschool metalworking tabletop. Two pexto plates, steel edge, laminated maple. Waste of big anvils? I'll leave that for you to decide.. Cheers from a High School tech teacher -my first post!! ~Steve