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I Forge Iron

JamesBondo

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Everything posted by JamesBondo

  1. There were three other guys bidding on it. I think it helped that it is harvest time, so allot of the farmers were busy in the field. I came so close to getting it for 210, but at the last second the third guy jumped in. Kind of a cool story, one of the guys who bid on it and also bought some other blacksmithing tools came up to congratulate me afterwards. We got to talking and it turned out he was from my town as well (Pella) and lived just down the road from my in-laws. He was nice enough to offer to let us load it into his truck and follow us back. I had way under estimated my capabilities for moving this thing and had planned on detaching it from the stump and putting in my car.... The original owner also let us use his tractor with a front loader to lift it into the truck. Needless to say I was very grateful for the help.
  2. Thanks all. I'm happy with it regardless, and it sure beats the iron tractor weight I was using before. Interesting lead on the Arm and Hammer, I'll have to look into that.
  3. Just wanted to give you guys an update. I ended up getting it for a little over 300. That said, I did take a bit of a gamble.... When looking at it I noticed two weld marks under the horn and under the heal. the sides are smooth, with no brand marking, but i believe that is because they were ground smooth and uniform at some point. From the research I tried to do on the spot at the auction, I read that after a certain time period Trentons were actually made in two halves and then ark welded together at the factory. The video link in my second comment in this thread also shows the guys anvil having similar weld marks to mine. I figured there are two possibilities. A: The anvil really did crack in half at some point post factory and was welded back together. I'm assuming it would have been due to being dropped, as the surface is pristine. There aren't any major dents or dings anywhere on the anvil that would support this. B: The weld marks are from the factory and they were rough enough on the sides that it annoyed whoever owned it enough to grind them flat (or this was done at the factory for cleanup ). I am hoping it is the later. When my steel ball bearing arrives I will do the bounce test. I also did a better ring test after I got it home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9vrjKWyCkU I did manage to locate the serial numbers it is 150 lbs and #222487 What are your thoughts? Did I jump the gun or get an ok deal? Either way I had a good time at the auction, quite an adrenaline rush. PS The hardy hole has a piece of square tubing in it to act as a reducer. Once I knock it out the edges are crisp on it as well.
  4. Unfortunately my hardened steel ball bearing didn't arrive when it was supposed to, so the hammer test is the best I can do. To me it feels like it has some bounce back and ring to it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRxUs7vXRIo
  5. The camping chair is a good idea. That price range was about what I was thinking, I'll stick to my max and be prepared to walk. I'll let you guys know how things turn out. While the seller was unable to find any markings (not sure how hard he tried or if he tried brushing away any rust) he did tell me that his dad got it about 25 years ago from a blacksmith shop in Alaska of all places. It had been used by the guy he bought it from, but after getting it home and pouring a pad for it in the shed, he never ended up using it. There is another anvil for sale at the same auction that has some dents on the surface, as well as some ASOs, so I'm guessing those ended up being his general use anvils.
  6. Really appreciate the help and advice everyone, including the auction advice (I have 0 experience). I think I will go and give it a shot. I'll see if the wife wants to go and we can make a day of it. "Its a...uhhh... antique auction honey" At the very least it will be good experience and help me get a feel for what these things go for. This is an estate auction in a smaller town, so I'm hoping that helps with the crowds. From what I looked into on Trenton anvils, it does bear a very striking resemblance. In this video I found his Trenton also has the rounded edge and even the "saggy" appearance, which looks to be due to rust. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEcBE6EOdgg If you don't mind my asking, what would you guys say a fair price for an anvil like this might be (assuming it is a Trenton) ? I realize there are a lot of variables that play into it, I'm more just trying to establish a rough base line. From the research I've done I think I may have a rough idea.
  7. Hello all, it's my first time posting on this site, but I've been a lurker around here for a bit. I've always wanted to get into blacksmithing, and now that I'm out of college and have a job it makes the whole prospect a bit more feasible for me. I recently became aware of an auction going on this coming Saturday that appears to have a rather nice anvil for sale. I asked the seller if he was able to find a name on it, but so far all I have to go on are these four pictures. The auction is a bit of a drive from where I live, so I am trying to determine if this anvil is forged or cast iron before making the trek. I was wondering if anyone with more experience can spot anything that may give a clue as to its type? Any thoughts or input are always appreciated!
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