Dan C

Hi Thomas, would you have any pictures of the mounts you've made and what stock material you started with?  I'm going to look at two vises today that I'm considering restoring in order to sell/use and would like to have a clearer idea of what I'm going to need to do to put them back into service.

I might've just found an answer to my question here and here, but would appreciate any pictures you might have.

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I'm happy with the anvil I have and the work I'm able to do on it.  I just try to keep my eyes open to what's available in case I can upgrade.  I do have a couple of post vises lined up that need a little work if all goes right that I can get for restoration.

What sort of controller are you using?

If I'm not mistaken it looks like it sold for $3k?  I've got to be missing something here, that's $33 a pound.  Forget investing in stocks, just hoard anvils, silver & gold.  I doubt it'll ever see hot metal again at that price, to each his own.

And I thought $3-4 a pound was expensive.  Is there a reason for someone that would collect anvils to pay almost $28 a pound for this anvil???  Did George Washington cross the Delaware and forge the Liberty Bell with this one? 

This thread maybe of use to you Jacob. 

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I'm also using a treadmill motor and currently using the controls from the treadmill as well.  A little inconvenient but it was free off of craigslist.

Jackhammer bits can usually be gotten for free.  Depending on what hardy tool you need and if you have either a powerhammer or someone to strike for you do very well.

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Part of the collection they posted separately a 198 PW in nice shape, but not what I'd consider $6 a lb shape.  Only slightly better than mine which I paid $1.50 a lb.

Must be something in the water.  Not part of this sale but in the same area, there's a 110 lb vulcan that's missing half it's face and they want $3 a lb.  A trip up north to the quad state could easily pay for itself.

Saw one listed on ebay at a ridiculous price, $5-6 a lb in mediocre shape.  Similar story, brought over from England early 1800's taken by great great great grandfather who served in Revolutionary War, brought it across the west in a covered wagon, almost lost crossing a frozen river, hate to part with it as it's family heirloom...only problem pictures clearly showed a PW made early 1900's.  I asked the seller about it which he then admitted he knew nothing about the anvil but wanted to liven up the story.  Yea right.

maybe, go backwards at 40 mph into the lake, then forwards at 40 mph, about a second in each direction for 10 minutes or until it has cooled, whichever is the longer

haha, thank you for the explanation and great visual

Even though it's smaller when you quench something like a knife it's recommended moving the blade back'n forth or in a figure 8 pattern.  In the video where the anvil is attached to the truck would driving the truck forwards and backwards have the same effect?

I've never considered HT'ing an anvil or something that large.  What is the steam jacket?

lol, reminds me of a CL ad for a PW that had England stamped on it.  They found a #8 somewhere on the foot and decided it must've been the 8th anvil Peter Wright made and were asking ~$2000 for a 190 lb'er.

Would something like this work, or did he just get lucky in not cracking the face? 

Something that is helpful to me is putting a charred log that has a bit of a cavity ontop of the pile so I have a cave of sorts.  It seems to retain FW'ing heat better this way and I can still keep an eye on it vs. burying the piece and then hoping I don't burn it up.   Also doing any FW'ing early on with a clean fire vs. trying to do it after a fire has been going for 3-4 hours.

I imagine if that one is $8 a lb it's going to be around for a good long while.  I did email her to see if I can get some pictures.  And if Anvilman hasn't seen it...either it's something you sprinkle fairy dust on and make a wish for, or he's going to have to buy this one for his museum as it's the only one in the world.

lol, yeah...if I was in a position to buy an anvil and needing one like so many of the wanted ads here I'd look to see what else they have though.  If they're all priced like they're made out of gold then the hoarder(s) aren't going to be getting rid of any.

I don't know anymore than what's listed in CL and that these sorts of opportunities always happen when I don't have spare cash around.  Looks like a good opportunity as least and maybe since the ad don't list keywords like antique or blacksmith you might get a decent deal.

Anthracite can pop as well if it has moisture trapped inside.

Or do something like this, stupidly simple but works very well.  Post #4 is my setup.  I don't use a rheostat but do have a Christmas tree footswitch to turn everything off & on.

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That and I keep duct tape and a shovel in my trunk.

The last time my daughter's boyfriend was over I demonstrated to him how I could throw a hawk I just forged thru a fence.  He's a good kid, but a little fear is a good thing.

Trying to remember where I saw or read this but one of the steps they gave for forging an axe head was hammering in the bit in such a way that tests the strength of the weld.  My first impression when I read that was "that's odd, first forge weld it and then you're going to split the seam" but apparently the reasoning is sound as at least at that stage you could correct the flaw. 

Now it's going to drive me crazy trying to remember the source.

Yes that looked like a good machine and that is where I got my wheels from. I just like to weld and build things. And I'm cheap and don't have a lot of extra money.

I mounted mine vertically