Eddie Mullins

Here's my main anvil, a 152 lb Arm and Hammer. For the majority of what I do, this one is just about the perfect size, and certainly heavy enough for moving around by myself. The serial number is 44419 (if memory serves) out of a 51000 +/ total ending I believe in 1950. So I am guessing it is from the mid to late 1940's. I would really like a double horn to add to the shop one of these days though.

I can get 1/4" cold rolled in 12 ft lengths locally.

She's a beauty. I scored a 6" Iron City recently, but that one is a beast. Mine is just under a 100 lbs.

Wow, nice haul!

There is a BP here BP0008 - Hardie Socket. It allows you to use smaller shank on samller tools that set up above the hardie. I made one and really like it, it may work well for use in your plate. http://www.iforgeiron.com/index2.html/blueprints/original-series/bp0008-hardie-socket/

Just eyeballing a 3/4" ball bearing drop test, I'd say the Vanadium is in the 90% area and the Arm and Hammer in the 75%. However, the feel of the rebound when tested with a hammer seems pretty comperable, and breaking down stock seems more efficient. This could be a factor of the heavier weight of the Arm and Hammer as compared to the 70 lb Vanadium in conjunction with the rebound.

Mine is a 152 lbs and in really nice condition. It has an oval depression in the bottom, I know some some did and some did not. The rebound is pretty good, but not quite as good as my Vanadium. It has a 1 1/4 inch hardy hole that isn't quite square, punch/chisel marks are visible. I have heard these anvils aren't as "pretty" as others, but don't know if this is one of the common attributes or if mine has seen some abuse. EIther way, it took me 2 years to find and has been a pleasure to use for the little time that I have had it. I'd like to date it just out of curiosity, but no copy of AIA so can't decipher the serial number.

I bought my first Arm and Hammer recently and was hoping to learn a little more about them. Thanks for posting these.

The trick is using the right die.

I don't know but I like them. I have seen similar where the jaws were either perpendicular (for punches) or parallel to the reins but those look to be at a 20 - 30 degree angle, interesting design. I may have to give it a try.

I lke repurposing ball pein hammers and welded a piecce of thick leaf spring steel to the face of one for my flatter. The ball pein was forged flat,upset and squared up for stiking, the face also forgd square, because I just wanted to : ) , and it was left to normalize after forging to soften. The hammer was $2 and spring was scrap.

Hands on instruction can be a real game changer. At our last club meeting a member who had been unsuccesful forge welding did it his first try after seeing it demo'd and getting some instruction. Books and the net are awesome learning tools as is own your own practice, but find another smith if you can, a few minutes could equal days of trial and error on your own.

Interesting topic of which I am not well versed. Is this similar to the use of sugar for case hardening?

You could also weld another piece to your top die so that you are striking it, rather than the die itself. I have a short piece of thick mild welded to my dies. I can dress as needed, or eventualy replace and the dies are none the worse for wear.

Just had a very long 80 mi ride back home with an empty truck - they sold the anvils 30 minutes before I got there to me !?!?!? another guy named Mullins, or so they thought, who said he had been talking to them. When they told me I first thought they were kidding since I took of work early and had called again before I left and was promised they were there and held for me. I didn't know whether to cry or punch the guy in the teeth, I tried to hold my composure and remain polite. Words can't describe my current disapointment, I think I'm going to have to go pound some metal.

My first thought when I saw the profile of the anvil on the stand was Hay Budden, but then Trenton my next guess. Unfortunately until Monday these pics are all I have. I hoping its 150 LBS +/-. Got my fingers crossed theres decent rebound, but am not risking too much on the pair. Anybody have any guess on the weight of it or the other one???

tried a different approach and added pics using photobucket

I can't get them to upload : (

I check Craigslist religiously and stumbled on 2 anvils at I believe a bargain price today - $200 for the pair (they typically run $3 a lb and up here). Called and they were at a scrap yard believe it or not. I'm just glad they didn't scrap them out, would have been a shame. Couldn't get much info out of the guy I talked to, I know there are some welds on the anvil on the stand and the other obviously has part of the face missing. I didn't want to miss them, so called back, offer to give them debit card info and they are holding them for me until I can go get them Monday - snowed in right now : ( . I'm hoping the anvil on the stand doesn't need repair, but if it does I'll be getting one of my welding friends to use the Robb Gunter repair method (unless some one has better advice). If the anvil with the partial face has decent rebound I think it will become the anvil I let the club use for demos or for newbies to practice on instead of my good one. I'm using a 70 lb'r right now, so will be glad to get a bigger one in the shop. Any ideas what the weight or makers are are?

I like it. I have toyed around with the idea myself, http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/37579-34slide-arm34-fuller/ . I went back to my guilotine but have project now that need some large fuller, so I can just slip new arms over my stem : ) .

Glad to hear that. I have only seen a couple in person and its good to know that this design works well. ​I found a very similar design example from Warner Knives. Both are only slightly different in my mind from the Appalchain style guided helve.

​Jim - is that your hammer? A friend and I are about to buil a treadle and power hammer and we wanted to go with an inline treadle, very similar to the power hammer. I have not seen one that was so close to what we had in mind until this one.

I think this project was worth the wait. Really like the design and have always appreciated traditional joinery that adds to the aesthetics of a project. I'll add another vote for a BP : ) .

Always impressed with your work, thanks for sharing!

I haven't done a comparrison between dish soaps, but the hand soap dispenser in our bath has Dawn Dish soap in it. My routine is to start with fast orange first, head to the sink and then finish up with the dawn and hand brush if needed. My side draft made a big diffence in the dust getting all over everything, but I just can't keep my hands out of the coal and then I get it everywhere. An apron helps, but I don't always wear it, and a cap will provide some protection as well. The clothes I forge in most often are now dedicated to just that purpose.