Direwolf

Here is an interesting small old bench top swage block, 10" X 4" X 1-1/2". I'm sure it was produced for some trade perhaps gunsmithing, feel free to chime in if you know. Has some interesting shapes. I found it while picking a huge barn loaded with years accumulation of interesting stuff. I've never used it as I have large ones for the times I need one, never the less an interesting old piece. The fellow I got it from didn't remember where or when he got it as he had it for 50 years or so and it was buried deep in the barn.

Hi Dave, thats a great lookin JD tractor! Thanks for the help explaning plows! Ironmith you might try a propane company they usually have fittings if you want to use your tank. As the others have pointed out using liquid is not a good choice. If you were closer I would set you up with a standard tank. I just bought two full 20LB tanks at a farm auction today for $12.00 and have others. Good luck and be safe.

Hi Dave, Ironsmith Dave is ribbing me, I used 12 bottom plow as an example, too much plow for that tractor. Is a heavy powerful machine though.

Hi Ironsmith, First let me say I have not tried to run my propane forge on liquid propane. However, I do own a Minneapolis Moline M670 tractor which is factory powered by propane and I own 3 other propane tanks which were on forklifts. My tractor and the forklift tanks all have dual valves, one for vapor and one for liquid. When the tractor is not demanding a lot of fuel it is designed to run on vapor. If you hook up a 12 bottom plow and need full power you must switch to liquid as vapor cannot provide the fuel that the engine demands.. So look at the tank and see if there are two valves if so they should be marked. The liquid valve will have a dip tube which runs down to the bottom of the tank. I use the forklift tanks on vapor for the forge if I need them. I think that if you run liquid in a forge designed to run on vapor you may run into trouble. I would not recommend it. On my tractor the same regulator is used for either vapor or liquid and hot coolant from the engine is circulated through the regulator to both prevent icing and I suppose to help vaporize liquid. I hope this helps, be careful!

Hi Nick, not sure where you are in the UP but I'm not far from the border in WI. We have semis at work and tri ax end dumps, I have tons of spring steel I bring it home all the time. I have a brand new leaf spring from a semi we got rid of before using it. also have lots from pick up trucks, but used. I did bring two leafs home last week from a brand new 3/4 ton that got wrecked with only 1,500 miles on it they are just like new and about the size you are seeking. The semi leafs tend to be nearer 4-inch wide. I just brought a used one I took out of the front end of a tri ax yesterday as with most semis it is a good 200+ LBS of spring steel. PM me if you are interested, and be patient, I work a lot and do not spend a lot of time on here but do check email every day. I am near Park Falls.

Since everyone is on the subject of post drills, I went to a farm auction on Saturday, there in the old wood shop was a huge Boynton & Plummer drill. It was meant to run off a line shaft but when electricty came to the place an electric motor was used to power it. The drill is so big no one wanted to mess with it, when the auctioneer got to it he opened it at $25, before I could shout here he dropped it to $10.00 the minute I said here he said SOLD! It took three of us to get it off the wall and three to load it in my truck, it weighs in right around 300 LBS. I took the big flywheel off the top to make it easier to move. If I decide to set it up the flywheel is 6" wider than the drill so it will need to be spaced out from the post or have a stand fabricated. Unfortunatly the original line shaft all set up for multiple flat belts about 25 feet long was there but while I was dealing with the drill a scrapper bought it and cut it up. I own quite a few post drills they are beautiful machines, most work as well as the day they were made. Also bought 120 LBS of NOS railroad spikes for less than scrap and some saw blades for a buck a piece. As far as saftey with these old machines, even if you are hand cranking it you can get into trouble, there was not much thought about saftey when these were made!

Went to a friend and fellow pickers place the other night to pick up a 2 HP electric motor for an old LG power hammer I've got sitting around, got the motor for $25 works great. Well, I ended up digging around his barns and I bought a nice forge, rigged up with an electric blower, a nice working cannady otto blower, 200 lbs of coal and a handfull of tongs all for $50. I really don't need the forge but couldn't pass it up for that price! Also got a post vice, gave him $40 for it, don't need it but why not. He gave me a nice pexto planishing hammer, I've got several they are great hammers. Got to make some more room in the shop. It's a rare day that I don't bring a load home.

Hi Benton Looks like a hay budden to me too unless it is worn away should be a serial number on the front foot too

Another idea is to restrict the air going into the blower which will control the air going out. Just a simple disk of sheet metal or even cardboard which can cover the intake, providing you have disabled the heating elements. I made a disk of sheet steel over a blower intake on one of my forges, works great. Lots of good advice regarding safety please read and heed you can't be too safe!

Hi Joel, I have a portable wilton vise on a table made of pipe which I bring to demos, it works well. I bought it at an auction for $10.00 and mostly use it as a portable vise in the shop for welding, it is rugged and handy to move in and out of the building if I am working on a piece of large equipment outside. I also built a portable post vise stand that turned out to be too heavy to easily move! I used a dozer sprocket, then a roller from a dozer then a 5th wheel table from a semi attached a 75 lb Indian Chief vise. While it works well and is stable it weighs 300+ lbs and is difficult to load/unload so I just bring the wilton bench vise to demos which works well and is more managable. I added a steel rod to the table of the post vise setup which works great for bending also, I'll add a few pics. I think your idea should work good luck!

As usual I was out picking all day Saturday and found this old saw anvil. Clearly stamped Branch & Crookes St Louis. I have seen lots of saw anvils but never before encountered this brand. I had stopped at a fellow pickers place to drop some things off, he had just found it in an old timers garage. We cleaned it up then spark tested it. It is cast iron, but very good quality. It weighs in at 160 lbs, has some edge chipping but a clean smooth face. The rebound is quite good, 80-90% which is surprising. I don't usually buy cast iron anvils but acquired this for 0.75c/lb as it is unusual. I googled the name, sure enough Branch & Crooks produced the "Finest cast steel saw blades". They apparently produced the saw anvils too. It was difficult to get a decent pic of the name but got a few. Anyone else seen one of these?

Columbian anvils are made from cast tool steel exactly like Soderfors, they are a one piece anvil thus no face plate. I own a number of them and have used them a lot, they are excellent anvils. In my opinion they are amoung the finest quality anvils out there, they are extremly tough and durable but like any anvil with abuse they will chip. You will have many years of service from it! enjoy.

Hi Basher, I would think about welding the horn with 7014 or 7018 to add metal and reshape. Both weld well to wrought iron and both are good for build up. I have repaired horns with both and had great results. I have an anvil that size and trying to manipulate it could be tricky, I think if you do I would have a 4 person crew! What ever you decide, great anvil and best of luck! Keep us posted!

Hi Stove, Just a follow up , my Columbian anvil that is marked with an R weighs in at 325 pounds maybe a little more. It was 30 degrees below zero yesterday so I didn't waste much time measuring but it is roughly 34 inches long. As mentioned above I would see what else you can get in the deal if he's closing the shop you may get other tools or materials. Of course the piston would be great to have too! I've been a picker and scrounger all my life and have seen huge pistons mostly around shipyards also railroad shops, never brought one home probably should have tho. Like a picker friend told me "I never regret the things I buy, just the things I didn't"! Good luck! Keep us posted

Hi Stoker, what you have looks to be a columbian anvil, cast steel anvil made by the columbian hardware co. The letter R raised in relief denotes the size. They used an alphabetical letter instead of weight in LB. It is always on that side to indicate the size, for instance 100 LB anvils are always denoted with an M, they never put wieght stampings. The other side of the anvil, with you're right hand on the horn usually has an inverted triangle with a C inside, though sometimes it is absent dut to wear or worn foundry mold. Very high quality anvil! I own quite a few Columbian anvils from 35 to 400 LBS all are marked with markings as I described. If it were Arm& Hammer it will have an oval shaped depression on the bottom of the anvil and a serial number on the front foot, I also own quite a few A &H anvils very high quality. I don't know the market in you're area but due to the fine condition 2-3$/ pound wouldn't be out of line but if you can get it for less so much the better! I would check rebound & ring... Good Luck! Hope this helps

Well, in Northern Wisconsin it was bitter cold well below zero with high winds. I spent a miserable cold afternoon kneeling in the snow working on a tractor, mine this time. Had two dead batteries, I load tested 'em, completly dead, time for new ones but after 14 years they don't owe me anything. Took a while to warm up once I finally came in at dusk, I think I'll wait til the end of the week to put it back together, by that time my neighbor farmer will have something broke down too so I can spend another miserable day freezing my hands working on his too. Some things never change.

Hi Frog, you're folks are practically my neighbors. I own a farm on CTY F not far from the flowage.

Up here in northern Wisconsin it was -30f this morning at noon it is -12F, yesterday -34F with a high of -21F. It has been mostly below zero since November 20th here and all of us that heat with wood have burned about twice as much wood as normal. I don't even waste my time in the shop when the high temp is below zero, though I was welding some broken equipment for my neighbor farmer yesterday miserable conditions for welding. I've lived in this climate my whole life, Maine, then 25 years in Alaska now here, I just put on my coveralls and put my head down and work. I used to work some on commercial boats in Maine and Alaska, to me that is the coldest on the deck of a boat in the wind and spray.

Here are two more modern anvils, not sure of the date as neither is marked with a date, but judging by the style I would think they are later in the production. First two pics are an unmarked 120 LB, only mark is the 12 on the foot for the weight. Second two pics are a 100 LB has a eagle on the side, a 1 on the foot for weight and a raised 5 under the horn. Not sure of dates of manufacture of either. Hope this is of some help. Have a happy productive new year!

Thank you for the date information! Before the year ends I'll try to post a few pics of a couple of 20th century Fishers I don't know what year they are from either

Well I got a puppy. Long story short my favorite dog who is my avatar died after a two year battle with degenerative myelopathy this spring. I was quite upset. I guess my Vet loves us cause she took in a 9 month old puppy who was hit by a car and set to be euthanized. They reconstructed his shoulder then gave him to me! He is a lovely dog and loves to be in the shop! He gets on well with my other three so never a dull moment and he brings me great joy.

Here is a very early 50 LB anvil I picked from an old barn years ago, I would guess this dates from the first years of production. No Fisher name but an Eagle raised in relief in a circle. On the front under the horn is a raised 5

Good advice from everyone, I have repaired a number of anvils all of them were in rough shape. It takes a lot of time and money. That anvil looks fine the way it sits, I would start forging on it! I would never recommend milling the face down as the face plate will be thinner, less rebound ect. Hopefully you can convince your friend to just be happy with it the way it is! Good luck

Hey Black Frog, I could not get a decent photo, the logo was stamped in cold so it is faint, also one half is easy to see the other almost nonexistant as if the stamp was not struck square. Sorry, perhaps if I get some help to lay it on its side (it is on a stand) and try flour it may show. Between installing the diesel injection pump on one of my tractors and some other chores I did wire brush it a bit the logo says from the top, Simmons Hwd co Keen Kutter Blackjack, fully warrenteed, EC Simmons CO also the Keen and Kutter has a fancy crown shape around it. As noted they were a big business and had their logo put on many items I have some other tools with the logo used to have a padlock but sold it. The Keen Kutter logo does indeed increase the collector value just like Winchester marked items. If you ever come up this far north get in touch you can see it in person along with lots of other stuff!

As noted the Keen Kutter logo made it's way onto many items. I own a beautiful 250 LB Trenton anvil with the identical Keen Kutter logo stamped in place of the standard Trenton logo.