FoxFire

Nope, my name is Rylan but for $50 I can be whomever you want me to be...

The 105 stamped in to the side tells you that it is a 3rd gen Hay Budden which means that it is a later 2 piece construction. Hay only did these stampings on their 2 piece anvils. It's a great anvil and I personally really like the horns on these guys.

NO worries, I'll live...There's nothing wrong with Fishers other than I don't care for them. My buddy had a very clean Fisher in his shop that was "my" anvil and I just never cared for it. I eventually convinced him to sell it when I brought over the 315lb Peter I had just bought. It was one of the Fishers with the overhanging face which I found obnoxious when cleaning/truing up 90* bends. I also found the ovalish shape of the horn less than ideal for what I tend to do and not all Fishers have this "issue" but the 2 I've worked (both of the same era) on did. Lastly, (and this says more about me than anything) the sound and feel of the anvil just didn't do anything for me. It just felt like a lump of metal to me. I can't stand a free ringing anvil but I do like a little ring so I don't feel like I'm talking to myself. I've owned 4-6 HB's and used a few more and they all were very cleanly forged anvils that have held up very well over the years. Maybe I've just been lucky but, you hardly read about someone hating their HB (for what it's worth). Honestly though just looking at my HB almost brings me as much joy as using it does. In other words, I think they are sexy well made tools which I find inspiring. In the end, there are a few concrete things about Fisher anvils that I do not like and most of what I like about Hay Budden anvils is personal. Some weirdo kids like Hot Wheels and the cool kids like me liked Matchbox...Hopefully some of this makes sense as I tend to overthink and loose my thoughts. Thank for the offer of food and drink but my budget would be blown just getting to you...

No offense meant to anyone but, the idea of selling a Hay to pay for a Fisher makes me physically sick to my stomach so I'll be throwing up the rest of tonight.

That is most certainly a Hay and it does look to the later 2 piece construction. The slender waist (with the almost straight sides under the horn and heel) and well defined base/feet are giveaways. There should be 3 numbers stamped in to the far side up by the start of the heel. Just realized that I was responding to jerryt's post in Emower's thread...

I love cutting the noses off of old sledges/hammers. I just trimmed down an ugly 6lb cross peen last week. It's only slightly less ugly now but it hits like a champ so yay me! I think most all my favorite hammers have around 1.5" in front of the eye and 2" behind. I think I ended up with 1.75" and 2.25" on the 6lb (now 5lb handled). Short noses and flat peens are musts for me.

I've got 3 blocks roughly the same size/weight and basically paid $300 each. They hardly show up out my way but when they do they seem to hang around for longer than they should which has been good for me... Nice block by the way!

I forgot to post, but after reading you question about filing or using a cut wheel I went out and tried the cut wheel on my 6" vise just for the heck of it and it worked well and quickly. I set the jaws so that they open slightly less than the thickness of the cut wheel and took a pass or 2 closing the the vise ever so slightly after each pass. It would be real easy to bind the wheel so if you go for it make sure you've got the guard on. I had at it with a file a while back when I mounted the vise and quickly stopped caring about them not being parallel. My jaws where out less than the thickness of the cut wheel so it only took a few seconds to get them more than close enough.

I don't think it's a Peter. The base isn't right, I don't see a handling hole in the foot, and the Pritchel hole is too close to the edge of the heel (unless the heel has bee shortened).

I believe that they would cut the screw thread on a lathe and braze the box thread...

For what it's worth and maybe you already know this but, early Peters did not have stepped feet and looked very much like every other anvil of the day...

Fisher

Fisher, that's my guess. The rust line on the horn, the feet, and overall proportions were bugging me until I saw the raised numbering. Does it ring or thud?

I just use mild steel unless I happen to have an old chisel at hand. If you slit or punch with an appropriate slitter or punch then the work load on the drift shouldn't be more than it can handle and cooling is a non issue.

Are you moving it because it can't stay where it is or to get it closer to the forge? Personally I wouldn't put it out in the weather. Drill presses and rust don't do well together...

I've come to the conclusion that hammer handles are simply, comfortable springs that connect users hand to the hammer head. I don't burn/char, wax, or sand beyond a quick wipe with 80 grit. I haven't found charring to do anything other than make it look better faster. Wax just makes it sticky and technically costs more than the oils my hand secretes for free. Finally, I like the grip I get leaving it mildly rough.

As far as I know, the 2 things about Brooks anvils that you don't see on other cast steel anvils are a pronounced step between the table and horn and a really thick heel.

For what it's worth, my Queens Dudley has a fairly pronounced ridge (comparable to the Mouse Hole that I used to have) so unless Mouse Hole made anvils for other companies I'm not sure it can be a smoking gun.

I recently moved my forge into my garage which had been my cabinet shop. There are 4 skylights in the main area which are nice until the sun starts to go down and I loose all color at my anvil. I don't forge for a living and so far the sun hasn't gotten stuck shining right on my anvil (which is nice) so I won't be making any curtains anytime soon, but it does make things interesting for a bit...

This might be a little bit closer/more affordable, http://www.newenglandblacksmiths.org/membership.htm

Are you setting the weld in front of the eye before you weld the bit steel?

If I remember what I've read correctly, Mouse Hole heavily stamped dots between the weight markers which I don't see on this anvil.

My guess, Columbian.

An eye drift doesn't have to be anything more than a tapered round punch of an appropriate size. For the last few hammers I made I just punch them round and then hammer the cheeks in flat which gives you a nice oval.

Looks like a forge weld line to me.