Cufflink

Smithy's one and all, thanks again for all of your feedback, so far I've decided I'm not going to enamel paint her and will be looking to keep her current colouring / finish as close as possible, to this end, I think boiled linseed oil + something is likely where I'll end up, but still have some more homework to do (thank you all). Quint, great to hear there's another Sodofors fan, I'll be leaving before mine goes and only then, it'll go to my son. Njanvilman, found some boiled linseed oil at the big boys toy shop on the weekend, now I just need to decide what to mix it with (once I've done the below homework). Dan C, thanks for this, I'll be following both the youtube and other forum link up over the next couple of days . . . will probably take that long just to work through the alchemy, etc forum (interesting stuff though)! Arkie, thanks for the mix and the heating guidelines ;o) once I've worked through the alchemy forum, I'll make a call on what I'm going to apply. Humphreymachine, thanks for this, certainly don't want to end up with a creamy effect, but will see if anyone in the alchemy forum has done the test. Frosty, sounds like an interesting mix, although I'd like to skip the lamp black (as above), but will see what it adds / detracts to the formula when I work through the alchemy forum. Certainly the beeswax sounds a little untested / mixed results, so will probably not be the forum guinea pig with this anvil. The LPS-3 and treewax sound interesting, the former being a little fool proof as well which is always a good thing for me! All of this is tremendously helpful thank you, things I'll be looking for in the alchemy forum will be matt finish with little / no colour change and a level of weather protection equal to or better than it's had (engine oil rub down about once per year or so). Still digging around for the history, will keep you posted - found out my dad bought it from a bloke who had 2 or 3 in the factory next to his office some 40 odd years ago and sold it to him very cheaply at the time . . . and then apparently almost immediately regretted selling it to him. It was this guy that said they commonly came to AUS as ship ballast, but don't know more than that . . . for now. Thanks again to you all.

Amazing forum, a credit to you all, obviously a great kinship amongst you all. Thank you all for the feedback, njanvilman, REALLY appreciate the heads up on the BLO, guessing it could have gotten a little messy with me trying to boil up some normal linseed oil and given I live in a 100 yr old wooden house, think I might control the ignition and burn the wool / rags myself where I want and when I'm ready, can't afford an accident like that! Steve Sells, I am very sorry, truly, but whilst I'm living in surburbia in the above said wooden house, it's the best I can offer the old girl for the next few years. Hopefully I'll retire early, get that place in the country near a beach that I've been dreaming about and have a great big old shed to tool around in . . . I could build that hot rod I've always wanted too! Humphreymachine, great, that's what I needed to know, it's just the sandy type rust your refering to that I want to tidy up and I appreciate the mix ratio detail too. Got a trip planned to the big boys toy shop (hardware shop) for this weekend already, so will add to the list. On the side note re the wooden shovel handles, doesn't this present a similar ignition risk to the rags and wool? I recently gave my wooden shovels a rub down with some normal engine oil and seems to have done the trick. Notownkid, appreciate the advice, I've got a few bits and pieces specified in the current will, I'll add the anvil and specific instructions accordingly. Dan C, as you know, I'm well out of my depth in this forum, but I use beeswax on some old rustic wooden furniture I have in the house which is great, but wouldn't this make the anvil "sweat" and rust more? Don't know if metal sweats, but hopefully you lot my know what I mean! Thanks again to you all, really appreciate all of the feedback.

Thanks VaughnT, we're not all that scary, mind you the croc's are one thing, but the sharks seem to be picking off a few of the surfers at the moment, must be the time of year. Humphreymachine, I really like that idea, although I was prepared to paint her if that's what was best, I'd much prefer to retain her natural beauty if possible and your approach sounds perfect. Pardon my ignorance, but when you say "boiled linseed oil", do I buy it like that or boil it up myself? Also, would using steel wool to apply it be better / worse? I don't want it to be sparkling, with the loose surface rust just tidied up and preserved. Still struggling to find uot more about Soderfors, anyone got some good pointers, other forums, other links / books you can steer me towards? Many thanks all.

Black Frog / Dan C - you make me laugh, reckon I can feel the viking blood serging through your veins from here!

Whoops, looks like I did something wrong and my previous post I tried to submit appears to have disappeared into the ether? went something like: Thank you all for your feedback, reading your posts makes me realise that there must be something in the "Smithy" about you all that makes me think you'd all be considered "good blokes / mates", here in AUS, not sure if it's your turn of phrase, or maybe your all a little rough around the edges like most of us Aussies! jmccustomknives, thanks for giving me a date range to play with that's great . . . also appreciate the swap offer, but even if you lived next door I wouldn't swp . . . although I'd probably take up Smithying! I appreciate that it apparently has a meterial value, but it's not for sale at any price, another one (or two smaller ones, or a cheaper beaten up one - thanks fatfudd) just wouldn't have the same pull for me that this one seems to. As much as I understand it's a sin to not use it as intended, I hope you all realise that I truly love this anvil, both for its sentimental value and also for the weird calm, steady presence that it seems to exude. I think it's got an amazing artistic beauty to it, whilst quitely offering out a strange inner energy I just can't quite put my finger on. Hopefully my respect for the "grand lady" (thanks Frosty) will earn me some sort of Smithy Kudos or respect with you all and that you'll be comforted to know I'll look after it so that maybe my son (or his) might use it in the future. I'll look at putting some enamel paint on it thank you njanvilman, although I noted in one forum somewhere that a Smithy hated painted anvils almost as much as he hated sandblasted anvils. This ones been in a garden for at least 40 years that I know of (as is) who knows where / what conditions prior to that, so really want to make sure I don't mess with it any more than necessary to look after it . . . including bolting / cementing / bracketing or whatever to the ground - without ruining it (thanks Frosty). Black Frog - geeze, you're all going to guilt me into Smithying at this rate . . . and then I be sure to ruin her! Really appreciate the feedback so far everyone, thank you very much.

Thanks postleg, it's going to be a challenge to get it into the backyard, I'd hope I'd notice someone coming in trying to reverse the process. I'm also hoping that out of their sight, out of their mind might also help. Will keep my eye out for other feedback, I'm keen to make sure that I don't wreck it and am guessing that the engine oil clean up shouldn't do more damage than good to it. From what I've seen on various web sites, it certainly seems to be on the larger side of the scale, but not sure what it's made of or how it was made. Not qualified to do the "hit it with a hammer test", but read somewhere about someone dropping a 1 inch steal ball on the top, might see if I can find a nice big ball bearing to try same and see what bounce back I get. Obviously doesn't matter too much if I'm not going to work it, but still good to know what it's all about!

G'day forum, please accept my apologies for jumping straight in, but in trying to research my anvil, your site kept coming up, so figured you're the people in the know! Short story - my dad bought this anvil years ago, part of the story as I know it was that it came to Australia as balast in a boat (not uncommon apparently), I don't know which boat or when, I'll lean on my dad some more for this information . . . as well as how he came to owning it! Either way, there downsizing and I'm about to look after the anvil. I love this anvil, it's only ever lived in the garden of the family home and will continue this lifestyle in my garden (sorry to you true hammer swingers). It's the passion for the anvil that's brought me to your site, I'd like to know more about this "Soderfos Bruk" anvil, made in Falun Sweeden and weighing 562 Lbs. Having done a little homework, I now realise I need to get a better picture of the stamping to the left of ths "SODERFERS" as this may help identify a bit more about this anvil. I'm guessing from other posts that it may have a top welded on it? and that may be steel? and the rest may be cast something? Happy to be pointed this way and that on the internet, just finidng it difficult to find out about the company and anvils of this size. Attached some pictures, sorry about the thumb in one, this is how it sits at my dads place, I'm intending to hit it with some engine oil? when it gets to my place to spruce it up a little and get rid of the bird poo, but didn't want to do too much to it as to ruin the patina or the authenticity of it. Any help greatly appreciated.