Heliotropicmoth

Thanks Thomas, If I would have been interested in blacksmithing a couple years ago, I know the previous owner would have given it to me, just to see it go to good use. You know I have been walking by that anvil for over 7 years and never really saw it there. If she gives it to me I will hand her a $100 and clean her over flowing gutters, which I plan on doing no matter what happens.

Thanks for the info. If I get it I will just take a wire wheel to it, I assume in an angle grinder? Has anyone ever tried using electrolysis to remove the rust? Anyone have a estimate of a good offer on this anvil if they want to sell it? $1 a pound - $3 a pound?

Thanks Biggundoctor, So the rust and chips are not a concern? I assume I can clean it up pretty easily and the amount of chips are minimal. Let me re-phrase what I said earlier. I will most likely get it for free, but I want to give Dorothy (the widow) something for it. She needs a lot of work done around the house so I was planning on offering my services, gutters, painting, potholes etc... If she doesn't want the help or the kids ask for cash, what would be a reasonable offer?

Okay so a little back story on this anvil. This is sitting in the yard of my father in laws recently deceased best friends property. His widow, who is 90 and still sharp as a razor, doesn't care if I take it. But, she said it is up to her children what to do with it. I am still waiting to hear back from them. Even if they want to keep it for some reason I will try to convince them to shelter it out of the elements. There is a good chance I will get it for free though. So here are the pics I took on Saturday. I forgot my ball bearings, we were really there for a family visit, so I did not have a chance to test the tone or rebound. Any idea what anvil this is? Is it salvageable? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Thanks for the info. I understand you never want to strike the anvil face with a hammer, just drop it from a specific height and see the rebound. From what I have read, 1/3 of the distance seems like a good rebound. I plan on doing that but I also read you can test the rebound with a steel ball bearing. Any advantage to one over the other or should I do both? I will bring my piece of Oak with me to set the anvil up on, in case it is laying on the ground.

Okay, so I asked around and my father-in-laws, best friends widow has an "old large anvil" in the garage. I am going to look at it Saturday. I plan on checking the thickness of the face, checking the manufacturer, looking for any repairs or cracks and taking a hammer to listen to the sound, am I missing something important? Any advice on what a good sound is? I have watched a few video's and have heard what I think is a good sound, but not sure because of the audio quality. Does the mount have anything to do with the sound? Not sure if the anvil is mounted still or just laying on the concrete. Does it matter much if it is sitting on the concrete? Should I bring some wood to sit it on? I have a nice piece of oak I could bring. Thanks, Patrick

Thanks, I did a search for TPAAAT and all I can find is people talking about how they used TPAAAT to find their anvils. Forgive me, but I must be missing something. Is there an original article people area referencing?

Thanks for the info. I have to say, the tone I am receiving from this forum is not very welcoming. I assumed a young enthusiastic person interested in getting started with blacksmithing would be welcomed and encouraged, not talked down to like a child. You guys have great information, maybe don't start off by putting people down for lacking the wealth of knowledge you have accumulated over the years. No one has the time to read through years of forum threads to find simple answers. Maybe put a pinned thread with basic information at the top of each topic so people don't ask the same questions over and over again. That said, I appreciate the knowledge. I have thick skin, so I am not going anywhere unless you can't take constructive criticism. Other enthusiastic people may be put off and lose interest with your chosen teaching methods. Going to update my profile, unless you guys would rather I just leave. Thanks, Patrick

Thanks for the info. I assumed you knew I meant HCS when I said carbon steel. I guess this is the field you need to be very specific when using terms for steel. So a good anvil has a HCS hitting surface welded onto a cast iron body, is that correct? The thickness of the HCS varies and I assume you want a thicker HCS hitting surface or face? I have a side business on Craigslist so I am used to driving all over the tri-state area picking things up. I will expand my search for those brands. I am on the SOFA website now, thanks for the info. I will try to get with some local guys and learn some more.

Thanks Thomas, I am in SW Ohio. Cincinnati / Dayton area. The Vulcan has sold so I can't link, doesn't matter. I take from your answer that some anvils are carbon and some aren't. Are there any manufacturers that I should be keeping an eye out for? Newbie here, what does ASO stand for? I guess my next step other than asking questions here and learning what I can from reading is to get with a local smith and ask for help. Preferably before I make a mistake with my wallet. Do you know of any resources for finding local smiths willing to mentor a noob? Thanks,Patrick

Hello, I have been interested in black smithing for some time. I plan on putting together a shop soon. From what I have read here all anvils are not equal. What should I be looking for when searching around for mine? I have seen a bunch on Craigslist but don't really know what is a good deal and what is overpriced. Should I only be looking for carbon steel, are all anvils some percent carbon steel? Is there an easy way to tell, by manufacturer maybe. Should I start with a railroad anvil, I can get a 18" one for $50 on CL. Is that a good deal? A guy is selling a Vulcan for $170 near me, I have read they are bottom rung though. Would that be a good entry level anvil? Another guy is selling all of these for $275 . Hotlink to craigslist removed Would it be worth keeping the large one and selling the others? Total noob here, just need some info so I don't start off making a mistake. Thanks, Patrick Craigslist link removed because IFI does not get any funds from the sale of said item for advertising here