Mount'neer

Thanks for the advice Steve. The collar mold makes sense, and I'll use your idea to create a uniformity that wouldn't have been there otherwise. Thanks again!

I know there's been plenty of discussion here and elsewhere about whether to clay or not, and I'm in for a snowy weekend which could be perfect for such an indoor project if I can determine it's right for my portable forge. This forge will remain indoors so the exposure to excessive moisture should not be an issue. As you can see in the attached pic it has no fire pot to speak of, and did not come with a grate over the tuyere so I fashioned one out of a floor drain cover. If claying is deemed proper, should I clay the grate in place on the forge surface or raise it slightly to insulate the opening? I reckon the raising of it may not make enough difference to justify going to the trouble, or perhaps increase the likelihood of the clay cracking by enveloping the grate's edge, i.e. less solidity of the clay(?). The thickness of the pan is about one-half inch. Thanks in advance for input from both pro- and anti- camps!

I hope that hopping in here is permissible, my question and situation is similar to Mike's. I've a small round forge w/Champion blower, 20 inches in diameter with what appears to be a consistent thickness of about one-half inch; no "fire pot" if I understand the term correctly. It is stamped with the clay before using instruction. I'm figuring I need to clay it to be on the safe side; at a half-inch thick would y'all concur?

Well yeehaw and thanks for all the encouragement; that's what I was indirectly fishing for. I think you fellows might be worthy contributors to psychotherapy forums also!;)

Thank you much Thomas for your reply. I've got a lot to learn and mainly was hoping to determine if my purchase was a "solid" one. The only line I've detected is a concave one about four inches below the face, perhaps a half inch wide and an eighth-inch at its deepest. Perhaps with enough time and research I'll have a good grip on this anvil's construction and past. Thanks again!

I'm so, so grateful for this forum, it has already proven quite helpful on another page. I've yet another question for the sages here- last week I acquired a 136 pound (as marked) M&H Mousehole, after months of frustrating searching for an anvil I was comfortable with buying. Always good at second-guessing my decisions in areas where experience and knowledge are limited, I got to wondering about whether I done good or not. On to details- anvil was stamped at some stage of its life with a "130", and was advertised as weighing such. When I got it home and put it on a scale I believe to be accurate it read 127 pounds, nine pounds below its hundredweight markings. I was told on another page that anvils actually lose weight with time and wondered if such weight loss was observed by others; paranoia got the best of me and I got to worrying if some of this was material removed off the face to make it "presentable". The face shows usage which appears in the attached images and the wire wheel cleaning done to the surface. In the center of the last image running left to right there appears to be what could be a small crack- a stress fracture for concern? On the plus side the left edge of the face is quite clean, like most anvils I've found. The ring of the anvil is consistent across the face, and the rebound seems to be excellent to this untrained hand- letting my wrist go limp and allowing the hammer head to drop from a height of about eight inches, it will bounce to a height of about six inches, then bounce a few more times before coming to a complete rest. Lastly, how did the Mousehole folks provide a hardened face? Was the top portion of the anvil forged steel as mentioned on the current Hay-budden post or some similar process? Oh yeah, the ten dollar question: $275. Much thanks in advance for any advice/input! Imageshack - 101909anvil006 Imageshack - 101909anvil007 Imageshack - 101909anvil010

In that case I'll just say thanks for offer but hang onto your pennies. Myth or not, I'm sure I'll be plenty annoyed at forge-welding and many other practices til I get some kind of handle on what I'm doing!

Thank you AGAIN for your insights on the vise. I didn't know that anvils (can we classify anvils under "Tools" for the moment?) lose weight with time, most interesting. I can imagine them getting smaller from compressing blows and such. I got to worrying about it once weighing 136 pounds, then 130 when someone stamped that figure into it, and now 127 on my bathroom scale, as in someone doing nine pounds of cosmetic dressing to the face; now wouldn't that stink? Regardless, I'll likely be posting a couple of images and questions rising from paranoia on the anvil forum over the weekend. Mr. UnicornForge, per your suggestion I did some updating at the CP, and would love to get up your way. Hmmm... a penny in the fire, that's not sounding like a gesture of goodwill. Is that a blacksmith's version of terrorism, a smithy-leveling reaction to coinage meeting extreme heat, or just a less serious form of "gotcha"?

Gentlemen, Thank you much for your insights. I went back and examined the vise based on your input, and considered it to be in good shape. While I was talking to the owner someone else came up asking about the price and was told $85; the price had increased slightly overnight. The inquirer replied that that was a good price as he had paid more than that for his. At that point I balked, then walked. I kept the seller's contact information and may yet make him an offer. My reason for going to this antique show was to search for an anvil, and saw nary a one. When I saw the vise I knew this was a tool I lacked but would end up needing. I need to fess up here and now that I am a complete greenhorn in the area for which this forum exists, having had a small forge with a Champion blower for perhaps ten years and nothing more. In recent months I decided it was time to jump in, and in that time have been diligently seeking an anvil. That has been a most frustrating venture, until yesterday when I found an M&H Armitage Mouse Hole that met my minimally educated standards. It is stamped 1.0.24 (136 pounds, I reckon?), if someone during its lifetime stamped "130" on it, and my bathroom scale is telling me it weighs 127 pounds. At a firm price of $275 I may have payed too much, but I am comfortable with the decision and even excited. I apologize for my wordiness here but I guess this serves as some kind of introduction; I do expect to be hanging out on this forum and likely coming up with all sorts of questions. I appreciate the timely and helpful responses here, and these serve as another example of a great and unexpected benefit in getting into "smiting": there seems to be a lot of great folks involved, my kinda people. Mount'neer WestERN (make that Afton) Virginny

Initial howdy-do here, I've come across a post vise at an antique show, and while aged it appears to be in good shape and not abused. I'm a green as they come to your hobby/art/profession; I've had a small forge for some years and was actually seeking out an anvil when I found this vise. The seller wants $80, does this sound reasonable and is there anything else in particular I need to be aware of before jumping in? Thanks and love this site! Mount'neer WestERN Virginny