Another nice score today on Kijiji today.

I just picked up a 100lb Mousehole for $1.80/lb - not a bad deal. I'll post pictures soon.
The guy had painted it black but the inspection was very good - the paint layer was thin.
Good solid sound, no obvious grinding marks that could have come from a weld job, some small chipping on the edges.
I think it was a great score - I've always wanted a Mousehole .

I want to expand my re-enactment rig into a teaching rig - I want 2, 70-100lb anvils for 2 work stations so I could accomodate up to 4 people at once.
One down ... one to go.

I think this has been a good day.

Here are the photos of the mousehole I picked up yesterday.
The weight stamp is 0.3.15 which makes it out to 99lbs.
Now I need to get a knotted wire cup and get that paint off.
Sam

Well - it has been a while since I posted, and I guess I have the same 'busy' excuses as most others do - life in general gets in the way, doesn't it? But anyway - here is my most recent anvil purchase, a 340lb Peter Wright, currently sitting in Adelaide and patiently waiting for me to drive over on the Queens Birthday long weekend and collect.

Well I picked up this little guy in Lawrence, KS at a swap meet. The guy was asking 200 for it but we finally settled on 165. I could make out a 1 and a 2 but not the third number but it weights 125 on the scale I have so give or take a few pounds its around that ball park. All and all I was excited to get this guy for around 1.32 a pound. One side of the anvil's edge is worn away pretty good but the other side is has a nice edge to it, it has a good loud ring and almost throws the hammer back at me from the rebound. It did come on a metal stand but its a bit too tall for me so my Dad and I made a new one out of wood. The new stand seems to soften the ring a bit and is a lot more solid. I can make out a few of the numbers on it, not sure what the 45 is on the side but can make out the 168976 id number on the bottom. I think that puts it around 1909 or 1910, if one of the anvil lore keepers on the site have more info on it I would love any information you have. Its amazing to me to think of all the people / jobs that this anvil has seen over the last 100 years, just the fact that its 100 years old blows me away. The stand we built out of some 2x6's and 2x4's. We offset each run of three so they would inter-lock. Put them together with some liquid nails and real nails. Then when the block was done we drilled 4 holes and put 4 pieces of all thread through it and tightened it down. Then traced out the outline of the bottom of the anvil and routered out that on the top using the template and then did the same for all the inside mass. I wasn't for sure if that was the easiest way but it worked pretty slick and went fast. Capped it off with a piece of sheet metal and I am pretty happy with the way it works / looks. As you can see in the last picture I put a piece of hose on the tip, got tired of "poking" my side with the horn building the stand.

Yes 1909. Great find. It has a solid tool steel top not just a plate. I have a 142 lber same vintage It's my favorite enjoy.
Ken.

Great find there Topher and I particularly like the laminated and routed timber stand.

Might try that routing out idea for my next timber block.

Cliff

Are there any numbers on the front of the foot? The location (left or right side of the foot) and nature of these numbers can help differentiate between the manufacturers. As well, what does the underside of the base look like?

The numbers are 125 then an A on its left side then A75648.

The numbers are 125 then an A on its left side then A75648.

That sounds like a Trenton to me.

Uhh Sask if you are referring to the most recent one: the first picture of the anvil has Hay-Budden stamped on it quite clearly this would indicate to me that it is not a Trenton.

Uhh Sask if you are referring to the most recent one: the first picture of the anvil has Hay-Budden stamped on it quite clearly this would indicate to me that it is not a Trenton.

Nope, I was referring to the one in post #361. It was my reply to Don't Tread on Me's reply to my question of the features of his anvil when he was unsure if it was a Trenton or HB.

Thanks Sask Mark.

Nope, I was referring to the one in post #361. It was my reply to Don't Tread on Me's reply to my question of the features of his anvil when he was unsure if it was a Trenton or HB.

Anvils in America give a manufacture date of 1908 for that serial number.

That sounds like a Trenton to me.

Do you know what the weight would be, I am not serten on the weight.

Do you know what the weight would be, I am not serten on the weight.

The 125 stamped on the foot would be the weight in pounds.

If anyone near by feels they need to give away a "london pattern" anvil then I'm in the market for one. As I've stated before my anvil is a RR car coupling knuckle. I'm willing to drive a ways to pick it up if needed, how much would it cost to ship one? anyway.... nice setups guys.

i'll try and get some pics of my set up today.

Here is my anvil. I have a piece of chain I stretch through the holes that run through it to dampen the ring a bit. under this is just a pine stump from a tree that got struck by lightning at my grandparents place. Ill be posting pics of my forge and a knife I'm working on in other threads

Edge what is the weight on that thing?

Edge what is the weight on that thing?

though i've never weighed it, it feels like around 80 to 100 pounds. I found two of them near the rr tracks. er um I mean they fell off the back of a truck. lol.

though i've never weighed it, it feels like around 80 to 100 pounds. I found two of them near the rr tracks. er um I mean they fell off the back of a truck. lol.

Well how ever it fell into your lap that looks like it makes a very useful anvil lots of angles and bends to form work over and enough flat surface to move steel on. I like it. :D

I used a RR coupler for an anvil for my "under $25 Forging set-up". Worked great, much better than a cast iron ASO!

Here's a scrap yard find, "Little Bubba". 25# for $5 ... 5/8 plate. Some one did a quick weld up with some scrap plate looks like. That's a 2# pein laying next to it.

The mushroom shaped object has letters spelling out "Wilson" cast into it ... found item that someone said is actually a plug for pipe ... ought to work welded onto a piece pipe with mushroomed part toward the hole and stem facing up ... it weighs 36# ... all kinda anvil thingy's out there if you looking hard enough :lol:

I actually have, or should i say had two of those couplers. my cousin came today and snagged my spare one. He needed as he put it something to beat on. so instead of letting it rust away, I gave it to him. Now to find something to call an anvil for my portable rig. If I ever get around to puting it together.

My 204 lbs Peter Wright anvil, and my first homemade anvil (which works very well for its small purposes), a piece of 4140 welded to a railroad rail.

My son Joshs workstation in my forge

400 lb peter wright

Just thought you might like to hear my Peter Wright story. I found a 514lb Peter Wright on craigs list a few weeks ago for $725 and $189 for freight.I think I got a great deal!! But I called the person right away and secured getting the anvil ,When you find a large one like this you had better jump on it right away because they are not plentiful and will more than likely go quick. I am very thankfull for the anvil.This makes my tenth anvil my other largest one is a JHM Competitor 260lbs I liked it alot but wanted a antique larger one and now I have one .I really like your Peter Wright it looks like it has been taken care of and not abused as mine is. I think Peter Wrights are one of the best anvils that were made and that one can own Thanks,Shawn

I just picked up these two today from an elderly gentleman:

A 1899 110 pound Trenton with the name stamped upside down:




A 1925 Soderfors weighing 135 pounds.