I know, it still amazes me. And if people are willing to pay that, why not?

Well it's not my anvil but I wouldn't want to start a new topic for a potentially a stupid question. I'm on vacation and there is little bar called Old Forge (closed at the moment, it is still out of season), there is an anvil for decoration. I thought that the holes for moving the anvil mean that it is a forged anvil and the absence of the holes that it is cast. Now this anvil has legs that look cast but also has holes. What am I missing?

Handling holes in anvils were used to grind the face against BIG grinding wheels too. 

Frosty The Lucky.

And there it is. Thanks Frosty. Now it seems obvious. 

Meet Haelga. I got this PW about 3 years ago, found her in flea market outside of Conway, AR called "Rusty Gold Antiques" (they've had others in recent years). She's about 160# once you acount for metal loss and sits on a few spruce 2x6s that were the cutoffs from floor joists of my parents house. If anyone asks yes she has been to the mill for her face was marred and scarred from the abuse she has suffered. She has may holes from likely drill bit testing on her face, but she sings beautiful and works hard nowadays.

Welcome aboard Caststeel, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you'll have a much better chance of getting together with members living within visiting distance.

Do the drill marks show chatter or are they reasonably smooth? Have you run a sharp file across the face to check for hardness? A drill bit being able to cut an anvil face makes me suspect it's been through a fire and run the temper out of the face. 

She's a beauty though, looks to be in pretty decent condition. What do you have for a forge, tools, equipment, etc.? What are you planning on making?

Frosty The Lucky.

On 1/27/2024 at 3:43 AM, Frosty said:

Lifting it is easy. Find something that'll support more than you think it ways, say 500-600lbs. A sawhorse directly over one set of legs should do nicely. Make a sling around horn and heel that loops over a 2x4 on edge. With the horse say 2' from the anvil and say 6' on the other side you can lift it like it weighs nada.

@Frosty

Friend, I have read this several times and I am having trouble visualizing your description.  Can you possibly reword this a touch and maybe I can grasp it.  because it sounds like a terrific approach... if I can figure it out... LOL.   

"The sawhorse directly over one set of legs."  A sawhorse with 4 legs and placed over or to the side of the anvil? Won't this tip over?

English is a tough language with all its nuances. 

thanks in advanced.

I thought I would share my 121 lb Hay Budden - Sadly I'm parting with her, I have already more anvils than I need. 

 

 

Hey,  in todays market it might be a good move to pass it along. 

Your journey has been pretty amazing and have done such a great job at setting up your shop.. 

I still have my first real anvil HB 175lb and have had it nearly 40 yrs.. 

Jennifer, 

I recently picked up a later 180 ish lb Hat Budden with a very rough face- but it’s hardy hole matches the size of most of my hardy tools (they were a gift from a downsizing friend)

I will post a picture once I clean up my shop- I recently got into ceramics and haven’t forged since Christmas…

my first “real” anvil I moved inside next to the fireplace- 75lb London pattern, pre- 1860s with a retrofitted Pritchel on the cutting table. It’s a beautiful little anvil, the face is almost worn through on the sweet spot.

the 121lb I traded a 300ish lb Austrian anvil for- found I didn’t use it that much. I try and cap my anvil limit so I don’t get accused of hoarding!

AAAmax: Please don't use the  @  tag it messes with Iforgeiron's operating system and the mods have to repair what it does. 

Will you post more of what I said please, I don't know what I was talking about more than using a lever. I don't know why I was describing something specific. I was probably trying to illustrate the basics of figuring how much lever to use in a shop situation.

The saw horse was just an example of an expedient fulcrum and where to put the lever so as it won't break the sawhorse or tip over. It was just an example.

The basics of leverage is a straight force multiplier. Work side of the lever, fulcrum (pivot point) and input side. a 60cm work side and 180cm input side = a 3:1 lever. For 1kg on the input side the work side will lift 3kg. The travel distance is reversed. The input side moves 180cm for every 60cm the work side moves. 

A good way to experiment is with a ruler or meter stick and known weights. 

Frosty The Lucky.

 

here’s my new indoor anvil- graduated from a life of hard work, much too hard for it’s tiny weight class.

Can't recall seeing a bridge anvil, ever. Not mine, just popped up today on a forum I frequent.

1000 LB Bridge Anvil?

 

Hi, people!

This is my new anvil. North german pattern, 214 kg. No weight marks, only G. R. Have you any ideas, about this anvil's Maker?

Thanks! 

Maybe Gustav Refflinghaus?

Hello,

Gustav Refflinghaus is correct!

Cheers!

Thanks for the answer! Cleaned it and installed it.

She's a beauty Voldemar and looks right at home. 

Frosty The Lucky.

5 minutes ago, Frosty said:

Она красавица, Вольдемар, и выглядит здесь как дома. 

Фрости Счастливчик.

Thank you. I'm glad! I will write a post about the oil forge a little later. It is not quite ready yet, it has not been fully tested.

On 17.03.2024 at 12:21, Julianb said:

 можешь выложить фото клейма и даты производителя? Это было бы здорово!

 

The maker's mark and date are barely visible. With my eye I see that this is definitely S&H, 18-0. But it is very difficult to photograph.

I look forward to reading about your oil forge and looking at the pictures. 

Frosty The Lucky.

I picked up this beauty yesterday.  PFPeddinghaus 119lbs.  Looks to be the factory paint on it still. 

cleaned up really nice.  

Yes it did ya done good.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.~ Semper Paratus

I was speaking to my uncle yesterday about the post vice he is going to pass on to me that was my grandfathers. After that conversation he mentioned that he gave my grandfathers 195kg  ( approx 430lbs) anvil to my brother in-law!! I nearly fell over and asked WHY????

He said my brother in law wanted it for his shed because it would look good!

So my mission now is to get it back. At least it's still in the family. No money exchange hands for it so I will try and claim it otherwise I will buy a like for like and swap it as at the end of the day it's the sentimental value of it that I want.

I am heading to a blacksmith association tomorrow with my uncle so I can show him my interest  in blacksmithing and I will drill into him not to give anything else away as having any of my grandfathers tools means a lot to me.

My grandfather was an avid hunter and could do great things with metal. Unfortunately when he passed in 2007 all of his firearms were sold off so his tools are all that remains.

So hopefully in a few months I will be putting up a picture of the anvil and saying it's mine!

well, there`s an itch which that won`t go away...   

I hope you get it sorted with the brother in law.  Luckily most anvils will looks good in the shed.  

New anvil today.   126 lbs.   is there enough here to identify?     I’ll be cleaning it up tomorrow.      It’s on the top of my bench