jlpservicesinc Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 I have an old stump from 1847 that is nearly as good as the day it was made.. It has burns around the base of the anvil but was made out of composite wood.. 6 hours ago, duckcreekforge said: Nice! It appears to be cast but I would not know. Are the slots like dovetails to wedge tools into temporarily? My finger is pointing to the weld line for the face.. Wrought iron with steel face.. nearly 3/4" thick.. there is about 1/8" or little more at the bottom of the dovetails.. Yes, exactly.. These tools were left in for the blades being made and they are quick to change out.. The wedging in of the tool also means that it is solidly mounted just like in a power hammer.. or any dovetail mounted items.. This uses a slim wedge to finish the tightening.. Anytime you use a swage with a shank you will find the item bounces around (welcome to the wonderful world of rebound)... LOL.. With this anvil and tooling it's all work.. Most cutlers anvils are Big.. 300lbs and up.. Also if you guys notice there are no feet... This is supposed to be sunk into a stump or work bench or cast iron holder fairly tightly, pretty much up to the bottom or the numerals.. The taper of the base then will lock the anvil into the stump as dirt, sand, and scale fall in between.. Thus acting as a wedge.. vibration will drive the dirt, dust in tightly.. Frosty: I came up with the same numbers.. I'm pretty happy with it.. 3 hours ago, blacksmith-450 said: New anvil in my shop ! 223# Nice but it looks to me like the person did a lot of fixing on that bad boy.. Looks like the heel was knocked off and someone added the tail piece.. Looks pretty good. . Have you filed tested the heel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 Frosty, I think this is the video you are thinking of. Albert Craven retired in Sheffield. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpeyhC-UIFg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 Great video.. Love it. thanks.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksmith-450 Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 48 minutes ago, jlpservicesinc said: Nice but it looks to me like the person did a lot of fixing on that bad boy.. Looks like the heel was knocked off and someone added the tail piece.. You're right ! Nice catch ! ... but not just the heel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 That is some serious build up.. What did you use for a cap rod on top of the wrought iron? V out to what material? Hardface after adding heel section.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevomiller Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 On 12/2/2018 at 12:21 PM, Ethan the blacksmith said: Here are some pictures of a new beautiful French “rhino piggy” I have recently acquired! 340 pounds Ethan that is a beauty! Love the fat horn and crowned face right behind it, you could move some serious meta there. Also, I’ve noticed a lot of old French anvils with much better condition faces and edges than contemporaries from other locals, including Germany and England. I can’t believe all the historic users were better hammermen than in other countries, I think they found a way to forge a better mousetrap (anvil). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 8 hours ago, Irondragon Forge & Clay said: Frosty, I think this is the video you are thinking of. Albert Craven retired in Sheffield. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpeyhC-UIFg Ayup, that's the one, thank you. Always a good watch. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Ethan the blacksmith - that is a mighty fine anvil.. I love, love, love having a crown to the face.. How do you like it so far? I don't know the reasoning behind dropping the tail like that.. I keep hoping someone can explain it to me.. Yeah, the point of the main face, got it.. But why not just keep it level with the rest of the face.. Really nice looking anvil.. 13 hours ago, stevomiller said: Also, I’ve noticed a lot of old French anvils with much better condition faces and edges than contemporaries from other locals, including Germany and England. I can’t believe all the historic users were better hammermen than in other countries, I think they found a way to forge a better mousetrap (anvil). I often think it might be the French work differently at their anvils.. I do agree from the samples I have seen they are worn the same between them all with the corners still being intact with little chipping.. hardeness of face? or the only other thing is they work differently.. I would love to see a historical time line of this style anvil.. Well really all anvils and MFG's especially in Europe and even into Russia, china and other areas that they made anvils.. Mouse hole started when? 18 hours ago, blacksmith-450 said: You're right ! Nice catch ! ... but not just the heel. Ok, so let me get this straight... You added a horn too? Were they both broken off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 14 minutes ago, jlpservicesinc said: Mouse hole started when? Mousehole Forge started as a lead smelting operation in 1628. Anvil manufacturing there started some time in the 18th century under the ownership of John Cockshutt. The Mousehole anvils we all know and love (aka The Undisputed King of Anvils) were mostly produced after the Armitage family took ownership of the company in 1820. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevomiller Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Jen, maybe you are right, maybe they traditionally worked differently at the anvil. Hard to know now with the heyday of blacksmithing and guilds gone. Even if you find old manuals etc the small nuances aren’t always conveyed.I too would love to see the original techniques that evolved with each regional type anvil, that would be enlightening. Like martial arts, you would surely see some technique from another practice that better suit your physique or natural movements.Oh, and the odd dropped tail? English Yorkshire patterns have it too a lot of times. Weird. Love your cutlers anvil and stunned you found it near your home! BLKSMTH450 that is the most ambitious anvil repair I’ve seen yet, looks great. Did you do full penetration with the welds? Build the tail up with hardface? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatLiner Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Love that French Rino Pig anvil. If you don't mind me asking. Where did you find it in the States? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksmith-450 Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 10 hours ago, jlpservicesinc said: Ok, so let me get this straight... You added a horn too? Were they both broken off? Yes we built the heel AND the horn. We used a mix of 7014-7018 and MIG w/gas. The core of the horn is a 2 inches 1040 shaft, in the rear we took 1/2 inches plate to make the sides and support for the hardy hole. The face is untouched and the rebound is almost equal all over the anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Way to go... Looks great and now it's back to being super serviceable.. Nicely done.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksmith-450 Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Thanks jlpservicesinc. But I don't recommend it to a newbie. It's not easier or cheaper... My anvil was a no brainer.... but PLEASE don't do that on a «still good» anvil ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 For sure.. I made that mistake 40 years ago and ruined an anvil more than it all ready was.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1 Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 13 hours ago, jlpservicesinc said: But why not just keep it level with the rest of the face.. Like a southern german anvil ... yep ... I worked on anvils with no step and now the london pattern with the step has me out of step ... so to speak. What is the point of the step again? May be a step in the right direction? I get people asking me for money for the house with no steps ... go figure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 You don't use the step like a bottom swage? For example it's a good place to start a punch even better for a slitter in round stock. OR a good corner to brace in while hot rasping. It's also a good spot to true up pieces. I upset longer stock into the step. The table I don't use and don't let me see you even looking like you want to take a chisel to it. The step itself though is something I use frequently. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1 Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Surely one can find uses for the step. hundreds of years of anvils with steps are not to be taken lightly. it is a matter of habit and also depends of what you do. I like real estate on anvils. Big flat areas to expand on That is why I like the southern german pattern. No step and continuity from round to flat and then the square horn and the shelf ... No step ... saves the knees And besides ... I have relatives in Bavaria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 I for a step I use a swage in the hardie hole and work against this.. I do when making butterfly hinges or other wrapped and welded hinge eyes miss having a ledge on the anvil.. but there are ways around this.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Got this baby last weekend and am super happy. To the best of my knowledge it is a John Brooks anvil with a weight of 244 pounds or 110.67kg (Stamped 2 0 20) Thanks to some information i found on this site I believe this anvil is forged with a steel plate based on the handle holes. Looking for some help on the makers mark because the words 'Stourbridge' and 'SR' are stamped normally but the words that i think are 'John Brooks' are stamped upside down. Any help on understanding if this is correct or if this is common would be greatly appreciated. Also what does 'SR' mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Attwood Stourbridge anvil (search on those terms for other examples.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRR1143 Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 Picked up a 145 lb PW the other week. Here it is before and after some electrolysis treatment, looks like it might be worth it to clean up the face a touch (cameo by the new post vise). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 Yes you do need to clean up that face---by pounding red+ hot steel on it; no other method is needed or required or desired! Working steel will polish out the face and the more you do the prettier it gets. Any abrasive or cutting method can take YEARS off it's use life---like buying a new car and saying "it's good for 20 years, I think I will make it so it will only last 12" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninjarex1 Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 Found this at my local steel guy's place. 120lbs for $30 bucks. I need to build a stand for it. No clue what it was in another life, but now it's my friend and I look forward to many long conversations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 Looks like an anvil to me. possibly from a large power hammer???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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