Timberframer Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 Figured out how to get the pics to load off my iPad, I like to incorporate original hardware in the rebuilds if possible it just adds so much more feeling of how our ancestors came together and built our heritage with there hands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeislarge Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Howdy folks, y'all seem to be the ones to seek for help with all things anvil so here's mine. I've had it on the floor in the shop for years and never really paid any attention to it until I needed to pound something out and had to move it. Holy cow this thing is heavy!?! So I went down the rabbit hole like l had an anvil tied to my waist (ha ha) and found out it's a Hay Budden. Pretty cool... Then I start cleaning it up a bit and here's a serial number. Looks like 69056 which means nothing to me. I did find the numbers 4 and 0 stamped under the Brooklyn mark but the center digit is gone. The anvil is 31 inches bow to stern and 4.5 inches wide on the plate. It stands 12.5 inches high and the base is 12w X 11d. I can barely move it around on the floor so I'm assuming perhaps incorrectly that this thing weighs 400 freakin pounds? Any help from you guys would be greatly appreciated as smithing will be my next trade to conquer if my wife will allow it. It's only fire honey what could possibly go wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Welcome aboard lifeislarge guy, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header you'll have a much better chance of meeting up with members living within visiting distance. That's IN THE HEADER, not just mentioning it in a post. Hmmmm? That old beauty looks to be in excellent condition provided it hasn't been through a barn fire or similar. Have you don't a rebound test? Drop a bearing ball from about 10" and note how high it bounces back as a %. No need to drop a big bearing, 1/2" is plenty. Have you put it on a bathroom scale? That'll tell you a lot even if it maxes the scale out. It's weight doesn't make much if any difference if you are going to use it though. We'll be more than pleased to help you with making a good stand so it's at the correct working height for YOU. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeislarge Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 Thanks for the reply. Man, now you've got me really geeked out. Found a steel ball bearing and then gave the plate a quick blocking with some 80 grit to remove years of dust and filth and lo and behold it bounced. It bounced higher than the height at which it was dropped and just kept on bouncing until it fell off. I really hope this is a good thing as I really have no need for a paper weight of this stature. As for weighing it, that's a negative Ghost Rider. I can barely move it let alone lift it and I have two herniated disks from lifting heavy shit already. I seriously doubt my bathroom scale could handle it without squishing into a million bits of Chinese bathroom scale. I have a 2 ton gantry so I think I'll ask around (TPAAAT ) to see if anyone I know has a scale for a crane. I'm usually the guy who has two of everything so you know I'll be on the lookout for one now. Question... Should I sand blast this thing to clean it up? I live right next to the ocean and old iron can flake pretty good if not kept well. This one isn't bad at all but I was curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 Well, if you know about TPAAAT, you’re already on the right track! Don’t bother with sandblasting. Just brush off any loose rust and keep it well oiled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 NOOOO! No sanding, grinding, etc. on the face plate!!! You're removing years of life that can not be replaced. Wire brush the body and oil or my favorite a good carnuba paste wax while the anvil is warm. Hammering HOT steel in the face will shine it up nicely. 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. Pivot to the side and ease it down on the scale. Most bathroom scales read more than 350lbs, newer ones go higher. If necessary place two next to each other and place the anvil half on each one. Of course you could just use your boom. Of course I wouldn't have gotten to talk about ways to lift heavy stuff without busting the old chops. Lots of guys out there who haven't read this from me before, you know. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 Welcome from the Ozark Mountains. 1901 would be the date it was made (69056) serial number. Yes the 4 ? 0 should be the weight when made so 4 hundred something pounds is a close estimate. It's a great looking Hay Budden. Should give another century of outstanding service. A coating of BLO (boiled linseed oil) would also protect it from rusting and if it isn't being used wipe some ATF on the face. I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s. Semper Paratus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 BTW: A good place to find a good working bathroom scales, are places like Goodwill or Thrift shops and yard sales. I found the one I use in the shop for around $10 U.S. about 15 years ago. I just tested the scale to make sure it agreed with my weight at the time 205 lbs. I know at 5ft 7in I was a little chunky and it still works and I'm at 178 lbs now. I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s. Semper Paratus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShoreB Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 Timberframer: thanks for sharing those photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny O Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 I'm curious about the purpose of the Anvil. It's hollow cast so I can't imagine you would be hitting it too hard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 Anvil/vise combinations like this were made for one very simple purpose: to take advantage of the late 19th century mania for gadgetry in order to sell more tools. You are right; they don't make very good anvils, and I'm not even sure how good they are as vises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny O Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 Yeah I wouldn't hit it with a hammer, maybe a jewelers hammer and some copper or silver would be the best combination on this little toy. Thanks for enlightening me. It is really just a gimmicky gadget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 Straightening nails on the "anvil face" and maybe light vise work is about all it's good for. Maybe set one by the wood stove and let the grandkids crack nuts on it with a wooden mallet and squeeze crack Brazil nuts in the vise. It looks good and would make a nice decoration but it's not a working tool of any note. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny O Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 Thanks. More validation that this is just an ornament Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VoldemarDemid Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 Hello friends. I bought an anvil. S&H, 213 kilograms. 18.0 year of production. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 Oh, that is a lovely anvil! Of you don't mind my asking, how much did you have to pay for it? I have no idea how much anvilos sell for in your part of the world. By the way, nice shop. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VoldemarDemid Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 In Russia, there are very few such anvils. I paid about 500 dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 That is a beautiful anvil. That would be a very good price here in my area of the USA. No doubt a great tool that will pay for itself over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 VoldemarDemid that is a very nice shop.. The new anvil looks very much at home and love the stand as well.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VoldemarDemid Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 Friends, thank you for your opinion. I am very glad that I was able to buy this anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 14 hours ago, Kenny O said: validation that this is just an ornament Exactly. This is what we call an ASO. (Anvil shaped object) might look like one but is Far worse than just a solid chunk of steel to use as one. A lot of times the vise section is missing and people try to sell them as anvils. It is neat but not so useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 Voldemar, That is a very good price by American standards. Here, it probably would have been $US 4-6/ pound ($US 8-12/kg). From what our European members have said it seems that anvils are more plentiful and cheaper and post vises are rarer and more expensive on your side of the ocean than they are here. We'd love to see some photos of your work. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 16 Share Posted March 16 Welcome aboard VoldemarDemid, glad to have you. An S&H as in "Söding & Halbach" anvil? She's a beauty, The makers have been in business for hundreds of years and have a very good reputation. I call it an excellent buy, especially for the price! As said already anvils are more expensive and less common this side of the planet. People finding a good anvil for only $6/lb here tend to brag about the deal they got. That's a really nice looking shop you have, nicely laid out. I could work in it easily with minimum adjustment. Is that a gas forge / furnace in the background of the last picture? Do you work out of the other end too? It is much taller than you'd see in a blacksmith shop over here except for a special purpose forge / furnace. What kind of gas does it burn? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julianb Posted March 17 Share Posted March 17 Hi! Nice anvil, could you post a picture of the makers mark and date? That'd be great! It is ridiculous to see the prices the "bigger" tools sellers on the various platforms are able to call up. I've seen anvils that have been up on the German small ads sides for around 300-500€ been offered up and sold for 2000$ in the US. But where there's a market... Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewoon ik Posted March 17 Share Posted March 17 There are less of these size in the usa or less left over. And 500 euros incl shipping makes is almost double. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.