Show me your anvil

[Hazmat83]

I was told this is probably a 1700's model
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[Frosty]

I wouldn't get very carried away trying to clean that anvil up, you'll destroy it's intrinsic value, as it is it's still useable and has antique or even historic value. If you grind the face flat you will have removed virtually all the faceplate and make it less than a mild steel block as it's usefulness as an anvil.

 

That old girl screams generations of use and history. the specifics of it's story may have passed with the smiths who used her but the evidence is plain to see so long as you don't wipe it out.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Hazmat83]

I'm afraid the damage is done. I started on the horn before I found this wonderful site and its wealth of knowledge. if I could kick my own butt. it seems the more I learn the less I know.
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[njanvilman]

I'm afraid the damage is done. I started on the horn before I found this wonderful site and its wealth of knowledge. if I could kick my own butt. it seems the more I learn the less I know.
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Ouch!  Salt water and time outside in the rain will rerust the horn in time.  Most people with antique anvils just wire wheel them then hit them with an oil, such as boiled linseed oil, or wd-40. 

[Hazmat83]

I work at a pool supply warehouse. we sell chlorine shock by the pound so I had toyed with the idea of putting it in a large bucket with an open pack. but I'm afraid of unknown chemicals on or in the anvil and potential reactions.

[John McPherson]

Just light flap wheel on the working surfaces will not do any damage on a working anvil. Heavy grinding or machining is another matter.

 

Standards for working tools of that era were not the same as they are today. Anvils with a pronounced list to port or starboard, high or low heel, horn off center to one side, swaybacked or bulged in the face show up all the time. Deal with it.

 

We have unreasonable expectations in the modern assembly line, mass produced, CNC machined world, that we apply at our own peril to artifacts from the hand-made, one-off days of yesteryear.

[Hazmat83]

I have the old gimme now disease. I'm learning very quickly the virtue of patience. in all aspects of life. the Lord is slowing me down for something. hope others can see my screw ups and avoid one of their own.

[VaughnT]

Ouch, Haz!  Take a breather with that grinder!  An old colonial anvil, probably pre-1800 and in great shape, is a true gem.  Work on her for a few months, at least, and learn how to dance with her.  You'll be surprised.

[Hazmat83]

yea the guy said " I think my dad got it at the junkyard for $15 you can have it."I had no clue. I'm not going to use it till I get some experience. I found some old weights I'm going to try to use. also is rebar good to practice with? I have a ton of it.

[Hazmat83]

nevermind the rebar comment I found an article from a few years back. sorry.

[Frosty]

Okay, we'll forgive you. <grin> Everybody wants pristine tools, especially when breaking into a new craft.

 

Nothing wrong with using that anvil, be careful of the edges with mushroomed edges and don't take a sledge hammer to her. Putting her back to work will rejuvenate her faster than a grinder. maybe a little wire brushing to clean off the loose rust and dirt but that's about all I'd do.

 

If you have a pile of rebar use it, it can be unpredictable but it's plenty usable. It makes dandy yard/garden art and things like tongs, fire tools and fireplace tools and other general use things. For marketable items making them from with things a lay person, potential customer, can identify allows them to experience the transformation of the forge. This is why RR spikes are so popular after being made into knife shaped objects, steak flippers, toasting forks, gnomes, etc.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Hazmat83]

I have a box of RR spikes that my uncle gave me proly 30 or 40. I'm saving them till I have a little more experience. don't want to waist them. I have been reading and studying for about 2 years mainly YouTube and internet. all the while collecting any and everything that may possibly be used to make a knife or tool. I hit steel for the first time about two weeks ago. and made what appears to be a prison shank from a cheap wrench. I thought I was doing good till.I found this forum. there is so much information and things that other sites don't tell. So I figure the best thing I can do is start from scratch. it seems all the things I have done so far are exactly what not to do. its discouraging but I'm addicted already . tomorrow I'm going to bust all the home made refractory out of my forge and start on a charcoal retort read about here once I can built a good fire I'll try some rebar. this forum is full.of great advice and tactful criticism. thankyou for your patience.

[Anachronist58]

Here is my 88# Swedish Sodofors Paragon Cast Tool Steel Anvil hanging out with Friends.  Don't know how old it is. My Apology to anyone hurt that I milled .025" off the Face.  It was beat up worse than MY face.

[quint]

Nice little anvil. Not sure if taking a little off the face of these is as much of a concern since they dont have a thin top plate but I could be wrong. Only issue I could see if how deep the hardened part goes. 

 

Cant help ya with the date. Mine has it stamped on the side. 

[John McPherson]

Robert, .025", not a problem. .25", big problem.

 

Nice collection of abused RR track, er, I mean "Craig's List Anvils". :rolleyes:

[Anachronist58]

Thanks, Quint and John McPherson, no loss of hardness observed. I used a File Scratch test, Milled Face, Step, Horn, and Legacy Face, all pretty much the same scratch.  Then I took some 5/32" 11018 welding electrode and cold forged the "snot" out of it.  Not a single mark on the milled face.  Then used a 1/4" piece of 15-5 PH heat treated, and that put a slight dent in it. A sharp blow from my ball peen hammer made a similar slight dent in the face.  An item of Interest: I tested a "Made in China" Potential ASO and got Very similar results.

It makes me wonder:  Was this Soderfors anvil in a school shop, where newbies learning hammer control missed the stock over and over??  

 

I agree that we don't want to cut too deep, but this thing looked like the moon when I got it!

 

Now Mr. McPherson, some of those RR Rail anvils are very nice! :rolleyes:  But look at this stuff - Bought it at A & K Railroad Materials in Stockton.  Guess I won't be making anvils from that piece of 60# rail in front!! There is a point to all of this. That orange anvil

cost $31 (plus shipping).  No way I could ever make a horn that nice for 40 bucks worth of time!

Anvils, each and every one,

Robert

 

 

[GoldenBear]

 I bought this anvil last weekend and the name is Hay Budden I think!  Under the name is 208 and in the front is A20887.

I do not know the age or quality just it seems a good anvil. If anyone can share info I would appreciate it and tell you Merry Christmas in advance. 

OK

[Frosty]

Hay Budden is a top quality anvil and that one is in very good condition. Good score if you didn't pay too much, still.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[VaughnT]

GB, definitely a great anvil.  Looks like it's never been used!  If you paid anything less than $3/lb, you got a deal.  How far below that $3/lb price you got..... well, that will tell you how good a deal you got!

[GoldenBear]

Thanks Frosty & VaughnT for your information a few of the former owners were there when I picked I up They said it had come from one of the older ranches here in the Carson Valley Nv.  they believed it was purchased in the early 1920's.  I paid $395.00 and still hope to find the date it was born.

Merry Christmas to all & again thanks for the info.

 

[Metalmark]

 

My first anvil that i just got in oct for my birthday. I'm new to blacksmithing  and the only thing that I smacked on was my thumb when I was cleaning it . the anvil definitely has good re bound my finger nail is still all black.  The anvil is a 243# Peter Wright. It looks in good shape to me but like I said this is all new to me .

 

I just can't wait to get my coke I ordered and get going on things.  

[dpmcginn75]

Here is my new addition, 146 lb Peter Wright!

[quint]

You guys got some nice peter wrights there. Metalmark that thing looks new, no sway back or anything in a bigger size. Wish mine looked that good. Dp yours looks good too. 

[Metalmark]

Thank you quint , I really didn't have a clue when I was buying whether it was in good shape or not, but the guy I bought it off said for the age that it is he has never seen one in such a good shape . His wife made him clean up the barn so that's why he was selling it. He got it from an old Austrian fellow that was moving up country and he couldn't take it with him and he was in his 90s. It's kind of funny, when i went to look at it he gave me a hammer and said i could try it out which i really didn't know what he meant so i taped it lightly , like i was going to brake it . Always thought that you shouldn't hit the anvil almost like you shouldn't dry fire a gun. He took the hammer from me and said listen... when he hit it it sounded like someone just hit a big bell. The sound rung in my ears i really didn't know what that was supposed to show, but it sounded good. Honestly when I brought it back home I thought I made a mistake because I thought the edges had to be sharp and they weren't . When I put a straight edge on the top there was no space along the whole face so at least it had that going if no sharp edges. Like I said this is all new to me and I don't quite know what is right or wrong and what to expect when buying blacksmithing tools.

[quint]

Generally blacksmith will round over the edges per there taste to varying degrees. I wouldnt hit it too hard with just a hammer. Its a nice test but I am always nervous of chipping an edge doing that so I am careful myself. Always try to keep some steel between your hammer and the anvil. Learn from the guys on the forum here, I am just a beginner as well but have learned alot in the last year or so. Take good care of it and it will serve you and several others after your gone. 

 

Good luck and have fun.