JHCC Posted September 10, 2017 Share Posted September 10, 2017 5 minutes ago, Bigmatt said: I bounced a 1 inch ball bearing on it and bounced back to my hand. The guy I got it from said he had it for 25 years and never used it. That's good. Bounce the bearing over the entire surface and see if the rebound is consistent and if the sound rings the same over the entire surface. If so, you're good. If it changes from "ping" to "thwap" or "thud", that's not a good sign. 1 minute ago, Reeltree said: rebound is good,, I will say the horn and shelf area has noticeable dings in them from usage, and the top and edges shows very little That's part of what worries me. You wouldn't expect to see that clean and flat a face on an anvil whose saddle and horn were so dinged up. It's possible that someone ground the whole thing flat at some point, which could have significantly reduced the thickness (and durability) of the face plate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted September 10, 2017 Share Posted September 10, 2017 also check those edges for any change in colour or texture and try the bounce as close to the edges as possible in case they have been welded there. you dont actually want sharp edges on an anvil as they cause cold shuts in your work and if hard and sharp they can chip, a small radius is far better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigmatt Posted September 10, 2017 Share Posted September 10, 2017 So I went out and bounced the bearing all over it and it sounds identical except past the Hardy hole then the sound changed. I paid 250 bucks for the anvil two pairs of tongs and a hot cut Hardy tool. Figured it was worth a shot! I upgraded from this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 10, 2017 Share Posted September 10, 2017 A good verging on GREAT deal in my opinion. Why are you on the computer and not hamming hot steel on it???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted September 10, 2017 Share Posted September 10, 2017 If my math is right she weighs 140 pounds. A real steal for that nice piece of Mousehole steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigmatt Posted September 10, 2017 Share Posted September 10, 2017 So I just spent an hour beating hot steel on the new anvil, holy Hades, what a difference! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted September 10, 2017 Share Posted September 10, 2017 Less than $2/lb for a Mousehole is quite good indeed. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jclonts82 Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 On 9/10/2017 at 0:08 AM, RobS said: Middle anvil looks like a Columbian. Yup, sure enough, I looked it over and looked it up and its a Columbian. Thank you for that input, at least now I know if someone asks... Though I''ve wondered about people desperately needing to find out the make and year of their anvil, it doesn't really change anything, still an anvil, naming it doesn't give it magical properties... I can see wanting to know if its all cast iron, all steel, or iron with steel face. Or maybe to sell it to someone that has a 'need' to know... but for using it, either is an anvil and works for you, or its not. I'm perhaps ignorant when it comes to these things... just thinking out-loud, with my keyboard. I tried hammering on the new big HB and I have to say I think prefer it over the other. Seemed like I got more work done per hammering time put in, but may just be excitement at trying out the new hardware. Also I took a wire wheel on a grinder to the little hay budden , actually stamped 50-something pounds, and it did have a steel plate on the top, its so unused that it didn't show up with all the dust and whatnot caked on the surface. Decided to do the right thing and wire wheel the whole anvil and rub it down with BLE. Probably will do the same with the Columbia, at least get that awful silver paint off it, whoever decided to do THAT?!?!?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 an anvil I have and researched a bit turned out to be made by the ancestor of someone here, some members of his family left England for the US a couple of hundred years ago. even found a business card from the anvil maker on sale on a certain auction site Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 Well don't hold out on us. What ya got? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 this was a few years ago and it was a wooldridge 250 lb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jclonts82 Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 33 minutes ago, the iron dwarf said: an anvil I have and researched a bit turned out to be made by the ancestor of someone here, some members of his family left England for the US a couple of hundred years ago. even found a business card from the anvil maker on sale on a certain auction site Ok thats neat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Branstetter Posted September 25, 2017 Share Posted September 25, 2017 Craigslist was good to me today. Picked this one up for $300. 224lbs. Has some rough miles on it but I’ve managed with worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom's Metal Shop Posted October 7, 2017 Share Posted October 7, 2017 Here is the Anvil I just picked up. went to a farm sale and was asking if they happened to have an anvil. They didn't, but an older gentleman next to me says, 'I have an anvil'. gave him my card and I got a call from him a couple of weeks later. I can't find much about it or the company that maid it except that Gardiner MFG co. was founded in 1944. So I know it's no older than 73 years old. If anyone knows anything about it, I would love to know if it was a good find. Seems to be in great shape. What do you folks think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 7, 2017 Share Posted October 7, 2017 I've never heard of one but solid cast steel ain't a bad thing. Have you done a rebound test on it? Dropping a ball bearing and estimating how far it bounced back. You can do it against a scale if you want to be ore precise but a good eyeball estimation is usually plenty. You can do a rebound test with a light smooth faced hammer too but it's harder to interpret. A forged or cast iron anvil with a steel face can delaminate where the face late is welded to the body. Not an issue for a cast steel anvil, worst would be going through a big enough fire to draw it's temper down too far. That one is in excellent condition, nearly mint. There's hardly ANY chipping on the edges and that's about all the wear I see on her. She's going to have your grandkids telling their kids about Grandpa's blacksmith shop while they teach them to forge on it. SWEET DEAL! Oh and you discovered the TPAAAT without anybody telling you! Use it for search terms it's a valuable tool and equipment acquisition technique. Really. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted October 8, 2017 Share Posted October 8, 2017 Nice anvil.. Great find.. Congrats.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riddler Posted October 8, 2017 Share Posted October 8, 2017 I am brand new to this site and just purchased an anvil. It weighs about 70 pounds or so and came from a farm. Any information you can provide will be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted October 8, 2017 Share Posted October 8, 2017 With the bottom like that I'd think early or transitional Hay Budden.. but not sure.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted October 8, 2017 Share Posted October 8, 2017 Here is an American A guy dropped off yesterday for some short change.. Good teaching anvil once cleaned up a little more.. 85-90% rebound if you believe in such things.. Love the hammer die marks in the heel.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou L Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 It must be nice having anvils delivered to your door for good prices! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 yes it is.. He is the guy who will be doing the site prep and foundation work for the new shop.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 One of my students one "hid" an anvil in my shop to see how long it would take me to notice. 165# Hay Budden, not long as I recall with a "Where did that come from?" (It was being delivered by blacksmiths mail so I was not expecting it at any certain time...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyGhost27 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Found this 161 pound PW yesterday decent price all things being relative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tagheuer Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Congratulations GreyGhost27 on a very nice one you've got there. If you don't mind I'm asking, what would be the going rate / lb for PW in such condition in AZ,? Cheers.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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