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Just want to share this story...

I just bought a beautiful condition Vulcan via ebay for a nice price, and had it shipped 1500 miles from Kansas. Picking it up tomorrow morning at the freight depot.

So, I was just bored a few mins ago and started searching craigslist. What just popped up, but a very nice Peter Wright 170 pounder, about 15 miles from my house.

This is true comedy. I'll probably go buy the Wright also and re-sell whichever I don't want.

Either that or try to drop it on a roadrunner.

:D:confused::rolleyes::cool:

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More comedy:
There are 4 anvils 75 to 180# in Royalston, a 150# in Worchester, a 500# anvil in Manchester, aa 160# anvil in Bellport Long Island, and a 175# in Northfield. There are anvils out there if you look hard enough. Now as to the condition and price, well that is up to you to decide.

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Here's what looks to be a nice one in Wrentham, MA.120 LB. AMERICAN DUNN & MURCOTT 23 1/4 INCH LONG !! - eBay (item 290280284383 end time Jul-31-09 15:22:46 PDT) Don't know where you are located, but this guy has several anvils you could make an offer on, or contact him directly. He may be willing to deal on his anvils outside of eBay, as you are relatively "local" to him.

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More comedy:
There are 4 anvils 75 to 180# in Royalston, a 150# in Worchester, a 500# anvil in Manchester, aa 160# anvil in Bellport Long Island, and a 175# in Northfield. There are anvils out there if you look hard enough. Now as to the condition and price, well that is up to you to decide.


Glen, couldn't find the 500#. Where did you see it?
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Well, this one I had shipped from kansas is a vulcan, cast body with steel face. I have no personal experience with a cast body anvil, so I am hoping that they TRULY ARE quieter, like people say they are. I've got a new smithy, and with it comes some much closer neighbors than I am used to having. I haven't had any complaints, but I am intent on bringing the noise level down some to keep it that way, and to be a good neighbor. Hope this vulcan is a step in that direction. If not, I won't be owning it for very long! Kind of a quick fix until I take steps to permanently sound-deaded the workshop walls.

Edited by MarkC
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Did the same thing here, apparently that's what happens when looking for that first anvil. What few anvils out here posted on CL are usually gone the same day. After I bought some RR rail, a couple anvils from Ebay, a chunk of steel drop, my anvil fever was good. What happens the next couple of months, of course two Hay Buddens pop up for sale less than 20 minutes away. Both guys did the same thing, posted on a Thursday to get some interest for the weekend. I even waited until the next day, and both guys said the same thing... 'Someone was supposed to come pick it up yesterday but nobody showed up.'
The Vulcan doesn't ring like a Peter Wright, more like a dull clank like when you're banging on a cast iron bench vise.

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Cow magnets are magnets that are boloced into the animals rumen.

Cattle occasionaly will pick up random pieces of metal while grazing or being fed in a feedlot. The metal will tumble around in the rumen and cause pain. The animal will not produce much milk or gain well.

The magnet of course attracts the metal and settles to the bottom of the rumen so it won't tumble about. The animal won't have any discomfort and the metal and magnets will be removed at processing "read slaughter."

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The magnets on the anvil are for cancelling ring, right? The cast IRON anvils really have no ring whatever, so magnets are not really necessary.
However, cast iron anvils aren't silent by any means; there is a pronounced "crack" or "whack" which, while less offensive and head-peircing, will still require hearing protection worn by the user.

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Your new Vulcan will likely be quieter. Unfortunately it is also likely to have poorer rebound characteristics... the ringing seems to be louder for the harder anvils (with better rebound). I have one of each here (I have learned not to let beginners pound on the hard one... they miss with their hammer blows).

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And because a magnet is attached to the anvil, the magnet will absorb the vibrations of the anvil instead of the vibrations being absorbed by the air.


After the magnet absorbs all the vibrations, now to you empty it so it can then absorb more vibrations? How often does it need to be emptied?

There are several discussions on the forum about lessening the ring of an anvil, from magnets (did not work well for my anvil, must have gotten full of vibrations and I did not know how to empty it) to a couple loose wraps of chain, to using Sika and other adhesives to glue the anvil to the anvil stand or stump, and putting the anvil in a bed of sand. Multiple methods seem to work better than single methods. No matter what method is used, there is still a thunk when hammer hits metal.
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Well I just got this Vulcan earlier, and I couldn't wait to give it a tap and hear it, after all the hype. I have to say, it was a tremendous surprise to hit an anvil and for the first time, not hear a ring! Haha, very counter intuitive. It actually made me laugh out loud (maybe i'm nuts). It's like honking your car horn and having it sound like a kazoo. Not what you expect to hear. You grow accustomed to certain cause-and-effect relationships in life, and hitting an anvil and hearing a ring is one of them (for me anyway). lol this one CLINKS. lol I think I'm gonna name it Clinker. I think I'm gonna keep this lil guy, an anvil has never made me laugh before (yell, curse, hurt: yes. laugh: no.)

As for rebound, this has more rebound than I was expecting, after all the reading. Have to wait and see how well it works.

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My massive Fisher has more of a "thwap" than a "TING"---very nice when you spend a full day standing over it; but I still tend to wear hearing protectors anyway. I'm used to them so they are comfortable and makes it easy to switch to a power tool without a break in the flow to hunt them down.

I have a small arm and hammer I use for demos as the "TING" helps bring in the crowd. Foam rubber earplugs are a big help with that one!

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Agreed on the ear plugs. I use the triple-baffle kind from lowes, that are strung together by a rubber cord. Keeps them handy around the neck. I keep them in my ears for a full 8-hour day. I also wear a pair of stylish safety glasses that look like Oakley sunglasses. Chicks dig em. (the salesman told me so, honest)

We owe our thanks to Paul Teutle Jr from OCC for making safety glasses cool for the first time in history. (not that their being "uncool" would stop us from wearing them)

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My massive Fisher has more of a "thwap" than a "TING"---very nice when you spend a full day standing over it; but I still tend to wear hearing protectors anyway. I'm used to them so they are comfortable and makes it easy to switch to a power tool without a break in the flow to hunt them down.

I have a small arm and hammer I use for demos as the "TING" helps bring in the crowd. Foam rubber earplugs are a big help with that one!


I can understand a small hammer for demos, light to carry, easy to pack away etc. BUT how do you manage the small arm? Do you keep it buttoned under your shirt when you're using your big arms? Is it detachable and you carry it around, in maybe a handdbag? Or do you have one big arm that you use at home in your shop and the other is small that you use at demos? Would this mean you are ambidextrous? If you did lots of demo's would your small arm bet bigger from the exersize, and then you wouldn't have a small arm to use at demos? Sooooooooo many questions.
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Mick you owe me a beer for that!

For those of you who are not familiar with american anvils "Arm and Hammer" is a brand of very nice anvils made in Columbus OH, (as were Trentons). They are not to be confused with Vulcan anvils which had a trademark of an "arm and hammer" as well but it projects from the anvil as Vulcans are a steel faced cast iron bodied anvil; but not nearly the quality level as a Fisher.

Now for you Motie fans the gripping hand is very handy for smithing!

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