jmeineke Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 (edited) Hi there. I'm just getting started out and would like to know if this is a good buy. It's an NC farrier's anvil, 70 lbs and the person wants $50 for it. It looks like a great deal to me, but I want to make sure. I'm also looking at buying a 140 lb Trenton for just over $300 for my main anvil, but the 70 pounder seems like a deal I shouldn't pass up. What do you all think? Thanks for any help or advice! Edited October 18, 2009 by wrkn4alivn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 For $50, that NC farriers anvil would be good trade material. Not too good for forging anything much bigger than horseshoes though. It would be good for small work or easy to bring to demos. If it was offered to me for that price, I would grab it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 I'd grab it for $50. You can do a lot more then horseshoes but not any real heavy work for sure. You can make a lot of small decorative work on it and it sure beats the heck out of no anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmeineke Posted October 18, 2009 Author Share Posted October 18, 2009 I'll be picking it up tomorrow night. Sounds like this will make both a good starter anvil and will be a keeper for doing smaller work. I appreciate the feedback! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Sounds like a good deal to me. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy seale Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 congrates on the anvil....jimmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Naw. you don't want that anvil. I'll just take it off your hands and even let you make a profit. $55.00 now. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmeineke Posted October 18, 2009 Author Share Posted October 18, 2009 Naw. you don't want that anvil. I'll just take it off your hands and even let you make a profit. $55.00 now. LoL. As tempting as that is, I'll have to pass ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 LOL. Kinda figured that you would!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 I have a pesky road runner out here that I could use that anvil to "reduce the problem to a manageable size"... (actually I do; we prefer the lizards as bug eaters than as road runner food) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 Seems like a good price, but from a blacksmiths point of view U-G-L-Y! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wedwards Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 I have a pesky road runner out here that I could use that anvil to "reduce the problem to a manageable size"... (actually I do; we prefer the lizards as bug eaters than as road runner food) Might as well try that anvil. The ACME's didn't work very well, at least not against the roadrunner:) Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmeineke Posted October 19, 2009 Author Share Posted October 19, 2009 (edited) I have a pesky road runner out here that I could use that anvil to "reduce the problem to a manageable size"... (actually I do; we prefer the lizards as bug eaters than as road runner food) It would definitely take care of little "problems" like that . I got it home last night. It's in better shape than I could even tell from the pics - virtually unmarred, perfect edges, just a few dings on the horn and a small chip on one of the edges of the hardy hole, no marring on the face at all. I know it's a bit small and it doesn't have a round horn, but it's mine... ALL MINE!!! Well worth the 67 cents a pound I paid for it. I spent a good part of yesterday reading the tutorials on the main page and all I can say is wow - good stuff. Can't wait to start work on my first pair of tongs! I went out last night and picked up an 8 gallon compressor tank that will eventually become my gas forge and am going to talk to a local pottery shop about getting some kaowool and refractory cement. Already ordered an adapter for my propane thank. I'm having fun and haven't even hit my first piece of metal.... What have I gotten myself into??? :o Edited October 19, 2009 by wrkn4alivn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keykeeper Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 There's a lot of work you can do on the 70 pounder. You will be surprised with what it can do. Have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 What have I gottin in to? The worst addiction in the free world. 1 Anvil leads to many. 1 postvise leads to many. One tool to many. Welcome brother to the world of I want. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmeineke Posted October 20, 2009 Author Share Posted October 20, 2009 What have I gottin in to? The worst addiction in the free world. 1 Anvil leads to many. 1 postvise leads to many. One tool to many. Welcome brother to the world of I want. Ken You aren't kidding! I went out tonight looking for a cross pein hammer and more metal. Didn't find a decent hammer, but found some scrap in a bucket at Tractor Supply. Also bought some of their standard bar stock (gotta find a cheaper source - that stuff aint cheap!). I really need to get a forge up and running. I'm pricing parts, looking over plans, deciding how to build. I tried heating a fairly thick piece of metal I wanted to straighten out tonight with a MAP gas torch. Didn't work out to well. I need stuff!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irontwister Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 i also might be able to through in some tools to sweeten the deal too. what do you nned exactly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 (edited) Shoot almost in Downtown Columbus OH I used to dig a hole in my back yard and push a piece of blackpipe down into it and blow it with a shop vac-output--wasting almost all the air as it puts out way too much. A sack of chunk charcoal and you're forging! (I once did a trench forge like that to boxfold 3/8" plate for the firebox at the Santa Maria replica) Edited October 20, 2009 by ThomasPowers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmeineke Posted October 20, 2009 Author Share Posted October 20, 2009 i also might be able to through in some tools to sweeten the deal too. what do you nned exactly? Primarily a decent main hammer ~ 2 lbs, cross pein. Right now all I have is what looks like a 2 lb mini-sledge. I bought it a number of years ago for general pounding - should be useful for some smithing applications too, I guess? Next, hardy tools - not sure what they are called exactly (still learning the terminology), but I'm sure I need a cutter (cut-off). I'd also like to get a guillotine with interchangeable dies for making V bends and such. Oh - and tongs... I had intended to attempt to make my first pair myself, but am realizing that without a forge that's not going to happen.. And Kaowool. I could use enough to line the inside of an 8 gallon air compressor tank as well as some firebrick and some ITC100 or 200 coating... Pretty much everything and anything at this point, but I think I've covered the basics... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmeineke Posted October 20, 2009 Author Share Posted October 20, 2009 (edited) Shoot almost in Downtown Columbus OH I used to dig a hole in my back yard and push a piece of blackpipe down into it and blow it with a shop vac-0--wasting almost all the air as it puts out way too much. A sack of chunk charcoal and you're forging! (I once did a trench forge like that to boxfold 3/8" plate for the firebox at the Santa Maria replica) That's a good point - I guess I shouldn't rule out charcoal at this point, and I do have an induction blower from a furnace that would work well for a solid fuel forge. A hole, a bag of charcoal, a pipe and a blower. Yeah. I'm liking that idea - back to the basics. I'd like to have a gas furnace eventually, but it sounds like that's going to be a project that will consume a bit of time and money... You still live in Columbus? That's where I'm at too. Thanks for the advice. Edited October 20, 2009 by wrkn4alivn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Nope I moved 1500 miles away to escape the MOB---Mid Ohio Blacksmiths a Columbus OH and local area blacksmithing group I helped found. Need contact info? I'll be in Columbus NM Saturday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmeineke Posted October 20, 2009 Author Share Posted October 20, 2009 You ran away from the MOB and now you are trying to pass along contact info? Yeah, that would be great - send it along. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irontwister Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 What have I gottin in to? The worst addiction in the free world. 1 Anvil leads to many. 1 postvise leads to many. One tool to many. Welcome brother to the world of I want. Ken Yes this is a serious medical condition that we have on our hands. its a good thing that we have group therapy on i forge iron.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 Problem is most of the therapy is holding your stuff. Guess what? Now you need/want more/bigger/better. Have past on several anvils and there are still morethan I had(looking at a few more) I quit smoking cold turkey 20yrs ago. I can quit this any time. Air hammer for sale you say HMMM. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmeineke Posted October 31, 2009 Author Share Posted October 31, 2009 Yeah, I think I'm already experiencing that. I find myself checking Craigslist daily for anvils. I was thinking I would sell off some of this stuff and basically get a free anvil out of the deal. Well, I got delivery part 1 (post vise, anvil and blower), spent the whole evening brushing off the rust and putting on a light coat of MMO (Marvel Mystery Oil, which gives it a nice black sheen) and I'm already attached. Why can't my wife be attached to it all this stuff too??? I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. I was really impressed with the post vise. Unscrew it all the way, pop out a wedge, undo a bolt and everything is apart and ready for cleaning - wow. How cool is that? Came apart like a simple toy... Even the smell was cool - kicking off years of dust and dirt and rust brought back memories of playing with all the old stuff on my uncle's farm... And the blower - two screws and the top comes off revealing the gears - everything easily removable (no need, though) and still (after what, 100 years?) in perfect shape. Added a little grease to the gears, buttoned it back up and that was it - nothing else to do to it but wipe down the outside and blast off the spider nests and straw with compressed air. Can't wait to get the forges! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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