Minion Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 (edited) I'm in the process of searching for an anvil and i came across this, my hope is that you guys can help me out with whether its worth the price of $260http://img1.classistatic.com/cps/kj/091207/420r8/70741n1_20.jpeghttp://img1.classistatic.com/cps/kj/091207/421r1/7559dn3_20.jpeg It comes with the stand as well Also if this doesn't work i found a 75lbs cast steel would that work? Thanks in advance edit* I sent an email asking about the make as for the weight he said it was just over a hundred pounds Edited December 9, 2009 by Minion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 (edited) #1 go to the user control panel and add your location. #2 location will effect price #3 hard to tell how big it is by the photos. Weight? #4 stand looks a little iffy to me the way it is currently set up. #5 who made it? #6 do a forum search for anvil prices-there was a whole thread on this recently. #7 Welcome to IFI #8 I have paid around $1 per pound for all of my anvils. #9 Cast steel anvils are OK, again do a search for a recent thread on this. Edited December 9, 2009 by BIGGUNDOCTOR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 flats on the feet say peter wright. Big Gun, Cast steel are OK? Cast steel swedish anvils are some of the best. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minion Posted December 9, 2009 Author Share Posted December 9, 2009 this is the one im talking about75 lb anvil | Vises,anvil&accessories | Fabrication Equipment | Shop & Garage | Princess Auto says its cast steel but il have to go and check the size of the hardy Ok i just got an email back from the guy Actual weight of the anvil alone is 96 pounds. The markings are hard to read so I used a pencil & paper for an outline. There appears to be a set of letters as follows; H ?? JKL? Underneath the letters there is a symbol comprising at least and X with an arrow through the middle running from right to left. There is more to this mark that I could not clearly decipher. Underneath the above there is a number 14. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don A Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 I would be very leary of that "cast steel" anvil from the auto supply. It looks a lot like the cast iron anvils that are normally seen on Ebay and Harbor Freight. This doesn't mean much to a guy in a garage that is using an anvil to beat cold stuff straight, but it makes a world of difference if you are using it to forge. The fact is, there are no "good deals" on anvils in the retail market. New cheap anvils are cheap anvils. Good new anvils cost a lot of money. Good old anvils cost a lot of money on Ebay and other such markets. The only way to get a really good deal is to beat the bushes... esatate sales, farm sales, (I've found 'em at garage sales), ads, word of mouth, etc. You have to either invest your money or your time... or both... or get really lucky. I worked a deal on a "hardy only" Mousehole for over a year. I ended up paying $35 for it. :cool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 I'm with Don, Have seen more than one "cast steel" that were at best chilled semi steel. which is another name for cast iron. Never have seen a duck bill cast steel except for the big H-F.(no longer sold) Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minion Posted December 9, 2009 Author Share Posted December 9, 2009 K thanks, so if that the 75lbs is out of the way what do you guys think of the one online that the guys is selling worth the $260 (anvil,stand,hardy tool) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 The one for $260 is a real anvil not a fake look alike made of recycled cast iron of the poorest quality. One is a quality forged anvil and the other a cheap knock off made in China by the thousands to dupe uneducated buyers. Now, I don't know if $260 is a good price in Canada or not but from the picture it looks like a good anvil, but what can I tell from out here in Canada South, Arizona, from a picture. Does it ring or does it not, by that does it sound cracked? There are few chips on the edge of the hard face and some dings on the horn but they are minor. Somebody will tell you to weld them up and grind them smooth, don't do it, just leave the grinder alone and start working it if you decide to buy it. It's a good looking forging anvil not a show piece, work it, don't play with it, it's a tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minion Posted December 9, 2009 Author Share Posted December 9, 2009 I fully intend to use as such, but as for the edge of the anvil i could easily make or get a anvil block and use that could i not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 They are sold as a "bottom set" or you could make your own by taking a piece of steel and attaching a shank to fit the hardy. Blacksmiths Depot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 I fully intend to use as such, but as for the edge of the anvil i could easily make or get a anvil block and use that could i not? You can make a hardie tool if you need a crisp edge to work on. The real anvil has a varly bad rollover on the near edge--(horn to your left and edge close to you is the near edge) May want to dress that some but other than that use as is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minion Posted December 9, 2009 Author Share Posted December 9, 2009 what is the usually cost to have it professionally done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 Dressing an anvil is nearly never done by anybody other than the owner. You take your angle grinder and load up an abrasive grinding wheel and remove material carefully.anvilfire.com Blacksmithing FAQs Anvils Radius If it was a new anvil, you would follow the above guidelines, but since this is a well used anvil then you are going to have to compromise to avoid removing excessive amounts of valuable tool steel from the face of the anvil. If you are a member of a blacksmith organization, ask there and there will likely be people willing to help and coach. Be clear about the scope of the project and do not let them talk you into dressing all the edges and face! Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sask Mark Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 I would say that $260 for that anvil is a little high for your area, considering the condition tha anvil is in. There is a 330 pound Mousehole in very good condtion for sale in Calgary right now. It might be out of your price range, but it could possibly be the last anvil you ever buy, even if you are serious with your smithing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minion Posted December 10, 2009 Author Share Posted December 10, 2009 Hey thanks for the help I'll see if i can talk the guy down in price or even get some extra stuff with it you never know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sask Mark Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Did you see that large anvil for sale on Kijiji Edmonton? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minion Posted December 10, 2009 Author Share Posted December 10, 2009 yah i did little out of my price range but thanks for the suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Having an anvil professionally repaired is usually more than the cost of buying a good one. At the last anvil repair workshop we held *1* anvil took 6 hours of a professional weldor's time, pounds of rod and lots of abrasives to get back to an "as new" face. (and this weldor is a blacksmith and teaches welding so he did it right!) The repair was to fix where a machinist had milled the face clean and sharp and too thin to use as an anvil anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 When I said cast steel was OK I meant OK, as in good for smithing, not OK as in ho hum. I have a 306# Sodefors, 125# JHM, 260# Fisher, a 150# Vulcan, and a 170# H-B. So you can see that I don't mind a cast anvil.:p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minion Posted December 13, 2009 Author Share Posted December 13, 2009 How would i actually find out if its cast steel or cast iron? any definitive way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Other than knowing the brand of the anvil, it's hard to tell. If the brand is unidentified, and the horn is not a cone, but more duck billed or triangular, it's a good bet that its cast iron. Chilled cast iron at best, which is a reasonable face. If the horn and such is perfect, then its still a guess without markings or "destructive" test methods that may include grinding, filing, drilling, or breaking. There are a large number of "no name" anvils out there and a real, but small, percentage are good quality. If you know the brand, then looking it up can take a few minutes and you can get a better answer. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minion Posted December 13, 2009 Author Share Posted December 13, 2009 The brand is powerfist i believe and their are 3 anvils on the website the other two are labeled cast iron and this one cast steel so i guess testing it out is the only way to be sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 75 lb anvil | Vises,anvil&accessories | Fabrication Equipment | Shop & Garage | Princess Auto this one? dunno. I'd do more flea marketing and save the $130 for a known brand anvil and get a lump of scrap plate steel to work on till then. If taking a gamble on this anvil is worth it to you, then do a rebound drop test on it and report your findings. Since you may live near a store, get a ball bearing and test before you buy. Most ASO's are 10% according to the article. 50% rebound can be called a real anvil. anvilfire.com Blacksmithing FAQs Anvils Hardness Phil 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.