Columbian Rebound

[jmeineke]

I picked up a little (I think around 70 lb) Columbian a week or so ago and started cleaning it up a bit. I didn't do a rebound test on it before I bought it.

I think it may have been in a fire - I just tested it and the rebound is around 50%. It looks like the former smith (now passed on) may have used it for cutting because it looks like it has a lot of chisel marks on the surface.

Does anyone have any experience with this brand? What should the rebound be on a Columbian?

[jmeineke]

Ok, did some more testing on it last night. Using a 1" Aircraft-Grade E52100 Alloy Steel BB, the rebound is right at 5.5" from a 10" drop. The same test on my Mouse Hole looks to be about a 9" return from a 10" drop.

Maybe I have unrealistic expectations that "good" anvils will have a 80%+ rebound?

Can someone set me straight on this?

[Sam Thompson]

If an anvil hasn't been used for some time and especially if the top has been ground, it will benefit from use. Try hammering on it for a few hours. I've never found that the bounce of a ball bearing has much relation to how pleasant an anvil is to use anyway.

[jmeineke]

If an anvil hasn't been used for some time and especially if the top has been ground, it will benefit from use. Try hammering on it for a few hours. I've never found that the bounce of a ball bearing has much relation to how pleasant an anvil is to use anyway.

Interesting. I'll give that a try.

I did do a little forging on it last night, nothing big, and it felt okay to me, but the bearing rebound coupled with the cut marks had me a bit concerned.

I happen to know that the smith who owned this anvil also owned several others (really big ones). It had crossed my mind that perhaps he intentionally softened this smaller one to use exclusively for cutting.

If anyone out there owns one similar and can do a drop test, I'd like to know how they compare.

Joe

[ThomasPowers]

As a cast steel anvil you could dress the face and re-harden if you wanted to without some of the issues the differing face/body anvils have.

Especially as a small anvil it should have a good rebound! Something is screwy.

[jmeineke]

As a cast steel anvil you could dress the face and re-harden if you wanted to without some of the issues the differing face/body anvils have.

Especially as a small anvil it should have a good rebound! Something is screwy.

Well Thomas, I took your advice.

Step 1 (dressing the surface) is complete. My brother works in a machine shop and I payed him a visit last night.

First we turned it upside down and milled enough off the bottom to match the surface plane, then we turned it over and milled about .005" off the surface, trued up the edges and put a small (3/32") radius on them and the hardy hole. I also had him mill the table flat. He basically just did what I told him to do, so if it's wrong, it's my fault, not his I think it turned out looking really nice.

To boot, he gave me a bunch of Te-co clamps for my T-slotted table, a very nice dial test indicator, a probe indicator, a couple of clamps and some 9" x 1" x 1/8" strips of 4140 drops. I got the tour of the shop and got to watch the Wire EDM machine making a part. All-in-all, a great evening!

[jmeineke]

As a cast steel anvil you could dress the face and re-harden if you wanted to without some of the issues the differing face/body anvils have.

Especially as a small anvil it should have a good rebound! Something is screwy.

Well Thomas, I took your advice.

Step 1 (dressing the surface) is complete. My brother works in a machine shop and I payed him a visit last night.

First we turned it upside down and milled enough off the bottom to match the surface plane, then we turned it over and milled about .005" off the surface, trued up the edges and put a small (3/32") radius on them and the hardy hole. I also had him mill the table flat. He basically just did what I told him to do, so if it's wrong, it's my fault, not his

I think it turned out looking really nice.

To boot, he gave me a bunch of Te-co clamps for my T-slotted table, a very nice dial test indicator, a probe indicator, a couple of clamps and some 9" x 1(ish)" x 1/8" strips of 4140 drops. I got the tour of the shop and got to watch the Wire EDM machine making a part. All-in-all, a great evening!