October 31, 201015 yr hey guys, just got this m&H armitage mouse hole anvil, weight says its 177 lbs i think, my question is why is this anvil "leaning" towards the horn, I have never seen one that wasn't the same height all the way across the face. you can barely see it in the picture but It is quite noticeable in person, anyone know why it would be cast this way? any comments appreciated. thanks
October 31, 201015 yr hey guys, just got this m&H armitage mouse hole anvil, weight says its 177 lbs i think, my question is why is this anvil "leaning" towards the horn, I have never seen one that wasn't the same height all the way across the face. you can barely see it in the picture but It is quite noticeable in person, anyone know why it would be cast this way? any comments appreciated. thanks It's noticeable in the picture too. If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have thought that the picture was taken crooked or the mounting/floor was not level. Could be that the anvil has seen alot of serious and heavy hammer work near the horn-end. It might be a casting defect. Looks like you should still be able to just shim it level and still get lots of good years out of her..
October 31, 201015 yr IT IS FORGED! Not cast. It is over 100 years old, possibly 200. The anvil was welded up from pieces and forged using water power and teams of men with sledgehammers. The face was welded to the body by a team of men with sledgehammers. It has had a long life. It may have always been crooked, or it has squatted over the years of use. Wrought iron is relatively soft, so deforming happens. I would either shape a stump to match the angle, or a full length wood wedge for your tripod, or leave it alone. Phil
November 1, 201015 yr It's leaning because the smith who had it made had one leg shorter than the other. It was an injury he received during the war of 1812. Okay, it was sheer artistry, but it was awfully good story telling.
November 1, 201015 yr IT IS FORGED! Not cast. It is over 100 years old, possibly 200. The anvil was welded up from pieces and forged using water power and teams of men with sledgehammers. The face was welded to the body by a team of men with sledgehammers. It has had a long life. It may have always been crooked, or it has squatted over the years of use. Wrought iron is relatively soft, so deforming happens. I would either shape a stump to match the angle, or a full length wood wedge for your tripod, or leave it alone. Phil I would agree with everything exceot the wood wedge. With a 177lb anviland being hammered on I think the wood would crush quickly. Do a steel shim under the anvil or under the front leg. Ken.
November 1, 201015 yr Author WOW, thanks for the info, I am going to make a shim this week and pound on some steel! it has been repaired but has a good loud ring and rebound...
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