January 9, 201115 yr Hello Everyone, I have been thinking about forging for awhile now, but wasn't sure where I was gonna get an anvil. Yesterday I was checking out prices online. I was shocked @ the prices. So I thought where can I get a piece of RR. Well today my 13y.o. son was playing in the woods behind our house and come across what seems to be a 125 anvil. I was shocked. It looks as if it has been painted over and I cant tell what brand it is. It has been used. Looks as if it has build up on the horn side of the anvil away from the holes end. Whoa whoa edit: As I was typing I thought about when I lifted it and saying it weighed 125lbs. Man I can lift 125lbs over my head. I cant lift this past my waist and I'm a big strong man(above average anyway) My son is an athlete and lifts weights he weighs 190 and he believe it weighs more than 125. Well anyway the sun has shined down on us on an overcast day. Doug
January 9, 201115 yr It's not every day anvils fall out of the sky and land in your back yard. Must have been Wiley Coyote did it. In any case thats terrific. If you post some pix, people here will help you identify it and figure out the weight.
January 9, 201115 yr Author It's not every day anvils fall out of the sky and land in your back yard. Must have been Wiley Coyote did it. In any case thats terrific. If you post some pix, people here will help you identify it and figure out the weight. It's 25" long 10" wide Base is 9 3/4x8 7/8 1inch square 3/4 inch round another square under the horn I will get pictures as soon as I can
January 9, 201115 yr Great find by your son! Blessings come when we least expect them. Any markings on the side? #'s? Post a picture when you can. Enjoy your new anvil. Mark<><
January 10, 201115 yr Author Well I figured out what Anvil it is. I noticed the makers mark under the paint, well I started taking the paint off and couldn't figure out but a few of letters. But I have been searching for an anvil like for about 1.5 hours to match up what letters I do have and finally found it. Its a Hay-Budden Got to figure the year now.
January 10, 201115 yr Unbeleivable! What good fortune for you...and a largish Hay Budden to boot. Welcome to IFI.
January 10, 201115 yr Author I just uncovered the Mod# 182. I am kind of tickled. I just started metal detecting and have found nothing but scrap. BTW MY son dragged this about 300 yards out of the woods. He's a brute.
January 10, 201115 yr I just uncovered the Mod# 182. I am kind of tickled. I just started metal detecting and have found nothing but scrap. BTW MY son dragged this about 300 yards out of the woods. He's a brute. The "model #" is probably the weight. From your description, that sounds around right.
January 10, 201115 yr I finally figured the serial # ...A12125 Made in 1919 according to Anvils in America. Edit - sorry, redundant post to the 'Hay Budden List' thread.
January 10, 201115 yr Yaktelcom, where are you located? Just curious, so that I can start watching the sky, if we're in close proximity. :D
January 10, 201115 yr hey i lost that when i was walking my dog.where do you live again its redish blueish black right.good find
January 10, 201115 yr The best way to take care of the anvil is to put hot metal on the face of the anvil and hit the hot metal with a hammer. Hot metal will shine the face AND keep it from rusting. Rust on the face means your not using enough hot iron. (grin) The paint (patina) protects the rest of the anvil so leave it alone.
January 10, 201115 yr Author No someone painted it and my son just found it today in the woods? The paint looks like the xxxx we used in the NAVY ....red deck paint ...here is some pictures The places I have clean looks black underneath(patina)
January 10, 201115 yr Knotted wire cup brush on a 4 1/2" angle grinder will take care of any paint you don't want on it.
January 10, 201115 yr Those red splotches might be what's left of the road runner! A Hay Budden!!! And it looks like it's in great shape. HBs have a kind of cult following among American smiths. I own two (and had to pay MONEY for both!) and neither is in as good shape as yours. You can knock off the paint like Mark said. The face and horn can be cleaned up with a belt sander (100 grit) or flap disk. If you do that, and it's not really necessary, go very light an just take off most of the surface rust. Chances are the face is pitted from rusting and if you try to expose bare shiny metal you will take off too much. Don't do any reshaping at all until you have had a fair amount of time using it. People are often mistaken about how smooth or shiny anvils should be. That girl is ready to go to work just as she is.
January 10, 201115 yr Did you leave your chrismas stocking in the woods this year? Good find that! Ian
January 10, 201115 yr Wire brush on an angle grinder to remove unwanted paint, Looks like there is a tonne of life left in it as long as someone doesn't hog metal off the face! Please beware of the original owner---anyone that feckless and who gets angry enough to hurl such a lovely anvil out into the trackless wild is NOT someone you want to strike up an acquaintance with!
January 10, 201115 yr What an awesome story! My job takes me to all kinds of rural places with old dilapidated farmsteads, and I keep thinking that one day I'll find a half-buried anvil just laying there. I've found old forges (all broken beyond repair), and tons of scrap metal, but never an anvil. Good to know that it could happen, though.
January 10, 201115 yr Author Those red splotches might be what's left of the road runner! A Hay Budden!!! And it looks like it's in great shape. HBs have a kind of cult following among American smiths. I own two (and had to pay MONEY for both!) and neither is in as good shape as yours. You can knock off the paint like Mark said. The face and horn can be cleaned up with a belt sander (100 grit) or flap disk. If you do that, and it's not really necessary, go very light an just take off most of the surface rust. Chances are the face is pitted from rusting and if you try to expose bare shiny metal you will take off too much. Don't do any reshaping at all until you have had a fair amount of time using it. People are often mistaken about how smooth or shiny anvils should be. That girl is ready to go to work just as she is. I love the fact that I have a piece of usable American History. That being said I don't think I will grind it. The paints that are on it I will wire brush it off. The top is mushroomed a bit, I won't worry about that much right now if at all. I guess what I am saying I don't want to remove any metal at all. And Like one poster mentioned using it will take care of most. I like the fact that we will be pounding on the same surfaces that someone else did nearly 100 yrs ago. Well since we found the anvil 5 in of snow has fell here in Alabama, so our world has come to a halt. As soon as we can I will be building a forge to start. My son and I want to bladesmith to start, and maybe some other things, like belt buckles. The young men in his school are into belt buckles(lol). I have some experience in metal but not much, I have worked in 3 foundries, One as a sawman, QA tech, and last one as melted, pourer and knock-out. I eventually want to pour metal.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.