Rob N. Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Hello all, I have an opportunity to buy a 200 lb grizzly anvil for $100 dollars. Of course it's cast iron. I am a newby to blacksmithing. I primarily want to bladesmith, but would also love to take up some classic blacksmithing projects. I guess I'm requesting advice as to whether or not, buying a 200 lb grizzly cast iron anvil for only $100 is a smart buy or not. Will it hold up to bladesmithing/blacksmithing or is it really just a very heavy doorstop. I presently am using a 20 inch piece of RR track in the vertical position spiked to an old heavy tree stump. It works well for a person of my ability, I guess. I just wanted some good advice from some good people in regards to the grizzly anvil. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harley Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Cast iron is great for a door stop or a boat anchor, not so much as an anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 I suggest passing on the cast iron anvil. Since you live in Ohio you are near the Tri-state event. Check out the stuff available at the event. Tell everyone you know that you are looking for an anvil. Check out and advertise in Craigslist. Save your money for a real anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 pass on the cast pease of stuff ! not worth pickin up.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 I agree with pass the word that you are looking for an anvil. Ohio is an anvil rich state, as a lot were made in Columbus. Save your $$ for a real one. You'll be glad that you did in the long run. My 2 cents. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s meyer Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 If bladesmithing is your mane goal I would look at scrap yards for a square of 4140 and make a post anvil. My faverat bladesmithing anvil is 5 1/2" square by 20" long pece of 4140 set on end in a 6" sqare tube welded to a 1" by 22" plate for a base. The hole thing cost about $ 135.00 and works great. I have several nice standered anvils I use for genral blacksmithing but the post anvil gets used aloght. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip in china Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 If you are doing general smithing either try to get a real anvil (see what others have posted) or go to a scrap yard and buy an offcut of mega plate for scrap sort of prices. It will work fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunsmithnMaker Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Continue with what you have or check Craig's List for a real anvil. Don't waste your money on an ASO. I looked for many years with no luck until I found my Hay Budden last Fall and I paid what most people here would say was an excellent price. You might not do as well as I did, but you may do better, and if you have a metal detector you might want to go detecting in an area where a barn or forge used to be. A couple of people on the forum have found anvils that were disgarded. Oh yeah, don't forget to call the junkers, metal scrappers, and trash collectors in your area. They might have one or know of one for sale. Don't pass up the broken ones as someone may help you rebuild it for a project you can learn on. Just be sure they know what they're doing by asking the pros around here. (Not me) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob N. Posted January 20, 2011 Author Share Posted January 20, 2011 I love this place. Thank you for all the replies. If ever there was consensus, there is on this topic! I definitely will save the $100.00 and use it towards a real anvil. Thanks again to everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 might look at this http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/grd/2103843109.html in ohio says its 200+ lbs even if it isnt might still be worth checkin out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob N. Posted January 20, 2011 Author Share Posted January 20, 2011 might look at this http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/grd/2103843109.html in ohio says its 200+ lbs even if it isnt might still be worth checkin out Thanks for the heads up. I'm in NE Ohio, so that's about 3 and 1/2 hours away, but looks (on paper) like a great deal. I'll try and look into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thingmaker3 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 A fair price for cast iron anvils is $290.00 per metric ton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 "A fair price for cast iron anvils is $290.00 per metric ton." DELIVERED! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunsmithnMaker Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 might look at this http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/grd/2103843109.html in ohio says its 200+ lbs even if it isnt might still be worth checkin out Notice the horn of a second anvil to the right in his picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason @ MacTalis Ironworks Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Can't be sure from the pic, but it looks suspiciously like a Vulcan to me... LOL Decent composite cast anvil. I am in Thompson, OH Rob, just across town from you really. The local club up here almost always has a few anvils for sale here and there... drop me a line, I might be able to hook you up with someone looking to sell for reasonable prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 A fair price for cast iron anvils is $290.00 per metric ton. So a mint 400lb fisher is only worth $290 a metric ton? I would be intrested in a few 250lbers. Sorry Thomas couldin't resist. Yeh I could buy a 55 T bird in 69. can ya buy one today for the same price? Son don't quote back in the day prices. I am 66 yrs old I know the then and now prices. Sorry I get cranky after 10pm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainely,Bob Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 So a mint 400lb fisher is only worth $290 a metric ton? I would be intrested in a few 250lbers. Sorry Thomas couldin't resist. Yeh I could buy a 55 T bird in 69. can ya buy one today for the same price? Son don't quote back in the day prices. I am 66 yrs old I know the then and now prices. Sorry I get cranky after 10pm. Don`t get too cranky there Drag,I think he was putting his tongue in his cheek and quoting scrap price for cast iron as a way to voice a opinion we pretty much all share. Had a friend it high school who drove a sky blue T-bird 2 seater convertible.Bet Marty wishes he still had that car now.Bet he could sell it and buy a summer home up here with the proceeds. I know I wish I still had my grandfather`s 59 Triumph.That car was almost as sexy,and expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason @ MacTalis Ironworks Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 So a mint 400lb fisher is only worth $290 a metric ton? I would be intrested in a few 250lbers. Sorry Thomas couldin't resist. Yeh I could buy a 55 T bird in 69. can ya buy one today for the same price? Son don't quote back in the day prices. I am 66 yrs old I know the then and now prices. Sorry I get cranky after 10pm. Unless I am mistaken, Fishers weren't cast iron. They were composite cast steel. VERY different animals there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 No, they were cast iron, but had a steel plate top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip in china Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 No, they were cast iron, but had a steel plate top. If the cast iron is contaminated with steel - i.e. the load isn't pure cast I suppose that that lowers the price further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connor bachmann Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Save up your money, go on Ebay, get yourself a Peter Wright, you'll never regret it. hold on to your good anvil and never sell it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason @ MacTalis Ironworks Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 No, they were cast iron, but had a steel plate top. Odd... I'd have thought cast iron would be far too hard and brittle to make a quality anvil from. Was always under the belief that they were of a cast low carbon steel. Learn something new every day I guess... some day I should get to reading the anvil history books I have... my info on the subject is a little spotty in some places. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 It's the steel plate than makes all the difference! Remember that a powerhammer was typically made from cast iron too with just the steel dies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob N. Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 Quick question. I'm going to take the forumites advice and save up to get a real anvil, but after reading here and other places, is it possible just to weld a a couple inch thick steel plate on top of the grizzly cast iron anvil? Isn't that what some of the anvil manufacturers do, or have done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 No, no maker does it that way and getting a good bond on a full penetration weld between steel and cast iron is NOT trivial! Very prone to failure. Probably cheaper to buy a good anvil. The old ones were cast that way with a preheated steel plate in a special mold that allowed for the cast iron to wash across the surface of the steel plate and clean it off an make the bond. There are no current manufacturers who offer a steel faced cast iron bodied anvil. Currently we have people making all steel (cast or forged) anvils and people making cast iron ASOs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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