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I Forge Iron

Weight loss


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This anvil has certainly seen better days, has a few rough edges ans a chip at the hardie hole, but it's not beat up too badly and works fine. It's marked "1-3-3" but actually weighs in at about 188 or so. Is it unusual to lose 10-12 pounds over time or was it an error at the factory? Doesnt look like there's that much accountable in the chips.

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you do realize that the weight numbers are cast into the anvil as a part of the mold. They are not added after being finished and weighted?

A cast is poured to an average level in the mold, there is going to be variance in the finished weight dues to how far it was filled, as well as how much was removed in the grind/polish of the face after cooling. Do you think 5% or so is very far off when dealing with molten steel?

just a FYI

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you do realize that the weight numbers are cast into the anvil as a part of the mold. They are not added after being finished and weighted?

A cast is poured to an average level in the mold, there is going to be variance in the finished weight dues to how far it was filled, as well as how much was removed in the grind/polish of the face after cooling. D0 you think 5% or so is very far off when dealing with molten steel?

just a FYI

Seems to me the numbers are stamped, post-forgeing.
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Anvils loose weight as they age.

With the various damage to parts of the anvil it is not unreasonable, but seems like quite a lot since there is no major pieces missing, but lots of small pieces.

Weighing it on another scale may not be a bad idea though.

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You do realize that Mousehole anvils have no cast parts to them and were assembled by forge welding up chunks of real wrought iron and the weights were stamped in them after they finished welding them up and weighed them?

Most types of anvils are not cast and so the previous post on casting is not germane.

On old anvils it seems like the factory weights have quite a bit of slop in them 10% error is fairly common, not to mention loss due to wear and rusting.

Does anyone remember if Postman mentioned stamping the weights hot after the final forging and so not including loss due to grinding the face fair?

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Possibly more accurate to say most old anvils were not cast. I don't know the figures but would think that virtually all new anvils now are cast.

Casting technology has come on so much in recent years that the difference between castings and forgings seems to be little enough- see the separate thread on cast and forged Hofi hammers.

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Well right, personally speaking I have dropped an inch or two in height ,and put on a little extra around the middle, but my weight still went down.......The lost mass was no doubt caused by the loss of my fine head of hair..........the anvil is bald :P

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True ... but Macbruce's comment was just about shrinkage.


Macbruce's comment(s) are bs.......;)

Maybe the guy who stamped the anvil #'s on a Friday had ''liquid lunch'' ....:lol: That's as close to a serious answer I can give on this...............mb
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