ichudov Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 All I have to go by, right now, is this photo: I am guessing that it is standing on a standard sized folding table, that gives some size reference. Also, it seems as though it has some sort of a deep pitting. They say that it is a Vulcan anvil. See attached photo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLMartin Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 On the front of the anvil there will be a number to tell you how heavy it is. Some times it only has a 10 and that would refer to 100, or a 7 meaning 70, ext. Some times you see them with the full number, sometimes just one number. That anvil is cast iron body with a VARY thin steel face. Not easy to repair. Vulcan anvils are bottom of the line anvils. I have one with a nice flat face and I like it just fine. But with a face that pitted it will be vary hard to use. I would probably pass on the anvil, or at the most pay 25 dollars just to play with it. You will not be able to grind it flat and use it again, the tool steel face is vary thin and if its gone, then its gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ichudov Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 MLMartin, what you are, kind of, saying, is that Vulcan is the Harbor Freight of the 19th century. The only good thing about them is that they are quiet due to cast iron construction. Right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 It is a Vulcan anvil, the logo standing proud of the side is conclusive. (Arm and Hammer has a similar logo but it's punched *into* the side of the anvil) Vulcans tend to have soft faces and so often are dinged up rather than pitted. That one doesn't look to bad to me. They are quiet anvils---they don't ring when struck. If I needed an anvil I would go US$1 a pound for it. DO NOT GRIND THE FACE as mentioned it's *thin*. Plannish the face if necessary---why dings make a difference compared to pits... Personally I believe that Vulcans are on the lowest quality tier of "real" anvils and have never kept the ones I have found but sold them on immediately to other people getting started having told them *my* opinion of them! (I tend to find anvils cheaper than most new people can and so pass them on at cost) Note that they are not for heavy use as they break! 2# hammer yes, Sledge NO! If they want some high price laugh at them (and anyone foolish enough to pay it) and walk off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ichudov Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 ThomasPowers, thanks. I have a 200 lbs Peter Wright anvil. I bought this Vulcan at an online factory liquidation auction. I will pick it up soon and I will report what size/weight it is etc when I pick up. I am a sucker for a couple of things, such as electric motors and anvils. I get itching in my pocket when I see an anvil at an auction. i Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 No need to be sorry that you have a small anvil! Most of the work done in olden times was on small anvils. The big "bragging" ones tended to be more for industrial use. Remember it's not the size it's as much as how you use it! (yes this was tongue in cheek for those who are humour recognition impaired) It's funny that my main shop anvil is a 515# Fisher; but I think I still have more hammering hours on my 93# Arm and Hammer as it's the one that goes on day long demos and so gets lots of extended use where my hobby shop is rather punctuated in use... Once the Fisher moves out to the "dirty" shop I hope to get more time on the 410# Trenton as it will be the mainstay in the "clean" shop. The A&H is also my Of course I'm getting ready to bring my Y1K forge to an SCA event, (Battlemoor, the Outlands), and will be only bringing a 25# "cube on a spike" anvil and two stake anvils I constructed one with round "horns" the other with square ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ichudov Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 I brought it home today. This is a 100 lbs Vulcan anvil. Turns out that the roughly textured surface on top is not rust pitted metal, it is just very dirty, old, clumpy grease. Due to the grease, there was very little rust on it. After a little washing with soap, here's how it looks. (high res picture) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLMartin Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Good thing it was grease! It looked pretty bad in the first picture. Guess you never really know what it is until you lay your own hands on it. Should be a good anvil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ichudov Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 I was wondering about a couple of things. 1) How thick if the steel plate on top? 2) How come, if this is a cast iron anvil (which is definitely the case), I am getting rebound from it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 2: cause you are hitting the steel face! (actually cast iron does have a rebound it's just much lower than a high carbon steel, (unless you have chilled cast iron which will then be very hard but brittle!) 1 not very. I've seen several worn completely through so probably less than 3/8"; polish a bit on the side and drip some acid on it and you might see the transition line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLMartin Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 For a 100 LB Vulcan I would think the steel face is maybe 1/4" thick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLMartin Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I see your selling you anvil on Ebay, asking 200. You say in the description "Vulcan anvils in this size are rare. " That's really not true. 100lb Is probably the most common size they sold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ichudov Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 I see your selling you anvil on Ebay, asking 200. You say in the description "Vulcan anvils in this size are rare. " That's really not true. 100lb Is probably the most common size they sold. I thought that 70 size was the most common. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 No I've seen a score of 100# Vulcan's even without doing any hunting for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ichudov Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 ThomasPowers, thanks. I removed mention of how rare they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ichudov Posted June 12, 2011 Author Share Posted June 12, 2011 Well, I sold it today for the asking price of $200. It is a decent anvil of its type, I hope that it serves the buyer well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Well, I sold it today for the asking price of $200. It is a decent anvil of its type, I hope that it serves the buyer well. Hi Igor, Was up there in May didn,t have time to stop by.Might get up again in Sept. My first was a mint 100lb vulcan. It sold to a local smith for $200. Is the PW still holding up the pool? The boys must be getting big by now. Ken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ichudov Posted June 12, 2011 Author Share Posted June 12, 2011 Hi Igor, Was up there in May didn,t have time to stop by.Might get up again in Sept. My first was a mint 100lb vulcan. It sold to a local smith for $200. Is the PW still holding up the pool? The boys must be getting big by now. Ken. Ken, the Peter Wright serves me very well. I have it on a big wooden log. Let me know when you are around. Igor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernesto Garcia Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 Hello all, especially Mr Martin. So if my Vulcan has a 12 stamped on it, it should weigh 120lbs??? How much should I pay for a decent Vulcan??? Plz/thx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 Perhaps 1 quatloo; not knowing which of the 100+ countries that participate here on the World Wide Web makes it hard to give a price; anvils are much cheaper in the UK than Australia for instance. Shoot prices vary even depending where people are in the USA. Vulcans are on the lower quality tier of American anvils; but are very handy for urban and suburbia as they are "quiet anvils"; I would generally expect them to be priced at about 1/2 the price of top tier anvils; but many if not most folks selling them try to sell a "Ford Escort" at "S Class Mercedes" prices...either they don't know or they expect the people buying won't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 I doubt you will get a reply from Mr.Martin seeing as he hasn't been on the forum in almost 5 years. Yes a 12 cast into the base indicates 120 pounds plus or minus a few when cast new. Trying to give an estimate of value without pictures is a stab in the dark, because what someone considers decent condition may actually be way off the mark. I have seen anvils advertised as in excellent condition that were missing the hardened face plate and have had the heels broken off making them nothing but a boat anchor worth scrap price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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