oldbrain Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 G'day All, I am very pleased to have joined this community to share in metallography! I purchased two anvils recently, one of 135lbs. london Style with all parts intact; the second is a london style 200lbs. however is missing the horn and has damage to side of table (interesting to see its interior construction though). They both ring out nicely. The 135 pounder I got for 200$ CDN. The 200 pounder I got for $100 CDN. . There are weight markings on both, however, the manufacturer's stamps are next to impossible to make out. I oiled up a rag and tried to make out inscriptions but alas surface rust and wear...nada. Here are a few images, I will try to take some of better quality tomorrow. If anyone knows a little more about these two, it'd be much appreciated! Cheers from Montreal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drewed Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 My 0.02$ ( and I could be totally wrong here! ) but from looking at the picture, it looks like one of them has a welded on table, there by making it a cast base. I do believe this makes it NOT a peter wright, as they were solid wrought. And neither have the right "look" to be trenton / trenton clones. As long as they are big enough, and bounce the hammer, use 'em! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Not sure what you're seeing. Neither looks like any cast pattern I've ever seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 There is a color change on the complete anvil that is level to the face, and near the cutting step height. I am not sure what to make of it, if it is a paint difference, a material change, or something else. Both anvils look perfectly usable. A horn is over-rated anyways (it is nice to have, but not needed) Since they both ring out clear it is safe to believe that they are sound in construction, and definitely not cast iron. The faces look serviceable without any significant treatment. If you have an angle grinder, get a knotted cup for it and use that to clean entire surface of both anvils paying attention to the near side with the horn to the left, and the feet under the horn. Then you should be able to see any markings. Flour or chalk can help aid reading markings. (taking a chalk rubbing in its current state may also be helpful, or not) I would probably set up the bigger, hornless anvil as primary, because of its weight, and the smaller anvil as secondary, on a more movable mounting. Both anvils are plenty big for a lot of work. Looks like a good score, especially the hornless one at $0.50/lb. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 They both look like Mousehole anvils, or a similar old English design. These were wrought, not cast, and usually done on water powered trip hammers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Sharp feet and fat waists good indication of Mousehole or other Old English import (there are a *SLEW* of possibilities) Wrought iron body built up in forge welded chunks with a steel face forge welded on often in several slabs side by side. Quite in using condition and a decent price for each. "American" anvils like Trentons Hay Budden's and Arm and Hammer tend to go for elongated horns and heels and narrow waists---they are "grayhounds" where the Mousehole, Winchester, William Foster, Powell, etc are "bulldogs" Fishers and Vulcans being of a different process tend to be thick too; but also in the heel. So now you have one for sledging on and one for delicate work---Good Job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drewed Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Not sure what you're seeing. Neither looks like any cast pattern I've ever seen.I was looking at the second picture. There is a large color change about 3/4 to 1" down from the face. I was thinking cast steel ( not iron! ) rather than solid wrought. But looking again with the big computer screen ( rather than on the little laptop ) I agree, it doesn't look like any cast pattern on the broken one. I'll just be quite and go back and sit in the corner again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbrain Posted August 25, 2011 Author Share Posted August 25, 2011 Merci for all your replies. I am looking forward to re-organizing the shop around these two specimens and I am confident they will help me do good work. I am wondering if any of you bother to repair the tables of your anvils. The hornless one has a gauge in it that goes to the soft core beneath; is it worth forge welding it back up to prevent further crack propagation? Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Not forge welding but arc welding is fairly often used to repair anvil faces. Look up "Anvil Repair and Gunter" to find a good method of how to do it. Generally repair is something you do when you can't live with it the way it is. In 30+ years of smithing I have had two anvils repaired, one was a Vulcan that I was selling on; the other was a 400+ pound trenton(?) that maintenance at a copper mine in AZ had used as a prop when gouging mining equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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