tdennis Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 My name is Dennis Glazener from Central Virginia and I just joined the forum. Llike most new members to a forum I have a couple of questions. I just picked up a 82 lb (by bath room scale) Kohlswa anvil that seems to be in pretty fair condition. I build flintlock rifles and the guy I got the anvil from wants me to build a rifle as part of the trade for the anvil, post vise and 8 tongs. I will have to figure out the values of his items later. Right now I have a question about repairing an old anvil that belonged to my dad that will no longer need. I can find no name on it and extimate the weight around 50 lbs or so. Over the years the anvil has been well used and the corners are well worn/dented. The rest is in pretty decent condition. I want to sell it but am thinking about having a welder build up the corners and squaring them back for me. This guy does great work and I doubt it will run me a lot of money. Is the a valid way of rebuilding an anvil? I will mention that this anvil has absolutely no "ring" to it at all.I has served me well for the light work that I have used it for but I thought I might be able to sell it for more if I had the rounded edges squared up. Am I off base? Thanks Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluidsteel Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Pictures would help. If it has no ring, it could be a Fisher or a Vulcan with a cast iron body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Or a cast iron ASO, they were sold even 100 years ago. Anyway you might want to look up the Rob Gunter method of anvil repair for a good way to do it---if it's not cast iron. If it is cast iron best not mess with it. Good anvils often sell for less with repairs as the person buying it has no way to know if it was done *right* or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdennis Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 I found some photos of the old anvil so they are attached Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 but no sign of the raised logo or weight indicator on the leg...Damage makes me think CI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VolcanoForge Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Vulcans have a steel top plate that extends through the horn. If it was a Vulcan It wouldn't have the parting line though the middle of the horn. Unfortunately looks like Its a ASO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluidsteel Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 I'd sell it as is. Not much value to be had by investing in the coat of repair. If it has decent rebound it will be an okay starting anvil for someone else. Looks like a Vulcan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdennis Posted July 20, 2012 Author Share Posted July 20, 2012 I'd sell it as is. Not much value to be had by investing in the coat of repair. If it has decent rebound it will be an okay starting anvil for someone else. Looks like a Vulcan. I think I will sell it as is. What would be a fair price to ask for it? Weight is approx. 50-60 lbs. No ring to it and not a lot of rebound. Thanks Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluidsteel Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Hmmmm... Value? Whatever you can get for it? I'd say reasonably $2.00 a pound so $100? If it's reasonable rebound $100 will get a new smith a start. With my knifemaking and smithing, I am trying to be a "business person" and value all my tool/knife sales at full value instead of being the "nice guy" and giving them away at or near cost. The nice guy part of me would say $75 to help a new smith out. The business side of me says put it on CL and shoot for $150.00!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdennis Posted July 20, 2012 Author Share Posted July 20, 2012 Hmmmm... Value? Whatever you can get for it? I'd say reasonably $2.00 a pound so $100? If it's reasonable rebound $100 will get a new smith a start. With my knifemaking and smithing, I am trying to be a "business person" and value all my tool/knife sales at full value instead of being the "nice guy" and giving them away at or near cost. The nice guy part of me would say $75 to help a new smith out. The business side of me says put it on CL and shoot for $150.00!! Thanks, I had thought about asking $100 for it but wasn't sure. I will list it for $150 and see how it goes. Can always come down but kind of hard to go up! Thanks to all that helped. Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 If it's a cast iron ASO $2 a pound is not reasonable but highway robbery! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 If no rebound or ring, $75.00 is highway robbery. Most of us here will help the newbie get started with tooling. Also, a good deed or bad one will eventually come back to ya. JMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VolcanoForge Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 If it is truly a ASO I would use it as yard art instead of pawning in off on someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluidsteel Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 To clarify. My price was assuming it was a Vulcan with "decent" rebound. Also, if it's a Vulcan and cast iron like my Fisher, it wouldn't have a ring so it's based upon rebound, not ring. If it's a ASO $50 with a disclaimer that it's an ASO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdennis Posted July 20, 2012 Author Share Posted July 20, 2012 To clarify. My price was assuming it was a Vulcan with "decent" rebound. Also, if it's a Vulcan and cast iron like my Fisher, it wouldn't have a ring so it's based upon rebound, not ring. If it's a ASO $50 with a disclaimer that it's an ASO. What is an ASO? I am not familiar with the term.If no rebound or ring, $75.00 is highway robbery. Most of us here will help the newbie get started with tooling. Also, a good deed or bad one will eventually come back to ya. JMO I will set the price at a fair value or I will not sell. Plus every thing that I have ever sold carries a 3 day return for any reason. I would not want to be taken advantage of and I don't intentionally do that to others. Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 For the new people: Vulcans and Fishers have a steel face and a cast iron body and so don't ring; but at least in the case of Fisher make a superior anvil anyway! (I'm biased against Vulcans even though I've owned them, used them and have friends who swear by them----even got most of one on my wall of shame!) ASO "Anvil Shaped Objects" are entirely cast iron objects that look like an anvil and are often sold as anvils but are not really up to using anvil standards---though they lure many a new person into buying one for way too much money when a heavy chunk of STEEL from the scrapyard would be much superior as an anvil and cost far far less. Harbor Freight is a modern seller of ASOs for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdennis Posted July 21, 2012 Author Share Posted July 21, 2012 ASO "Anvil Shaped Objects" are entirely cast iron objects that look like an anvil and are often sold as anvils but are not really up to using anvil standards---though they lure many a new person into buying one for way too much money when a heavy chunk of STEEL from the scrapyard would be much superior as an anvil and cost far far less. Harbor Freight is a modern seller of ASOs for example. Thanks, makes sense now. I put the anvil on Craigs list last night for $100 and had 2 calls less than an hour after putting it on. I posted the same photos I did here. The first guy wanted to come last night but we had friends over so he came this morning. Took one look and said it was bigger than he expected and he wanted it. He left tickled to death and has three days to return it if he changes his mind. He was not a blacksmith nor was he interested in becoming one. He said he just wanted to have something he could bend iron/steel on to save the vise he had been trying to do it on. Had 4 more people wanting to look at it before I could delete the ad. Thanks Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Note that a 3 day guarantee for an item that might not get tested out and used for weeks as someone works on getting a forge together is not that great of one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Gaddis Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Be happy with your deal...then apply good money for good tools! Don't waste time witha make-do anvil unless that is absolutely all you can get. When you get or acquire a good or great anvil you will be very glad you did not waste any more money. Personally I have purchased two such anvils...then I slowed down ...and got an almost new condition Kohlswa for a decent price. Blacksmithing can be as expensive as you desire...and anvil purchasing can be MORE difficult than you desire. Good luck on looking for you anvil. There are more than one person on the IFI Forum that help persons like yourself get anvils. Look around. And be available too...cause unexpectantly they show up on Flebay or CL...and they sell very fast. Carry on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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