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I Forge Iron

New Anvil score today with questions?


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Hello to all,

I just got home from the auction today and wire brushed off this beauty, it is stamped 103 on the side. Serial number is 21748 on right front foot, with a L or a K on the left side
I was guessing it a Trenton or Arm & Hammer before I got it home, but there is a square stamped on the side and all I can make out is CHICAGO in the bottom of the box.

Here are some pics. I paid $85 for it, rings loud as my Sodefers & Kohlswa, & excellent rebound!!

I am curious for the date made, and who made it, and any Ideas on the horn can I heat it up and shape it back??

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post-14465-0-72662700-1350166721_thumb.jpost-14465-0-95064800-1350166748_thumb.jpost-14465-0-79624400-1350166809_thumb.j

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I have fixed horns like that by building up a whole bunch of mig weld. Then grinding smooth. The horn is most likely high quality wrought iron so no special processes are required to do It. You could forge it back if you don't mind a little hard work I have seen it done. You will need a helper to do it make sure you don't over heat the face in the process or you will soften it.

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Made by Columbus Anvil & Forging Co., makers of Arm & Hammer brand anvils, less sure who the customer in Chicago was that it was made for.
Kohlswa, A&H, Trenton all used bases with that pill shaped hollow for stability, but being a forged anvil, Kohlswa is out.
A&H put the weight on the side below the name, Trenton put the weight on the left front foot, that together with overall shape and 5 digit ser.# says A&H.

Postman gives approx. 1914 for ser.#21,748 in AIA. Most commonly seen Chicago merchants' names on anvils were S.D.Kimbark and E.D.Kimball, both also had Chicago on the anvil, but not in a box like this, maybe someone else has the answer. Montgomery Ward was also in Chicago, but anvils made for them usually just said Lakeside, one of their brands, without Chicago..

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Thanks for all of the info that is very helpful, I like to know how old thnigs are, how many people had it before me, Kind of cool!

On the horn repair or build up can I just use my wire welder or do I need to get some special rods with a stick welder?.

I was also wondering the horn is wrought Iron? Can weld another hunk of metal in there then gring it down?

thanks Jeff

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I can't say for sure but it looks like a cast body, if so you can certainly build it up with build up rod and it'll be much more resistant to hammering than mild wire, heck, if it's wrought build up rod is still better than mild wire.

In general build up rod is intended to lay over cast, be it iron, steel or high alloy say a crusher drum and it'll lay well without cleaning. I'm not saying you shouldn't take a wire brush to the horn before using it but in the field you just can't always clean the steel before laying beads so build up rod is pretty unconcerned with things like dirt, sand, rust and such.

Build up rod is high impact resistant without being very abrasion resistant, it'll take a beating without deforming but you can grind it without buying high dollar abrasives, plain old grinding disks or cup grinders. In short, build up rod is my recommendation for most anvil repairs not involving sticking pieces back on.

Oh by the way, good score even if you don't restore the horn. Heck it has an interesting shape as it stands and may make a dandy die face for hollow forming, bending and such. Maybe give it a try before rebuilding it?

Frosty The Lucky.

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That anvil has a cast steel base with a wrought iron body and a tool steel face. You can see the lines on the side for the arc weld at the waist and the line where the face plate is forge welded to the body. MiG wire is a bit harder than mild steel it holds up well I have fixed 2 anvils this way. Both worked out well.

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Note that using wrought iron as a filler rod won't work quite the way you want it to. Part of what makes wrought iron wrought iron is the presence of close to 2% ferrous silicates (slag) distributed as spicules in the material. (Was reading the 1948 ASM Handboook section on Wrought iron at Breakfast Saturday Morning...) once it's melted the ferrous silicates will float to the top of the puddle leaving just "mild steel". Easier just ti go with a regular filler rod and skip the slag issues.

Macbruce: I've been hunting some real wrought iron wire for quite a while; interested in selling/trading some?

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