scjohnson243 Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 Hi all would this be a decent anvil to get? Just starting so I'm not sure what's good or not...Photo click here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toolish Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 Any reason your going for brand new? For the price you will get your self a reasonable 2nd hand one prob around the 150Lb mark. Guess is depends on how much money you have to burn, and anvil availability around your area. I got lucky with my anvil only had to hunt the intenet for around 3 months before i found one, scored a 300Lb one for 140 bucks (broken heel but all good) How are you going for other tools? Forge, blower, hammers, metal stock You can start out on almost anything as an anvil. Some people just mount a sledge hammer head into a stump and off you go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatfudd Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 Toolish has excellent points. I have found at least 5 decent anvils for under $2.00/lb in less than a year. The biggest was a 200lb Hay Budden. I live in NM and we are noted for having very few anvils here. All you have to do is start asking everybody you know, meet, get in arguments with, stand in line with, well you get the point, don't be bashful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scjohnson243 Posted February 3, 2013 Author Share Posted February 3, 2013 Thanks for the advice, I have been trying the TPAPPAPATAAAP method (Ok, maybe thats not it) that was posted on this website, I have told everyone, (Still am), posted on the sites, search the sites daily, spoken to people in my local blacksmith group and have only gotten a few leads. I have everything else so far (Vise, Forge, Steel, hammers, tongs, grinders, etc) I just need the anvil! I figured the day I bought it I will have 3 drop in my lap. I'm going to keep looking, but starting to get impatient! :) I'm currently using a piece of railroad track, it works, but would be nice to get an actual anvil. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toolish Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 rail road is fine to start on, especially if you have it secured well to a base. I got bored with mine and cut a hardey hole in it (lots of filing and drilling) If you have left over rail you can make a few hardey tools out of them, just cut off a few 1 inch slices and see what you can do. You will have to keep waiting, I waited and it paid off got something twice the size that I was expecting and paid half the price, Only 2 hours drive from my house too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Geist Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 That's a horseshoers anvil. It would certainly be better than a piece of railroad track but there are things about it that would be a bit annoying to a general smith. 1) The clip horn. Although it's handy for shoeing horses it really serves no other purpose and might be in your way. 2) The turning cams in the heel. They serve no useful purpose for much of anything. Are popular amongst cold shoeing iron hanging cowboys. I'd pass on any anvil that had them 3) Pritchel hole The pritchel hole on that anvil as well as all JHMs is in the wrong place. It ought to rightfully be nearer the corner on any anvil. A horseshoers anvil should have two of them. Centered like that is just all wrong. Most contemporary American made anvils are horseshoers patterns except for the biggest ones. I'd say Emerson is one of the better ones but you'd probably be best off getting a nice Hay Budden or Trenton or Fisher or something of that nature on e-bay. If you could rescue that coffee table anvil they're talking about up above that would be even better. For general shop smithing try to get the biggest heaviest thing you can get your hands on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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