neg Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 I can get this, a 200lb vulcan for $400. The face looks pretty good. $2/lb sounds great to me, but before I buy it, is there any reason I shouldn't? I don't know much about them, so I need somebody to either talk me into buying it or talk me out of it. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tech413 Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 I have a vulcan, but not that big. I have heard a lot of people say they are too soft. I don't find it too bad, but if you do miss, it will put a dent in the face. I think they are all the same, a cast base with a tool steel top. Mine has been good, up until last night, I missed and took a small chip out of the edge of the face. Not a huge deal but it still sucks. I would say, for me, at $2 a pound, if its in good shape, BUY IT!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neg Posted March 4, 2013 Author Share Posted March 4, 2013 I just did, apparently it came off the recently decomissioned uss enterprise. I thought it was hilarous, I'ma name him Spock! :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tech413 Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 LOL!!! Awesome! Great name! Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 If you can get some provenance to show that it came off the USS Enterprise, that would be worth something. A Vulcan anvil gets a bad rap, but they were still a good anvil for the most part. Might not be as good as a Fisher, but certainly worth having in the shop if you can get one for a decent price. $2/lb is a decent price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neg Posted March 24, 2013 Author Share Posted March 24, 2013 I finally got it (took forever) the other day and cleaned it up. I know people say vulcans aren't that great, but I absolutely love this anvil. Now I've just got to find a stump to fit it. I can't wait to beat some metal on it! n_n Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Looks great! I'd build a stump out of pressure-treated lumber so you don't have to worry about rot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frozenforge Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Use it wisely and Im sure it will be just find. After all Vulcans were a lower cost anvil for the general public and were used accordingly. I have seen plenty of pictures of higher quality anvils with faceplates missing, badly chipped edges, broken horns and heels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesG Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Nice score, I have 100 pound, and I like mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsme Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I would've bought it without a second thought! Nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 That looks considerably older than what the US Navy purchases for ships now or even when the USS Enterprise(CVN-65) was first commissioned in 1961. Perhaps it was from the WWII ship CV-6, that was scrapped in 1958. That looks to an older anvil than the 1960s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neg Posted March 25, 2013 Author Share Posted March 25, 2013 Well I don't really know when it was made. If anybody can date it I'd be interested to know. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Telling us how great your anvil is *before* you have done substantial work on it is sort of counting your chickens before they are hatched! I'm not a big fan of vulcans, I've owned a couple---and a friend liked them and had a bunch in his shop. However I do recommend them for folks in urban or suburban settings that can't find a Fisher as they are "quiet" anvils. (The faces are thinner than a Fisher and I've seen a number of Vulcans with rather severe casting issues) They are on my bottom tier of "real" anvils---but they are on the list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neg Posted March 26, 2013 Author Share Posted March 26, 2013 Well my other anvil I've been using is cast iron with a steel top also, but the steel plate on this one is twice as thick, so I'm sure it'll be an upgrade to my old one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gundog48 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Could you tell me about that hammer please, it looks fantastic! I quite like the shape of Vulcans, thin heeled anvils look nice, but I'd be more confident in one that's a bit shorter and thicker, it also tends to make better use of it's weight. I've heard of problems with the face coming off though, and it gets annoying when they question the logic of every forging operation you make :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neg Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 Could you tell me about that hammer please, it looks fantastic! I quite like the shape of Vulcans, thin heeled anvils look nice, but I'd be more confident in one that's a bit shorter and thicker, it also tends to make better use of it's weight. I've heard of problems with the face coming off though, and it gets annoying when they question the logic of every forging operation you make :P I got the hammer for $4 at the local flea market. I etched it with saltwater, stained the handle, and rounded one of the faces. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Finding even a Vulcan in Fla. is almost as memorable as finding one in Alaska. You might want to consider making an anvil stand such as Brian Brazeal recommends rather than a wood block. I have both and much prefer the steel stand, it's much quieter and lets me work as close as I want. It's quieter because the steel of the stand has a different resonant frequency than the anvil so any ring quickly damps out where wood helps maintain the ring. Steel stands also don't bounce under heavy blows, rock on uneven surfaces or burn, they're easier to load too. I also made hammer and tong racks that do double duty as wedges holding the anvil solidly in the stand. Just my dos centavos. What you like is what's right for you. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Evers Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 I have a 280 pound Vulcan, repaired the edges about 20 years ago using 7018 rod. Still holding up pretty well, but keep in mind that I'm more a farrier than blacksmith and it doesn't have real heavy steel worked on a regular basis. I was moving not forging when this pic was taken and it shows some rust. Gone now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Evers Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 I have a 280 pound Vulcan, repaired the edges about 20 years ago using 7018 rod. Still holding up pretty well, but keep in mind that I'm more a farrier than blacksmith and it doesn't have real heavy steel worked on a regular basis. I was moving not forging when this pic was taken and it shows some rust. Gone now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 I'd bet you are Thore after using that hammer all day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neg Posted March 28, 2013 Author Share Posted March 28, 2013 Here's a better picture of my hammer. It's my first attempt at etching ever. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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