Xaraph Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 I've been pounding on a cast iron 15 pound doorstop for a while. It's been good practice; although mostly I've been learning to work with my forge, what color the iron should be when I pull it out, and how it responds to getting hit at different temperatures. So far I've got a pair of badly made tongs under my belt and a combination fish bonker/gill cutter made from a railroad spike. What I haven't been learning is good hammering technique. At least I don't imagine that's the case working with a junk anvil. So I've been keen on point looking for a real anvil to take its place. The search reminds me of my other hobby, fly fishing. A lot of expectations, a lot of emotion, some disappointment but ultimately, the reward isn't the end goal, the reward is the journey. I keep at it because it's all a learning process. I'm constantly torn between new and used; heavy and light. I've read "get the heaviest you can afford". But that kind of scares me. I passed on a decent 300+lb Vaughn on craigslist with clean lines for $900. If it was more local I might have gone for it, but I'm not even sure how to move something that heavy. And for that price, I could get a new anvil in a more manageable but still serviceable weight. On the other hand, I missed a clean 70lb anvil for $100 on craigslist this morning. For that price, I would have gladly forgone a heavier anvil for the time being. But by the time I'd emailed the guy it was already gone. Then I look at Craigslist again, and someone's popped up a Nimba 450lb for $1800. Sure...if I just had a few more months to save. But I want one NOW!! Oh well...I'll stay on the hunt. I ordered some heat treated round stock off ebay that I'll mount in cement for the time being. But I'm going to keep pressing refresh on craigslist, it's become an addiction. And wondering if I should just opt for a new Ridgid #9. If only someone local stocked them. Why couldn't the settlers have hit the West Coast first? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel.85 Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 Get at least a 100lb anvil, it will last you a long time since you've just started learning. A good size life-long anvil is around 300lbs, anything over 400lbs is luxury, unless you're doing lots of work with a striker/sledge. That is all just my opinion though, read everything you can find about anvils and find what you think will work best for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 70-100 lbs is a good, usable size for most people. Easily portable compared to bigger ones and can always be tied to a heavy anchor such as a buried stump or block. A large shop anvil is nice if you can find one but not essential to start out. Don't stress yourself by searching exclusively for "bigger is better". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 Greetings X, Most of the professional blacksmiths that I know could do the same work that the do on a daily basis on a old railroad track.... Granted they all have big anvils but that comes with time... I have several and just purchased an Wilkenson 138 lb for 125.00 Take your time and you will find a nice 100lber for reasonable money. Ask the good old boys on this forum before you purchase they are more than willing to help.. Jim PATIENCE... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xaraph Posted April 2, 2013 Author Share Posted April 2, 2013 Thanks guys. I think at this point I'd settle for whatever quality anvil pops up at a good value. I'd prefer around 150lbs to start, but 20 pounds of steel would be an improvement over what I'm working with now. I just need to learn to be patient. Living on the West Coast seems to be the wrong coast however. 80% of the used anvils I see are coming out of North Carolina. The irony is (using the word irony is ironic enough on this forum), I live in Kalama, which has a major steel processing plant. I may have to stop by and see if they have any heavy chunks they want to get rid of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 They probably have an old smithy buried in their repair and maintenance shop that they may not be using anymore... 150 pounds is a decent shop anvil, most larger were more in the "Industrial Smithing" end of things and as you mentioned are coveted from "Anvil Envy" (I term I coined quite some time ago to cover what so many of us suffer from!) A lighter anvil---around 100#---is a good starter anvil and can morph into a travel anvil when the larger one turns up. (nothing seems to attract more anvils like having one...) Two weekends ago I finally got a 165 Hay Budden I had bought/traded for last year. My apprentice picked it up on his way home to CA and it finally made it to NM using blacksmiths mail. I built a stump for it out of *old* oak 2x10" that had been flooring from a horse trailer. The scrapyard gave it to me for free and it was too grungy for woodworking so I made a set of shelves in the shop and with the leftovers I cut out 6 pieces 23" and two 24" long (for the end caps) and bolted it together VERTICALLY using the bolts they use out here for guardrails (another scrapyard find) I've been doing a lot of teaching on the travel anvils lately and boy it sure was a delight to fire up the forge and give the new addition to my anvil harem a go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron123 Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 You might wanna consider a nimba if your desperate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xaraph Posted April 3, 2013 Author Share Posted April 3, 2013 I think the Nimba's are sexy as hell, but the small one is at the top of my current price range. Since I'm in state and pay sales tax, the price on the 120# is up there. I can get a Ridgid Peddinghaus drop-forged 160# for the about same price shipped, since Ridgid has a lot of people selling their stuff at a discount online. Just more of the stuff running constantly through my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 If it was more local I might have gone for it, but I'm not even sure how to move something that heavy. Bring a friend. Bring beer. Have friends bring beer. Don't drink said beer until said anvil is completely in place and stable. Failing that, use a cherry picker. and chains. Stabilize COMPLETELY, using bolts clamps, whatever before moving. Don't take a chance of having something the weight of an engine block slip and hurt you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Collett Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Xaraph, I'm the guy that bought the Vaughn on Whidbey Island. I was checking out some other options before that. There is a farrier shop outside Portland that will order them in and save you shipping... and sales tax, Its called Valley Farrier. I was looking at a TFS Blacksmith London Pattern either 150 or 200 lbs. I was scared of the size of the Vaughn also but two of us were able to work it up a ramp into my pickup without major incident. It isn't hard to move, it's really hard to lift, especially above waist height. I'll keep my eye out for something in our area. You could also check the NWBA spring conference for tailgate sales. Brett Collett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron123 Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 I love my nimba and I paid a shitload for shipping well not that much since my gramma gold streamd it hehe but what im trying to say is its worth every penny even though I have a 150# Trenton I still find myself using a nimba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xaraph Posted April 3, 2013 Author Share Posted April 3, 2013 Xaraph, I'm the guy that bought the Vaughn on Whidbey Island. I was checking out some other options before that. There is a farrier shop outside Portland that will order them in and save you shipping... and sales tax, Its called Valley Farrier. I was looking at a TFS Blacksmith London Pattern either 150 or 200 lbs. I was scared of the size of the Vaughn also but two of us were able to work it up a ramp into my pickup without major incident. It isn't hard to move, it's really hard to lift, especially above waist height. I'll keep my eye out for something in our area. You could also check the NWBA spring conference for tailgate sales. Brett Collett That's awesome! I'm glad it went to someone who will use it and not an antiquer. And thanks for the tip on Valley Farrier I will check them out. I'll definitely be at the Spring Conference this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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