Greetings,

 

I finally decided to stop reading and actually register and post. I've been lurking for a while, but have a pretty good reason to start posting - I just got my first anvil!

 

I think it could be a good one, but I don't know enough to properly identify it. It's also painted. I have no idea about markings, except that it has a raised "100" on the base below the heel. I'll clean it up a bit tonight and see if I can find any other markings.

 

It's not 100 lbs - I assure you of that. The best guess from myself and those who helped me move it was somewhere around 180 - 240 lbs. It looks cast on the bottom, but plate on the top. There's also no Pritchel hole, which is weird. Was it uncommon to have no Pritchel after 1830 (I read that somewhere)?

 

Take a look at the pics, I'd love opinions. And if it's actually junk, it's better than the five pound cast iron block I was using before, I can tell you that!

 

Thanks!

 

PS: Want a way to ruin your gas mileage? Drive with air conditioning on full blast with an anvil in your passenger side! Fun!

Congratulations on your anvil and first posting!  I don't know what type of anvil that is, but looks like you should be able to do good work on it.  I would guess that the 100 under the heel is for 100 kgs or 220 lbs.

I don't think this particular anvil is all that old.  The raised numbers are a dead give-away that is a cast anvil (as opposed to a wrought iron anvil).

Hello and welcome! How's the ring?

Congratulations!  I don't know about your anvil but it looks like a good start to me.  Way better than my first anvil.  I don't use my pritchel hole that much except for a hold down and there are other options for that.  Welcome to the board also.

Ken

Looks like the only cast iron ASO I ever owned.  100 kilo too.  Check it for ring and the ball bearing test; but I'm afraid a hunk of scrap steel at 20 cents a pound would work better---though it does serve as a hardy tooling holder. Hope you didn't pay the going rate for anvils in your area for it.

 

Bought mine new in the early 1980's in an emergency---I was doing a day long demo at a museum in OKC and a couple of days beforehand my anvil was stolen.  Only thing I could find on short notice was the ASO; paid too much for it, used it for the demo and *NEVER* again---it would dent under red hot coilspring being hammered!  Moved it around for years and finally sold it at a loss to a fellow who swore NEVER to use it for smithing, only for decoration.

 

And that's not a plate on top, plates were forge welded on and do not stick out from the body of the anvil.

Welcome aboard, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you may be happy to discover how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance.

 

Looks to be a cast iron ASO. (Anvil Shaped Object) Hook up with the local smithing organization and you'll be in contact with your best bet for tools, equipment, materials and hands on help.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

Figures. I weighed it by setting up a simple lever and it's slightly heavier than me. So about 220 lbs sounds right. I paid $225 for it. I figured that even if it was an ASO I could always have someone weld a plate on top and work with it. Oh well, it's better than the stuff I was using at least. Thanks for all your input, I appreciate it very much.

Regarding local smithing organizations, I am actually a member of the Chesapeake Forge Blacksmith Guild. I'm hoping that one of the guys there who has experience welding can help me get a decent top on this thing. It's a beast to move, though. I may need to make a rig to move it around for the time being.

Welding the top on should make it only a bit more expensive than buying a good one and getting a good weld to the cast iron is going to be tricky!

 

Use it as an adjunct hard tool holder and handy weight and find a chunk of scrap steel for an anvil.  (take a look at the anvils used to forge japanese swords for an example of what to look for.

 

And depending on where you are, yes you paid too much, (it would have been a great deal for an anvil, not so good for an ASO)

It has some markings, I think. It looks like there is some kind of symbol on the base. I tried enhancing the image slightly, but I can't make it out. Tonight I'll clean it up with a wire brush and see if I can get a better image.

 

http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37383-anvilmark1/

http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37384-anvilmark2/

I used the grinder on the round spot on the bottom. I think I was just seeing things. It's just rusted into patterns that looked like letters. 

 

It's a plug, isn't it. Like, the thing is full of sand.

 

http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37387-anvil-bottom/

ASO or not, I'd give it a shot and try you hand at forging.  Make some things, have some fun and sell them.  Save some of the money you make in case this one doesn't work out.  And there's always alternatives as mentioned, I started on a RR track anvil and still find use for it today.

A casting sprue from a sand mold?

My first anvil was a boat cleat fro the local marina. Had a buddy weld some 1/2 inch scrap plate [scrap to him] all around the top so it was fairly level.

He heated it with a rosebud before tacking it in place.

He asked if I was happy with it, so naturally I grabbed and turned it so I could get a better look..

He was still laughing 30 minutes later after he finished up the welding.

I used that ASO for about two years. It beat the stump I was using.

You just do what you gotta do to pound on steel and enjoy the step up for hammering on.

Dave

Thanks for the encouragement, I was looking at it bleakly, but it IS a huge, heavy piece of metal. I'm going to secure it to a log that I'm burying in ground inside my shed. The great thing is the log is a tree that fell over in my backyard, and I haven't had the foggiest what to do with it until now. This will be perfect - I can cut a good five feet and get a really solid base. And if I beat the snot out of my ASO, I can replace it later like you said, and still use the 'base'. 

 

Regarding the damage to the top - is it possible to melt steel and pour it into the depression? Would that just create a hole shaped wafer of steel if the anvil surface is not at welding temperature too? I'm assuming that would be the case. Or the anvil would crack in half from the thermal shock.