hagle

[AJAX]

haggled my way down to 60$ for this RRrail anvil, but is it still a good buy? (have not officially purchased it yet)

 

craigslist link removed

[Frosty]

Got a pic? What kind of deal it is will depend a lot on how much work went into it, and what kind of job was done on it.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Glenn]

A quick look in your area has a  70lb Blacksmith Anvil,  79 lb Peter Wright Blacksmith Anvil  both for about $3 per pound.

 

Anything is better than nothing. A mass of 50-100 pounds can be used as an anvil. The challenge is to use it to make the money to buy a real anvil. Could your find be used to make money, yes. But so could any other hunk of metal with 100 pounds mass. 

 

Join the NWBA and go to the meetings, They are the blacksmiths in your area that KNOW where the anvils are located and can get you started in the right direction.

[AJAX]

Here is a pic
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/tls/3877425891.html

[ianinsa]

I would'nt buy it as my primary anvil, that said one you have a working anvil(or two/three) it's a great conversation piece that took someone a lota work!

 

I would follow Glen's advice.

 

Ian

[Frosty]

I'd have to pass on that, it's not RR rail by the looks of it. Still, it can be MADE to work, most anything with enough weight can. I've used smooth boulders for fun and on a bet.

 

However, you could use that one to make enough to buy a more serious anvil, you're in anvil rich country compared to Alaska, be patient. I used a rail anvil for years till the real deal came to me but I didn't have a LOT of choice.

 

If you do buy that one, we'll be more than happy to help you get everything out of it has.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[toolish]

That "anvil" looks like a  giant bell to me, Think your ears will kill you for using that.

For the price though I would keep looking, doesnt look like it has much mass either, only really be good for small jobs like arrow heads or something.

[Dan C]

I'm in agreement with what's already been said.  Questions that only you can answer that help you decide are what are your finances like, is this a good deal for you?  What do you plan on making?  As mentioned for small stuff this will work, for heavy forge work not so much.  I started on a piece of RR track that I mounted vertically that was obtained for free by asking RR workers (later I made them bottle openers and brought cold beer to say thanks)  I still use my vertical one and I use another piece of track sometimes that isn't mounted for the various angles that it has. 

 

Read thru this post for more info on using RR track and pictures of what I did with mine.

 

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The estate auction in your area on Sat. might be interesting and the unknown 150 lb anvil that's listed could be a Peter Wright as well.  If it's in your budget and they'l hagle on the price that'd be a nice one.  Search this forum or check out anvilfire for information on buying used anvils.

[WmHorus]

 If you are patient and just keep looking something will come up, not only look at the seattle area craigslist but Portland as well.

[VaughnT]

Constantly amazes me that folks would think an anvil like that is worth the time or money!  I wouldn't pay $5 for it unless I was planning on using it as a hitching post for a horse.

 

Save your money.  You live in a port city that deals in a lot of large machinery.  Contact those places and find yourself any large solid chunk of steel to use as an anvil.  Heck, you'll probably find that a lot of "real" anvils buried in the back corners of the shops that work on the ships.

[AJAX]

ended up not buying it, thanks for the advice

[ThomasPowers]

I get rail for US 20 cents a pound at the scrap yard.  Unfortunately what most folks do to make rail look like an anvil tends to make it work worse as an anvil---long unsupported horn and heels just throw away mass.