Soderfor FORGED steel anvil or not?

[Tubalcain2]

I am pretty sure my paragon is closed-die forged. It has the lines D.C. mentioned, but they are wide like die marks not fine and crisp like casting marks. it also has handling holes, which would not make sense on a all cast anvil. 

[ThomasPowers]

For some reason you don't think cast anvils need to be heat treated or ground on the face---two jobs where handling holes and porter bars might help if a company still did them the old ways.

[Tubalcain2]

your right, as always. i didn't think of that. I had thought that many, if not most cast anvils did not have the handling holes. is this not true?

[ThomasPowers]

Often true with the lower the quality being the most likely to be missing them.  Sort of depends on how that factory worked them---ASO's don't get much second touch work...

[Tubalcain2]

gotcha.

[Fatfudd]

I appreciate this thread being brought back to life. It is possible that they could have forged anvils at some point but every Soderfors I have seen appeared to be cast.That being said I have seen Soderfors anvils with both raised and stamped lettering. My little 175KG Soderfors is clearly cast with the lettering stamped on both sides.

[D.C.]

My question on the idea of closed die forging is how do they add handling holes on? Casting, it is simple. Built up construction, also simple. Would they punch them in?

Just throwing this out there. I know little of closed die technique. Possibly this points us toward one method of construction over the other.

[Iron Poet]

On 2/8/2017 at 4:54 AM, Fatfudd said:

My little 175KG Soderfors is clearly cast with the lettering stamped on both sides.

Looks almost good enough to marry.

[gote]

On September 18, 2013 at 11:18 PM, Rockcrusher said:

The main problem I have accepting the "Soderfors cast all anvils" premise is apparently the only documents I've seen containing information on the Soderfors manufacturing methods employed in the early 1900's or before so far are a few advertisements. Either we accept that the information in these advertisements is accurate or we must conclude that their was a deliberate effort by Soderfors management to deceive potential customers. Seems a bit unethical doesn't it.  I guess I hope that evidence will somehow emerge to restore widespread faith in Soderfors credibility. Not trying to be argumentative at all...just stimulate further discussion.

I have some remarks on that

#1: It is unlikely to be Söderfors who put in the ad. It is the US based trader thus Söderfors are hardly responsible..

#2: We do not mean what 'forged' ment to the guys wo were involved. Also in those days Ad-people were not blacksmiths.

#3: The seller wanted to get two points through:  #A: The anvil cannot delaminate since it is a one piece design #B: It is not a cast Iron ASO.

Thus I think the ad proves very little. As soon as the cast steel process was developed many Swedish steel works started casting anvils rather than building them. Anvils were a good sideline for a stel casting foundry Other products were more of the one-off type. There would have been no reason for them to use any other manufacturing method.

 

 

[Tubalcain2]

however  they did it , it must have been right. results tell no lies.

[marcusb]

On February 8, 2017 at 7:54 AM, Fatfudd said:

I appreciate this thread being brought back to life. It is possible that they could have forged anvils at some point but every Soderfors I have seen appeared to be cast.That being said I have seen Soderfors anvils with both raised and stamped lettering. My little 175KG Soderfors is clearly cast with the lettering stamped on both sides.

Now THAT is one Fine Anvil!

[Right-hand 85]

Hi I just purchased an anvil and was hoping someonecould help me find out what kind it is!! 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

14 minutes ago, Right-hand 85 said:

Hi I just purchased an anvil and was hoping someonecould help me find out what kind it is!! 

Sure... Carnac will be along directly.

[Right-hand 85]

1 minute ago, Irondragon Forge & Clay said:

Sure... Carnac will be along directly.

Thanks

[NoName]

   The envelope please. 

   Soderfors. 

   N.N.F.                  Beautiful, Manchester, Michigan. USA 

[D.C.]

Dang..Johnny Carson references! That's old school.

Right-hand: post some more pics please. The clearer the better. There's lots of info on Soderfors if you search, but pics are nice for posterity.

[Frosty]

I've heard a number of stories about how Soderfors made anvils. Cast then closed die forged. Cast, heat treated under a flume and cleaned up with grinders. I tend to think Occams Razor  favors the second. 

Taking pics of shiny stuff like anvils, blades and metal work in general has a real problem with glare. A pic taken from a distance on a cloudy day is ideal. However if you have to use a flash tape a single ply of toilet tissue over the flash to difuse the light. In direct light you want it coming at a low (oblique) angle with the camera angle perpendicular to the lighting. 

Dusting the subject (anvil) with chalk, charcoal, flour, talc, etc. and wiping it lightly will help make fine features like stampings or cracks more visible.

I hope you're fortunate enough to own a Soderfors product I don't know of better.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

9 hours ago, D.C. said:

Dang..Johnny Carson references! That's old school.

Right-hand: post some more pics please. The clearer the better. There's lots of info on Soderfors if you search, but pics are nice for posterity.

The original post was without pictures (which were added later) hence the Carnac quip...

[ThomasPowers]

Perhaps I should dust off the Jack Douglas and Jack Paar references.  OTOH I read Saki's "The Unrest Cure" out loud to my wife last night as I had picked up the complete works of SAKI at the used bookstore earlier. (H.H.Munro died in WW1)

But of course---The Goon Show!

"The words came from a two-legged, grey-headed man going bald at the knees. He was bent backwards eating a plate of un-chopped-suey from a leopard skin bladder. With a wave of his foot he beckoned me over."
 

[NoName]

   Iron D,

   The photos were not loaded when it first came up.  

10 hours ago, Irondragon Forge & Clay said:

The original post was without pictures (which were added later) hence the Carnac quip...

   I went back to page one, when I ended up back on page 2, poof. The envelope was there. 

   May your camel walk a million years...heck, been humming the theme song since. 

    N.N.F.    Beautiful, Manchester, Michigan. USA.   Not Burbank 

[Anachronist58]

"BEST SWEDISH SOLID CAST STEEL

MADE IN SWEDEN"

[BangBang]

On 2/7/2017 at 2:43 PM, C-1ToolSteel said:

Wow that's amazing! I've actually dug up a few anvils myself.  ...then I woke up.

My boss bought a house on old coal strip mine in coal city Illinois!  It was full of ravines and a huge waste pile next where house was built on now flooded lake!   I was running a 963 and close to house!   I took a bucket away to fill in ravine and when I came back he said look what you dug up , it rolled off edge of bucket! You can beleive what you want but pictures tell all anvil is real and so am I!

[C-1ToolSteel]

Oh, I wasn't doubting the validity of your story. Just CRAZY jealous!!

[Elliry]

On 1/29/2018 at 8:25 PM, BangBang said:

My boss bought a house on old coal strip mine in coal city Illinois!  It was full of ravines and a huge waste pile next where house was built on now flooded lake!   I was running a 963 and close to house!   I took a bucket away to fill in ravine and when I came back he said look what you dug up , it rolled off edge of bucket! You can beleive what you want but pictures tell all anvil is real and so am I!

So that's where I left it!

[Kenny O]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A friends Soderfors anvil.