Crazy Ivan Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 When I got my first anvil I was searching craigslist and found my current anvil for under $1 a LB. I scored my 106 LB mousehole for $90 from a man and his son who just wanted it gone. Massachusetts is decent for anvils, with a lot of crap, but some golden deals every now and then (via craigslist). It took me about 1 week to find what i was looking for. Keep at t and don't get discouraged. Sometimes people don't know what they have (mine was in great condition for its age) -Crazy Ivan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admanfrd Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Thank you Glenn, Richard, and Thomas!! I am going to give his formula a try!! I live out in the middle of no-where out here in eastern Utah. I am looking for a used anvil that weighs between 150 lbs. up to 250 lbs. So now with this post I have officially started the �TPAAAT� energies into motion. And the search is on!!!! :cool: I will keep track of the time it takes me to find my anvil that someone is tending for me! Ted Throckmorton Im just looking for ANY anvil in boring middle of everywhere central northern utah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 If you are associated with a church they can be fruitful hunting places as extended families widen the search area a lot. I actually know where an anvil is locally that is owned by an 89 year old church member. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admanfrd Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 put an ad on classifieds in utah about an hour ago. within 15 xxxxxxxx MINUTES I got a call from an old guy who said he had an anvil with little to no pits used in a farriers shop for 3 generation. 150# and wants 250. quote "hit it with a hammer and it bounces up and rings like (hades) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Good Size, not a bad price, especially if you can talk him down a bit *or* get a hardy or some tongs thrown in on the deal to sweeten it. Sounds like good condition---are you there yet? (I'd ask him if he had any tools to go with it before negotiating on price) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admanfrd Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 No, meeting up on saturday as he has it in a storage container and doesn't want to move it... being 72 and all XD any ideas on how to get him down a bit on price? my dad almost threw up when i said $250.00 :/ also he said he didnt have any tools, just an anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Well I look over it and then I figure out what I think is a lowball price, a fair price and a gadzooks *no* price and then I offer what I think is a lowball price and if he counters with a price below or equal to the fair price I buy it. If it's above the "fair price" I walk. Not upset; just not for me. I do not wear prices down and I try not to insult people, I have doing all my smithing on a budget for over 29 years now and I know I can find one within my budget if I go beat the bushes for them. (I started on US$10 a week for all my "vices" and vises; I'm up to $25 a week now for Books, Beer, Coal/propane/steel, fleamarketing, powerhammers, anvils, etc. As I stick to my budget we always have money in the bank I can access to buy a big ticket item and then pay it back out of my allowance and what I make selling stuff I make) I am a bit confused why you were looking for anvils when you didn't have the money for one to hand---many a deal goes south while a person is trying to get the dough together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admanfrd Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 I understand now. Don't go to the anvils, let the anvils come to YOU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri De Vreese Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 TPAAAT is indeed the best way to find an anvil! My uncle is a woodworker and thus knows plenty of people that 'might' have an anvil. I called him to ask if he could find one for me, exactly 5 hours later he is at my doorstep with my wonderful anvil. He said he got it for free and it took him less than 3 phone calls to obtain it! 35kg (77#), steel face (don't know about the rest of the anvil) and French by B. Bissaud (Thank you John McPherson for this wonderful information!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charliek Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Some time ago I bought a 350 lb Peter.Wright at a sale of an industrial shop. It came on a angle iron stand. They kindly loaded it with a fork lift and put it cross ways in the back of my Chevy Blazer. I started home and turned the first corner and looked in the rear view mirror to see the anvil rock back to level. I took the rest of the corners much more slowly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LastRonin Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Some time ago I bought a 350 lb Peter.Wright at a sale of an industrial shop. It came on a angle iron stand. They kindly loaded it with a fork lift and put it cross ways in the back of my Chevy Blazer. I started home and turned the first corner and looked in the rear view mirror to see the anvil rock back to level. I took the rest of the corners much more slowly. I can imagine! That baby could have done serious damage flopping around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 *ALWAYS* have the anvil flat on the bed and snugged up against the front wall of it on the side AWAY from you. Nobody *plans* to have an accident! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted March 23, 2014 Author Share Posted March 23, 2014 Does the anvil standing up as we would see it on an anvil stump, or laying down on two feet and the side of the face make a difference? Would putting it on an old tire help keep it from sliding about? Always tie the anvil down 27 different ways so ti does not slide, twist, turn, or otherwise move. You never *plan* on an accident but there may be the time you make abrupt and fast lane changes to avoid an accident. We never think about an anvil floating out of the truck, but what if you are forced off the highway and into or across a ditch? PLAN on a safe trip home with your new treasure, Tie it down like you want it to arrive with you. Any riggers out there with suggestions on how to tie down an anvil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceas65 Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 i'm new here , and to smithing ... looking to get my first anvil, got a 150-200 lb'er lined up and won't be able to see it ( stupid snowstorm) but i think i agree with mark on this issue of space and facilities, for some forge work they need done .... unless they are selling the products , or charging the students to learn ... hammer on ! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 When you have enough “feelers” out there with friends, family, and acquaintances for a long enough time , eventually anvils can even come finding you. I knew an older gent from my workplace for several years, and last year he finally retired. I knew he often went to auctions and estate sales, so I was always telling him to keep his eyes open for anvils. Haven’t talked to him for over a year, but out of the blue earlier this week I got an email from him mentioning that his son-in-law was looking to get rid of an anvil from his garage. I called and talked to my friend and got the phone number of his son-in-law, and arranged a time to swing by and take a look at what he had. No information on size, make, or price. Walking back to the garage area, the seller was telling me how he protected the anvil from getting rusty by giving it a coat of paint every other year for decades now…... oh great. But as I got closer I could see the potential of a great anvil under all that paint. I couldn’t make out any lettering on the side, but the flats on the feet told me Peter Wright. The base of the anvil had been welded all along the flats of the feet to a 1x1/4 steel bar that was then welded to other steel that mounted to the square wood post. Way overkill for the mount, but it did the job. The seller thought the anvil was around 120 pounds or so, but couldn’t weigh it because of it being welded to the post hardware. I could just barely make out a “17” as the last English stoneweight number, and judging by the overall length and face width I figured it had to be marked 1-1-17, or 157 pounds. I checked the rebound with a ball bearing in a few areas of the face that didn’t have coats of paint, and it was very nice. I asked what the seller was looking to get for it, and when he told me a price of under a dollar a pound I didn’t hesitate to pay the man his asking price. After grinding off the frame welds and removing lots of layers of paint, there was a beautiful anvil there. TPAAAT does indeed work, just keep at it. The more persistent and longer you keep at it, the luckier you get. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Looks to be champing at the bit to get back under some red hot steel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L Smith Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Pristine face Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SReynolds Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 Time is money. I go where the anvils (vices/tongs etc) are and pay high price for nice ones then accomplish important tasks even if it is no more than taking a nap. I'm in. I'm out. I'm happy. Searching the papers/auctions/garage sales/Craig's list isnt productivity for myself. I'm happy for folks who do have the time. Maybe they have a different schedule and lifestyle than I. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 On November 10, 2015 at 8:16:53 PM, SReynolds said: Time is money. I go where the anvils (vices/tongs etc) are and pay high price for nice ones then accomplish important tasks even if it is no more than taking a nap. I'm in. I'm out. I'm happy. Searching the papers/auctions/garage sales/Craig's list isnt productivity for myself. I'm happy for folks who do have the time. Maybe they have a different schedule and lifestyle than I. That's understandable, yeah if you need it and it'll make you money or accomplish the the important task. but there are people on a limited budget, or those that have "something" to use now and are looking to upgrade where it's not a "need it now" thing. This works. Worked for finding my second, nicer anvil, and that's even before I knew about this or was up and running with my forge. Now I have 2 anvils set up and am still poking the bushes for a nice bigger anvil. No rush tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Jock has pointed out the time issue with hunting things down; but for me the hunt is entertainment. I love a nice brisk walk at a fleamarket; the tracking down who owns a collapsing barn that might have stuff in it, etc On the other hand I don't own a TV so perhaps I have more time to "waste". And I don't recall ever regretting spending time with older folks talking about things in the past...(and sometimes where they might have gotten to...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbojak Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 On 3/23/2014, 11:37:01, Glenn said: Does the anvil standing up as we would see it on an anvil stump, or laying down on two feet and the side of the face make a difference? Would putting it on an old tire help keep it from sliding about? Always tie the anvil down 27 different ways so ti does not slide, twist, turn, or otherwise move. You never *plan* on an accident but there may be the time you make abrupt and fast lane changes to avoid an accident. We never think about an anvil floating out of the truck, but what if you are forced off the highway and into or across a ditch? PLAN on a safe trip home with your new treasure, Tie it down like you want it to arrive with you. Any riggers out there with suggestions on how to tie down an anvil? I'm not a rigger but have a friend who was almost killed in a terrible accident involving a cylinder head in the trunk of his car. Someone pulled out in front of him and the the sudden change of velocity sent the head through the trunk, backseat, and front seat into him. He was very lucky to live through the accident and still isn't 100% today. Now when he hauls something like that he makes sure whatever straps he has to tie it down secure the object in every direction. Wrap around before tightening if you have to then make sure whatever stamps you have are TIGHT in all directions, not just the vertical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 My second anvil was just tossed in the bed of my truck. "Not going far" lol. Well one stop it decided to slide and the horn went through the back of my bed. Yeah. Tie em down! Good advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Sayers Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Tell her it's an ironing board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elemental Metal Creations Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 TPAAAT works even when you are not thinking about it. I was at a friends house this weekend. We were talking about blacksmithing and he tells me " I know where a 300 lb anvil is you can borrow, you can't have it but you can use it". Of course I say where and he said in the basement. So I head to his basemeny and find the horn sticking out of a pile of stuff. I couldn;t find a name on it but I think it is a Mousehole. It was his grandfathers. I was also talking to an older farmer at the local gas station a couple of weeks ago who told me that his wife is making him clean out basement so I asked if he was getting rid of any tools. When he asked what kind my wife told him I was a hobby blacksmith he told me that he had some of his dads blacksmith tools and when he got to them he would bring them to me. I have some real motivation to build my shop now. I am going to get as much info as I can on the former owners of these tools and put it on a sign in the shop. That is a 12" pry bar ot top of the anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Use a fine wire brush to clean off the sides; then dust with some flour. Maybe the name will show up. Also the feet sometimes have a serial number, depending on the maker of the anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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