Jump to content
I Forge Iron

My first Anvil - Hay Buden?


Recommended Posts

Weighs 150 lbs on a bathroom scale. 26 1/4" total length, 4 1/4" x 16 7/8" face and 10 7/8" tall. Edges are a little rounded over, but I am going to use it as is. No markings that I see. Everything I have read points to it being a Hay Buden, but not positive. Would like to do electrolysis cleaning on it, but my tank is only a five gallon plastic bucket, looking for a larger container. It came with a Wobbly 2x4 wood stand, getting rid of that piece of junk deathtrap as soon as possible and making a steel tripod stand.

post-45641-0-77949100-1396757781_thumb.j

post-45641-0-52170900-1396757823_thumb.j

post-45641-0-00639800-1396757853_thumb.j

post-45641-0-64120900-1396757883_thumb.j

post-45641-0-21939400-1396758554_thumb.j

Link to comment
Share on other sites

She looks like a fine anvil, ought to last your grandchildren's lives without trouble. I sure wouldn't try electrolosis, it isn't a decoration, it's an anvil. I'd maybe take a wire brush to it if she was really grotty but not otherwise. Hot iron and hammering will clean the face up beautifully. A little boiled linseed oil will do the body well, no more rust after it dries. I'd do it when I was going to let it set for a couple few days and maybe leave heat on it till it dried. If you get it hot enough working so she feels like a cup of hot coffee, Johnson's paste wax will protect the body beautifully.

 

Seriously, she's in fine shape ad she's earned every scar she has. She's beautiful I'd be proud to build her a stand and put her to work.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was thinking about the electrolysis because it is pretty grungy, little bit of paint here and there also.

Speaking of grungy, I was doing the ball bearing rebound test. Found some spots that were horrible, bearing would almost come to a complete stop, started to freak me out. Then noticed that those areas could be scratched, Used a putty knife to scrape at it a while. What a relief, looks like about 90% rebound where it has been cleaned.

Body has this same stuff all over it, and when scraped it shows rust underneath. When speaking of wire wheeling, were you talking the whole body, or just the face?

I can not detect any markings or numbers at all, maybe there are some underneath that grunge?

Flipped it over to work on the stand a little when I noticed these cracks. I am assuming they were formed when the top and bottom were joined, and there is absolutely nothing to be worried about?  :unsure:

post-45641-0-88998600-1397014002_thumb.j

post-45641-0-42461400-1397014032_thumb.j

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes those are leftover from forge welding the top to the bottom.  You can wirebrush the face and get to work or wire brush the entire thing and gussy it up (and then probably wipe the body down with boiled linseed oil to act as a long term rust preventer)

 

In general I don't mess with the body of my anvils; but they have been pretty nicly patinated rather than loose rust or covered with crud..  Nothing wrong with polishing it up and gold plating it if that is what *YOU* want---as long as you leave the face clear so you can work on it...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am very sorry to see the horrible defects in your anvil. It needs to come here to be with it's twin for comfort...

 

Looks like you have found the weld seam between the top and bottom. As long as it looks like the "crack" is 100 or so years old, it's OK.

 

As Thomas says, your call on cleaning it, but if you de-grunge it, you will find the S/N and HB logo, or you may find it was made for another company by HB.

I got mine painted a nasty yellow color, it had to come off to show the nice patina of almost hundred year old steel. 

 

Put it back to work and enjoy it.

 

Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...