ThomasPowers Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Here is an example of the anvils we see coming through here from Mexico: they cast it from a "real anvil" I suspect this one was a PW if those are ledges on the feet. Notice the lack of a pritchle hole and that the casting seam went right down the middle of the face and horn. It also hasn't been fettled very well. These range from pretty good alloys to terrible ones---it's whatever is left in the ladle at the end of the day. They are also never heat treated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitch4ging Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Thanks for the heads-up, Thomas. It looks ruff! I hope to get down to Silver City, NM (home) soon to visit my folks. I usually do some shopping down there and make the flea market in Las Cruces, i'll keep an eye out for 'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 7, 2014 Author Share Posted May 7, 2014 I'm expecting that sometime I'll see some that have been gussied up and with forged stamps to try to pass as "originals". The ball bearing test and watching out for traces of the seam will still alert the wise smith... *However* a lot of these are sure better than the HF ASO; unfortunately they are usually priced like a "real" anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 With a bit of "dressing" that could easily be made to look the part and sold via e-bay etc. By unscrupulous vendors .... I'm glad we don't have that problem here(yet) Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 7, 2014 Author Share Posted May 7, 2014 So can I interest you in some *NEW* Peter Wrights???? Tempting to find one cheap clean it up and stamp every name in the book on it just to confuse things; maybe mill the base to have both hourglass and caplet.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GottMitUns Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Thomas, I acquired one of those the other day, could be yours! ;) About 50% rebound with a 1" SS ball bearing, sand inclusions in the face, lots of hammer "witness" marks and a 1-1/4" Hardy hole. Goes across my shop scale at 198#. There is no qusetion about country of origin because it has MEXICO cast into it with 1" letters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 7, 2014 Author Share Posted May 7, 2014 If it's steel and if you got it at a decent price it is well within spec for a "lower class anvil". If it's steel it should work harden over time. Drilling a pritchel isn't a problem with those and drilling will also give some indication of what it's made from. You can shim that hole to 1" with a bit of sq tubing. Slice an inch of two down the diagonals and then heat and bend the flaps out to rest on the anvil face. drop in the hardy hole and the more common tooling will fit! I personally don't own one as I anviled up when I lived 15 years in OH---the blacksmith's Happy Hunting Grounds. Only have bought/traded/been given a couple more since I moved out here as I feel embarrassed by my anvil wealth and haven't turned on the "seek anvil" function much to let others have a chance...(112#PW, bought, 165# PW traded, 66# Swedish cast steel, given---also found a bridge anvil sitting in the desert that the local university wouldn't turn loose of; so I made sure it went to a friend's Fine Arts classroom for use---and I made my own stake anvil) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GottMitUns Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 Thomas It is steel and I'm into it for about 1.00 per pound so I don't think I have hurt myself, the back story I got on it puts it in the US for at least 25 years. The face is in bad enough shape that I am thinking about resurfacing so I may put it on a mill and take .050 off and see what it looks like under all the hammer marks and inclusions. I have to admit that I am spoiled to having a nice smooth face on a anvil Have you ever seen anyone have any success hard facing and re-grinding a low quality anvil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 The success of welding and grinding on a "low quality anvil" will depend on the alloy of the anvil. I might weld OK, or not. The intense heat of the welding might cause cracking in the anvil. There is really no way to tell if it would work until you try. Being a cast, not forged anvil, will present some interesting problems. I would save my time and money, and eventually get a higher quality anvil. It is generally a losing effort to try to improve a ASO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 I have to agree, trying to improve a bottom tier anvil will take more time and money than a new one will cost. Think about it, how long does it take to forge a coat hook, bottle opener, etc. you can sell for $10.00. I'm sore out of shape and I can still do 3/hr. figure I can get around 60 coat hooks out one stick of 3/8" sq at around a $20.00 bill or around 70-100 bottle openers from a stick of 1/2" sq for around $30.00. How long would it take to earn enough to buy a brand new Nimba, 4-6 not very hard months? Moving that much stuff would be the problem but I'm not locked into coat hooks and bottle openers. Oh if you're going to do the arithmetic don't forget to figure in selling the old anvil you're looking to improve. Nobody will pay for the improvements, heck I'd deduct for them were I looking to buy it. I knocked $100.00 off the Trenton I bought because someone welded up the edges. Of course that's just me, I could be wrong. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GottMitUns Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 Thanks for the advice guys. I have better anvils to work on now, fixing the Mexican anvil was just an idea. I just hate to see a tool that was almost right. RWD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcusb Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 Saw a similar anvil at an auction last fall. Tried to talk the local "collector" out of it but he went home with it for $600 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rburrus44 Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Funny you posted that pic as i went to take a look at it just the other day. searching for my first anvil and was just hopeing on the off chance that it was just really bad lighting in the pic. anyways it has ocixeM raised out from one side as the only marking on it, at least china knows how to make a mold so the letters come out correct. Gave me a good chuckle as i drove away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulKrzysz Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Found this on Kijiji Advertised as a Mexican Anvil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 16, 2014 Author Share Posted May 16, 2014 Rebound? though the flat horn shows the make was clueless about what an anvil horn does...like seeing a car with sq wheels... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulKrzysz Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 It is not my anvil so I cannot judge the rebound. It is being advertised as follows $240 "Mexican made anvil. In good shape 22" long 4" wide 9" tall. 7/8" hardy hole" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJS Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Its a Minecraft French anvil;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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