acquired an anvil

[Shamus Blargostadt]

Hoping you guys can tell me if this was a good purchase and what it would take to restore it to working order. I paid $50 for it. It's 140 pounds, 2.75' long, 10.5" high, and 4" wide. I can't see any markings but there may be some under the rust somewhere. I don't have any welding tools or supplies but know some welders.

I know I probably can't get it to look as gorgeous as some of the restoration pics I've seen here but would be very happy to get it to a state where we can use it. We're beginners.

[arftist]

You can use it. Begin working. You got a great deal for a beginner anvil.

[ThomasPowers]

Ok; put it on a stump and it would be in a state where you could start using it!  For real, it's in a using state as it stands.  I'd suggest pounding a lot of steel on it before trying to make any changes to it.

 

Good price too.  Can we see the bottom of it?  Sometimes that's the best clue as to what brand it is.

[KRS]

^What he said.

If your welder friends never repaired anvils and they tell you its easy to "fix", don´t trust them

[JME1149]

I agree with the above posters, looks to be plenty usable as is. To me, it appears to be a Hay Budden which is generally a good brand if not previously abused. Please do not let anyone try to restore it until you have some experience using it as-is, and if you do, make sure they know what they are doing.

I noticed you said you are a beginner, and if you don't mind I'd suggest coming to a PAABA meeting, next one is March 21st. Go to their site (paaba.net) to get the specifics. There are some other options for learning and support in the area, feel free to PM me to discuss further.

[Michael Spaulding]

As a beginner also on the hunt, I'd say that's exactly the sort of deal I'm looking for! It looks like it's got plenty of workable space, and should do you well!

[Shamus Blargostadt]

JME - yes I was looking at the paaba website. I'll be in cleveland on the 21st but was wondering if I could make one of the thursday night open forge's sometime. Its a little far, about an hour and a half from ellwood. Do you guys ever do anything up north?

 

Here is the bottom of the anvil. Thank you for the comments and advice everyone.  Should I at least try to sand it down and put oil on it or anything to clean it up?

For you guys hunting for an anvil, a buddy at work had a friend who's father worked at a junkyard that had this laying around. At $50, my impression was they thought they were robbing a baby. You can't see it in the pictures but you can barely make out where someone wrote "FREE" in chalk on the side.

 

Edited March 11, 2015 by Shamus Blargostadt

[Frosty]

Wanting the best tools possible is a normal desire. The problem comes when folk who're just starting out try to "restore" tools without knowing how they work or what they need. Been there learned the hard way, as have a lot of us.

This old girl has seen use and some abuse but she's got many years in her still. Not only will she teach you and the boys the craft you can make marketable items to sell and earn tools in better condition.

Get hooked up with PAABA, clubs often have anvil repair workshops and they will almost certainly have someone experienced who can evaluate yours.

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

The "hourglass" indentation on the base is a pretty good indicator of it being a Hay Budden and probably  an older one.  (One of mine has the hourglass worn nearly completely off, the older ones tended to have less thick side walls of the hourglass to wear through too)  Check along the front foot for a serial number.

Some german Trentons also have the hourglass but usually quite stout and pronounced.

[SpankySmith]

I would have killed for a $50 anvil back when I was looking for the first time last year!  Sigh... WHY do I never find these deals!   I'm with everyone else, put it on a stump and use it and thank God for such fortune. 

[VaughnT]

$50!!!  Wow, what a great deal. 

Not only did you get a good anvil, you got a work of art.  The exposed grain in the wrought iron is actually not very common even though most anvils used wrought iron in the body.  While it won't make the anvil work any better, it's certainly very easy on the eyes.

Take a wire brush to the face to knock off any loose rust, then get to hammering hot steel.  

[JME1149]

Shamus, I sent you a PM with more info. Have that buddys/friends/father be on the lookout for you and put any other old iron aside for you. It's always nice to have a friend in the junkyard.

John

[arftist]

It wouldn't hurt to show the folks at the junkyard a picture of a post vise and a swage block and promise them $.50 cents a pound for any of the above including another anvil. 

Also ask them to save hammer heads for you if they are willing. You wouldn't believe the amount of tools which go through junkyards. 

Good work saving this one. 

[SJS]

I had a 145# Hay Budden that I made the mistake of letting a shop teacher repair for me when I didn't know better... If you don't do it right you loose your rebound and the face dents easily...  The anvil worked better before it was welded up and surface ground, and I had to work harder (because I lost rebound), and the face dented easily...  Not a fun lesson to learn the hard way, not that any of them are.  The IDEAL anvil is HEAVY & HARD, it needs to be BOTH to be the most efficient tool.  Too little mass and it bounces all around, too soft and it dents and absorbs some of the energy you were trying to use to shape the metal.  Welding up the edges and loosing the temper on the face, messes with the hard, unless you use the right rods, with proper technique, and post welding peening.  Crisp sharp edges on an anvil are WAY over rated;-)  I think most anvils aren't radiused enough. That is a great beginner anvil, work on the flat spots, avoid the divots, and you don't need to worry about errant hammer blows damaging your Purdy anvil;-)  Maybe in a few years and some research you could do the repairs that would have it be in like new condition, but right now just use it.  You can make a hardie block with some sharper corners for when you need a smaller radiused edge to work against.  The horn on that old girl is lovely...  .36$ a pound is stealing even in that rough a shape;-)

[Gergely]

I second VaughnT with the beautifully exposed grain - it looks real nice! 

Happy hammering on it!

Gergely

[root]

50 BUX???

You got robbed. I'll drive over from Scranton to Pittsburgh And you just pay my gas I'll take that off of your hands so you can get a "real" anvil....... LOL 

 

OK YA done great and yes, use it as is. even with free in chalk ya done great for 50 bux..

I got 35 lbs less and paid 100 more. Mine is in better shape but I'd have bought that for that price and quit looking.

 

Rich

[MAD MAX]

I sure would have liked to find a deal like this when I was hunting for an anvil. I found anvils that were way more beat up than this one that the seller was asking 500 to 600$. In my amateur opinion you got a real steal.