Well, she's Finlay home.
Hasn't seen fire in over 30 years. My dad taught me the basics on this thing, then I grew up and moved out.
Well, I Finlay have the room to get to know her again.
The only markings are "THE SILVER MFG. CO. SALEM O USA." and what looks to be "956" across the top. Any body know anything about this?
Also have several tongs, hardies, one flattening hammer sans handle, and a leg vise with a broken leg. I guess it's now a knee vise?
I thought about totally re-doing it and giving it a fresh coat of paint, but then decided to leave the "AMBIANCE" alone, and just free up the blower, and give it some new belts.

That's cool, good luck!

welder19

Really nice forge. I once had a nice post drill that was a Silver. Someone cut the leg off of your post vise. Not the only one that has met this fate. Still a good vise if the leg that is left is properly supported.

Have fun! Join the CBA affiliate of ABANA and meet more CA smiths. You won't regret it!

At first I thought it had been cut, but when I got it home today, I looked closely and you can tell it has snapped. Very jaged, and signs of a bend on one edge.

I do have a piece of 1 1/4 solid hex in the shop that I could weld on. Wont be FACTORY, but will work.

Looks like a good bunch of tools to start with or to add on.

Looks like you have a nice set up there, I would think the welding would be fine, but maybe there is a reason not to that I don't know about, I don't have a lot of experience with that.you should have a lot of fun with it.

Looks Like a GREAT start ! :);)

Well, I did a little research last night.
This is coppied from the "OLD WOOD-WORKING MACHINES" web site.

"Silver Manufacturing Co. was created when Silver & Deming Manufacturing Co. split in 1890 to form The Deming Company (manufacturers of brass pumps, hydraulic machinery and well supplies) and The Silver Manufacturing Company. A. R. Silver and his sons were the main interest in this new company. An 1890's newspaper article about the company states that in that year a new factory was built about that time and the company made feed cutters, saw gummers, wagonmakers tools, butchers tools, blacksmiths tools, etc.

In 1954 Silver merged back into Deming Pumps, which was later acquired by the Crane Co. in 1961.

For a timeline of the various companies related to this one, see the entry for Dole, Silver & Deming.

Silver's products included blacksmithing equipment, wheelwright equipment, woodworking machinery, and specialty items for the rural and agricultural market, such as sausage grinders and corn shellers."

And it appears the "SALEM O." on the blower is Salem, Ohio.

cool , to find out history on forges and such:cool:;)

Missing vise leg- grind a bevel on both pieces, preheat, weld, very slow cooldown (like on top of the dying woodstove). This worked for my biggest vise.

UU . .Museum quality!

At first I thought it had been cut, but when I got it home today, I looked closely and you can tell it has snapped. Very jaged, and signs of a bend on one edge.

I do have a piece of 1 1/4 solid hex in the shop that I could weld on. Wont be FACTORY, but will work.

Hex bar is high carbon and not so good a match for what's almost certainly wrought. Either weld mild bar or find heavy wall pipe that'll socket over the remaining stub and sweat on for an interference fit before welding.

The upside of using pipe will be not relying entirely on a weld to keep it secure. The down side is the looks.

Nice score. I have some of Father's tools and a badly beated anvil from a great great grand someone or other's farm. It's very cool having some family history you can touch.

Frosty