robweir Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Found buried in my yard in New Brunswick Canada. Some chance it's a family heirloom. Grandfather and great grandfather owned foundries. My father was a collector of old tools. Any help identifying would be welcome, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Show a picture of the bottom; check for numbers along the front foot, how many handling holes and where are they located? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robweir Posted May 3, 2016 Author Share Posted May 3, 2016 Three holes in the top, one small hole under the horn, one hole in the front of the body, one hole in the back of the body. One hole in the back of the base and one hole in the bottom. I'm calling the horn the front. Thanks for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 OK the "hourglass" shape on the base is generally associated with Hay Buddens and early German made Trentons. I don't have a copy of Anvils in America to hand to check if the handling holes will narrow that down. Both are good brands. Any sign of the stamping on the side even a character or two would identify it. (The Brooklyn is often a give away for HB's and the diamond shape on the sides for the Trentons.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robweir Posted May 3, 2016 Author Share Posted May 3, 2016 It buried it self into the top soil over time. I tripped over the tip if the horn, ouch. The oxidation caused the soil and the rust to combine. I've been wire brushing it. Any advice on how to clean it moving forward. Would the stamping be on a certain side? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Pretty sure both my hay budden and Trenton are stamped on the side with the horn to your right. Could wire brush both sides. Either way I wouldn't mind tripping over one like that as a find. little pain for a lifetime of hammering fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Well I would put on a good dust mask, a face shield, hearing protectors and a leather apron and have at it with a twisted wire brush on my 9" angle grinder---in a location where a mess would not be an issue. You could also totally submerge it in cheap vinegar and leave for a day or two and then scrub it down with a scrub brush under a hose. You could look up electrolytic derusting on the net and use a battery charger some washing soda and a plastic tub....chain off the back of the pickup and drag it around the gravel pit a bit.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robweir Posted May 3, 2016 Author Share Posted May 3, 2016 I can't find a stamp on the side with the horn to the right. Is there any chance that is was manufactured by my great grandfather at his foundy? The local museum has a steam powered lathe that he made. Thomas I have been using a gel rust remover and the wire brush on my grinder. Would the vinegar do a better job? Its quite large and unwieldy for submerging, but I could get her done if it worked much better. after cleaning do I cure it somehow? Again guys thank you for your interest. ps any guesses as to weight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJRailRoadTrack Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Looks to me like a Hay Budden. Good anvils like that are not cast but forged. But anything is possible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Got a bathroom scale? They are taking old anvils and using them to make molds and casting them in Mexico; some folks are selling them as originals instead of fakes. Usually the mold seams give it away though a really good job fettling could cover those. Also cast ones do not generally have the handling holes. As to what is best for derusting---really depends on what YOU prefer. I don't worry about chemicals in vinegar or even washing soda; but prefer the wire brush and a broom to clean up the area. I don't know what's in your deruster. With vinegar you will need to oil or wax right after cleaning it off as flash rusting will start. *OR* start using the anvil---nothing like a lot of hot steel on the face to keep it cleaned and polished and looking loved! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 I didn't realize my one anvil was a Trenton until after about a year of using it. Not that it revealed itself through use but Crazy Ivan was over and thought it might be one. Then I realized that a faint mark on the side was the top of the diamond border of the Trenton stamp. Still need to get it off the stand some time and check out the number on the foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Not a Trenton. Looks like HB to me. How about a closeup shot of the side with horn facing right? ...being buried like that, there's a good chance that any markings have been corroded away over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Can you get good pictures of either side? Maybe someone will spot something you army seeing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robweir Posted May 3, 2016 Author Share Posted May 3, 2016 Scale won't take it, I made balance beam, it on one side and me with two 30lb dumbells in each hand on the other side. I'm 270 for a total 330. It weighed more, maybe as much as another 50 lbs. I will get weighed some how. Sounds nice when you hit it with something other than a toe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Take some measurements, overall length, face width, and height. I have recorded many hundred anvils from manufacturers with dimensions vs weight, it comes in extremely handy. I can get you close to actual weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robweir Posted May 3, 2016 Author Share Posted May 3, 2016 Scale won't take it, I made balance beam, it on one side and me with two 30lb dumbells in each hand on the other side. I'm 270 for a total 330. It weighed more, maybe as much as another 50 lbs. I will get weighed some how. Sounds nice when you hit it with something other than a toe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robweir Posted May 4, 2016 Author Share Posted May 4, 2016 Do those numbers mean anything to anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 HB's generally used 3 handling holes; one in the base and one under horn and heel. Used to put the serial number on the front foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robweir Posted May 4, 2016 Author Share Posted May 4, 2016 It has all that. Is 300 to 400 lbs unusual? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 They made them up to 800 pounds according to Anvils in America; 300-400 pounds qualifies as a "large" anvil and they are desirable for certain people; (Blacksmiths tend to suffer terribly from anvil envy and many want to own one far larger than they really need.) OTOH they are a pain to move both in the shop and cross country; so if you own a large one you will need a smaller one if you do demos outside of your shop. (I got my 410# anvil from a fellow who was tired of moving it every time he moved to a new location---traded him a 125# anvil, a postvise screw and screwbox and $100 boot and we both were happy. ) Francis Whitaker; one of the famous American Blacksmiths did his entire career on an anvil around 165 pounds IIRC. Me I love my 500#+ anvil and wouldn't turn it loose but I really don't need one that large; better to go to a powerhammer or press if you need to apply that much whomp to a piece! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robweir Posted May 4, 2016 Author Share Posted May 4, 2016 Thx Thomas, any idea of the general value of the large anvils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 there is a strong location dependence; just here in the USA prices can vary by more than a dollar a pound. You may want to ask the Canadian Blacksmithing group for going rates in your region. Unfortunately the face is a bit rough which will drop the price---as will grinding the face clean! Please don't!!!!!! Grinding or milling the face of an anvil can drop one worth US$3 a pound to one worth US$1 a pound. Down here along the US/Mexico border I would expect it to go for US$2-$3 a pound; in some other place it might bring $4 (and would have if the face wasn't damaged); up there ????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kozzy Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Asking price around here seems to have gone up in the last few months but at the same time, they seem to be listed for a longer amount of time--aren't flying out the door like they used to. I see there is a 135# trenton in good shape at $ 4.40/lb and a 225# trenton that's listed at $ 5.30/lb...and they've been listed a good month. A couple of others (in worse shape) are also a little high and not moving. At the old roughly $ 3 a lb in this area, you'd never see a listing because they'd be gone so fast the posting would disappear almost before it hit the inter-tubes. Lots of variables including how long you want to sit on an old anvil waiting for someone to fall in love with it. I'd go with T.Powers suggestion of asking the local group what their opinion is. Not only will it get the word out regarding availability but you'll get a much more honest answer for your area. With that info you can decide if you want to wait for the deep-pocket buyer or take the low-ball so you don't have to trip over it another day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaylee Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 50 minutes ago, Kozzy said: Asking price around here seems to have gone up in the last few months but at the same time, they seem to be listed for a longer amount of time--aren't flying out the door like they used to. I see there is a 135# trenton in good shape at $ 4.40/lb and a 225# trenton that's listed at $ 5.30/lb...and they've been listed a good month. A couple of others (in worse shape) are also a little high and not moving. At the old roughly $ 3 a lb in this area, you'd never see a listing because they'd be gone so fast the posting would disappear almost before it hit the inter-tubes. Lots of variables including how long you want to sit on an old anvil waiting for someone to fall in love with it. I'd go with T.Powers suggestion of asking the local group what their opinion is. Not only will it get the word out regarding availability but you'll get a much more honest answer for your area. With that info you can decide if you want to wait for the deep-pocket buyer or take the low-ball so you don't have to trip over it another day. Very true... though there are still some cheaper to be found, if you're patient. I got my 200# Fisher for $3.50/lb really recently... like within a month I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 I got my 100 lb Trenton anvil for about 1.50 a pound. Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.