kiddcaprix Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Hello all, my name is Adam and I am new to the blacksmith trade. Been lurking on this site for a while and am fascinated with the amount of knowledge and wisdom being shared throughout. I have been wanting to get involved for a long time and just decided to start. No time like the present! I have been a "Jack of all trades" for some time now with machining, fabrication, design, photography, etc. and figured I would add smiting to the mix! I recently purchased a 120lb Vulcan (a bit better than the RR piece I was using) and an old hand pump rivet forge for $80. Thought that wasn't too bad to get started. I am looking for a better anvil and have a possible opportunity to get one that looks to be in decent shape. The problem is, I can't tell what make it is or if it is cast? I only have a few rough pictures and wasn't able to get a name or numbers or anything off of it. From some of the pics, it is by a pallet which I assume is about 44ish" wide so the anvil looks to be decently weighted. It also looks to be welded to a post. I would appreciate any insight or thoughts the forum community might have on the pictures and whether to pursue this anvil or not? Appreciate any info and knowledge given. Thanks. -Adam I attached a photo of my current Vulcan on a router-ed stump I made for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 The thin heel and shapely horn show this to be a farriers anvil. It looks to be a decent size though, might serve your purpose. It has the look of a good anvil but I would want to check the rebound on it before buying. My first impression is that it looks like a Trenton... but that could be wrong. Trentons tend to be good anvils that age well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 5 minutes ago, bigfootnampa said: My first impression is that it looks like a Trenton I thought the same thing, except the heal isn't as thin as mine that I use. But I think that mine is also a smaller weight. Looks to me like a Trenton. it looks to be in good shape. If its a good price and in your budget, I would jump on it before someone else does. Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiddcaprix Posted June 23, 2016 Author Share Posted June 23, 2016 Thanks bigfoot, I was thinking it looked like a Trenton too but its hard to tell from the photos. I requested larger ones, but those are what I got. I would prefer an anvil with a bit wider waist, but if the price is right and it tests out decent, I can work with it. When I go to check it out, just flipping it over might reveal a makers mark and help me out. Its 2 hrs away from me and I just wanted to get some opinions before I travel. Thanks again. Thanks Littleblacksmith. Hoping when I see it in person I can see some sort of a stamping on it somewhere. I think the paint color is throwing me off a bit (making me think it is cast). How big of a cast ASO has anyone seen before? All the ones I have seen tend to be around 100lbs. This one looks to be a bit bigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JME1149 Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 The shape of the waist and thickness of the heel make me think Hay Budden, Trenton's typically show a thinner heel. Either way, it looks like a bigger one, maybe in the #200 range?? Doesn't look like a farriers anvil to me, that's just the way the HB's horns look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Check the front of the front foot for numbers and if there are there tell us what they are and on what location. Looking at the bottom would clear it up fast but it looks like it's welded to the "stand". Anyway it's a *good* anvil and if the face passes the ball bearing test and the price is reasonable JUMP ON IT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiddcaprix Posted June 23, 2016 Author Share Posted June 23, 2016 I would be tickled with it being either a Trenton or Hay Budden. I do my intricate work on this one! Ha. I wonder if I could harden the face on this little guy? Start working some paper clips! Thanks for the replies. -Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 well, theirs no pritchel hole so its probably pre 1830. Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiddcaprix Posted June 29, 2016 Author Share Posted June 29, 2016 Well if anyone was wondering, the anvil was a Trenton. Around 200 or so lbs. I wasn't able to scrape the paint off the foot to see the actual numbers, but flipped it over to see the diamond with the Trenton in it. Ball bounce test had great rebound throughout the face and heel. Sounded good too, but was muted a bit being welded to a concrete filled pipe (total weight was probably around 4-500lbs guessing). Unfortunately, this was at a live auction and the company that owned it decided to use it as a plasma cutting table and got into the edge a bit (about 2" forward of the red paint) and about a .25" from the edge of the heel (can just make out the cuts in 2nd to last photo I originally posted). Regardless, it was in great shape and I still wanted it so I chased it up to the max I could pay (with 13% auction buyer premium and sales tax). It ended up going for $450. I thought I had it but was out bid in the last seconds. I have missed out 3 times now on a good anvils and am getting a bit discouraged. I have been trying to do the TPAAAT also but to no avail. Guess I will just keep hammering away. If anybody lives around Southwest Michigan, and has a decent (non Vulcan cause I have one) anvil around 200lbs at a reasonable price and wants to help a green smith out, please PM me (is it faux pas to try the TPAAAT here on the forum?!). Thanks for the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 Are you going to be at Quad-State? I know a guy that the first year he went to Quad-State he bought 30 anvils and a trailer to get them back to NM. (And he didn't clean out the conference either!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiddcaprix Posted June 29, 2016 Author Share Posted June 29, 2016 30! Wow. I just need 1... or do I? Looks like I may have to check that one out. Only a 4hr drive form me. I am just getting into this and am hearing of these gatherings so I appreciate the info. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 Quad State is a great conference; one of the great things about it is that you can camp onsite at the county fairgrounds and so save the hotel money for buying stuff! Anybody who has paid entry can sell stuff so a lot of people will "clean shop" and set out a table and money can. Last year they had over 1000 attendees; and I'm driving 1500 miles to get there! (When I lived in Ohio I went *every* *year*) Another is that they have multiple simultaneous demos going on and you are not restricted to which ones you go to so you can be upfront and center for a particular one you want or "graze" and slide from one to another as the whim hits you. Say howdy when you see the disreputable red hat; I should be wearing the lederhosen and an aloha shirt on Friday as well. TGLWATCDR! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiddcaprix Posted June 29, 2016 Author Share Posted June 29, 2016 If I can make it out there Thomas, I will surely say hello. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoName Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 Hey Adam, I was lucky enough to get a chance to go to Quad State almost 14 years ago. A buddy let me tag along. I learned more in an afternoon than I did burning coal in my back yard for three years. There are demonstrations all day every day. The one thing that they all had in common, they all made it look so easy. Trailer after trailer of rusty gold. Its a must see. N.N.F. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bo T Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Your Vulcan should serve you well, so you don't need to be in a hurry. If one shows up in your back yard, factor in the travel expenses and time savings. You spent an entire day and drove? And too no avail. (I've been there and done that). After chasing my tail for a while, I found one that I was able to pick up on the way home from work. I passed up a lot of good anvils due to the time/distance cost. You might get a few hundred more dollars and wait until one shows up nearby. Also, there are a lot of good to excellent cast anvils out there (ductile iron and cat steel). So I wouldn't let that determine which you buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiddcaprix Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 That is good advice Bo, thanks. I did reevaluate my situation and settled down a bit on jumping to soon. I tend to do that a bit. I get excited about things and try to get the best that I can before I even determine what it is that I need. I got my forge fired up for the first time last night and learn a little bit about that tricky girl. I think I might have some rough coal. I used the Vulcan last night and it worked well (made a little coal paddle to pull the coal around in the forge, see pic). I get that pit in my stomach when I think I may be missing out on a good find. I am gonna just settle for a bit and use what I have on hand. And, like you said, if one comes around close to me I will have a bit more money then and an understanding of what it is I really want to do. The trip wasn't a total waste, I collect chainsaws and picked a decent old Homelite XL-925 for a song. Appreciate the advice. Always accepted and thankful. Regards, Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Save up your money and come to quad-state. You may be able to truck pool (to carry an anvil back) or even arrange for a drop off---I've carried stuff back to NM for an Arizona smith before. Use a big hunk of scrap steel for an anvil till then. Quad-State is pretty family friendly too; my wife should be attending with me this year---unless the grandkids in Columbus are a greater draw... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 8 hours ago, kiddcaprix said: (made a little coal paddle I call mine a coal rake, but I think I like that better! time to go paddle some coal! LoL Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 Coal rake and paddle aka a slice are different tools and used differently. I was taught by an old smith how to use a slice to get fresh coke into a closed fire for forge welding by shoving it in along the sides leaving the coked top in place and unbroken and then using a rake to pull fresh coal into the areas you "sliced" to start coking for later use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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