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I Forge Iron

Is this anvil cast?


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  • 2 weeks later...

Josh, owner of the Fisher Museum, has stated repeatedly that Fishers only had a 1/2" thick steel face.  The appearance of a thicker face was a "foundry trick" to make the steel look thicker but was just the cast iron pattern below the steel widened to give the appearance of a thicker face.  Broken face Fishers that I've seen give me no reason to doubt this, the plates do indeed seem to be about 1/2" thick.  

Busted Vulcans that I have seen have thinner steel faces in my experience, 3/8" to 1/4" thick.  If you look closely at the last photo above you can see a slight change in color and texture to the big built up edge almost in line with the step.  That is the steel face/cast iron transition.

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Judson Yaggy is correct about the face on the above anvil.  It has a steel face probably about 5/16" thick over the cast iron.  The anvil is probably a Vulcan with the described markings.

Fisher, and Vulcan on some their anvils, but not all, made the iron under the face wider than the body, both to support the steel and to give the appearance of a thicker faceplate.  I also think that this was to serve as an area that could be ground back to reveal a new edge if the present one got damaged.

 

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