I live in SW Florida and I'm having a really hard time finding an anvil. Was wondering if you fellers know of a good place/website to score a good anvil from. 

(1) Talk to absolutely everyone you know about looking for an anvil. Talk to people at fleamarkets. Talk to your mechanic.  Talk to the person who trims your dog's toenails. Talk to EVERYONE.  Have a budget, carry cash, and be prepared to close a deal. 

(2) Get rid of the notion that you need a London anvil. Anything with sufficient mass to resist the hammer blows will work: blocks of steel, section of railroad track stood on end, sledgehammer heads, railcar coupler knuckles, truck axles, etc. there are people on this forum who have done smithing on boulders. Be creative.

(3)  The question you just asked has been asked and answered dozens of times already, and if you're just starting out, pretty much every other question you can think of right now has been as well. Take some time to read over the forum, and absorb as much information as you can. This will take a while. At the end, though, you will find that you don't need to ask as many questions, and the ones you do ask will be much more specific and much better informed.

You are surrounded by anvils, they just are not London patterns. 

What is your budget? You do realize that companies like JHM are making new anvils at a reasonable cost. Florida is notoriously anvil poor, so you may just want to cut to the chase and buy new once you figure the time looking, price for an old beat up anvil, and possibly shipping added in. 

I have a 125# JHM Journeyman that I got from a retired farrier, and it is a really nice anvil.

Jymm Hoffman anvils are available in double horn or colonial patterns. He is a member of IForgeIron and donates a portion of the sale back to the site.

1 hour ago, Glenn said:

Jymm Hoffman anvils are available in double horn or colonial patterns. He is a member of IForgeIron and donates a portion of the sale back to the site.

I'll recommend these, they even come with a free hat and cutoff hardie. I'd recommend the one with the shelf especially if you plan on forgewelding anything thin as the shelf heats up nicely. Know that the face of the anvil is a tad soft so you have to be careful not to beat it up too much with heavy hammers or chisels.

7 hours ago, Paint504 said:

I live in SW Florida and I'm having a really hard time finding an anvil. Was wondering if you fellers know of a good place/website to score a good anvil from. 

EBAY, CraigsList, garage sales, flea markets, auctions,and ask everyone.  A nice Fisher just sold on line in northern Florida for a price I almost was willing to drive 1200 miles to get.  Be creative, and have cash ready, and a way to get it.

Well right now I'm using a railroad bracket which does the job just fine but eventually I want to make a solid bench out of 4X4 that will hold my vise, anvil, hammers, and tongs. My problem is height. I know I'm eventually going to get a London style anvil so I figure I'd get it now so I can build it to a comfortable height. As for budget I was looking to spend around 500$ - 600$

Have you read up on the TPAAAT?  Buying anvils from people trying to make money selling anvils is not the best way to get a great deal.  Buying anvils from folks that are happy to get something and know that "grandpaw's old anvil is going to a good home!" might get you a good deal.  First thing is to get OFF the internet and start networking locally!

To buy a new high quality anvil in the 150-200 pounds size you will have to spend around $2000 more or less, more for larger sizes. You should be able to find old anvils within your budget but like others said, you will have to ask everyone you come across. most mechanics, metal work shops and farmers have anvils and hardly ever use them. 

We have a local manufacturer advertising on ebay new cast tool steel anvils for around $11 Australians per kilo ... that's $3.75 a pound for you. They are much better than the chinese cast, sold in hardwares. However, if I only had a piece of rail, a ASO from a hardware would be an improvement. Once you find a better one, your ASO will be all bashed up. So what? It will be part of your history ...

 

You won't need $2,000 for a 260# JHM, $1,200. They make some in your price range. I have a JHM 125# Journeyman with the turning cams on the heel that I got from a retired farrier. It is a nice anvil, and I have no problem with recommending them.

 

This is a pretty good deal, not a giant anvil but good for most hobby workshop

 

 

Made in the U.S.A.
Cast entirely of H-13 tool steel
(hot working impact steel)
Heat treated to Rockwell C 50 – 55
Weight: @ 110 pounds
Total Height: 9 1/4 inches
Face: 4 1/2 inches wide 9 1/2 inches long Horn: 4 1/2 inches longHardy Hole: 13/16 inches
Pritchel Hole: 3/4 inches
Face ground flat after heat treat.Cost: $845.00 without shelf$875.00 with Shelf extension

I know this a crappy pic but I found an anvil for sale around here which was difficult. The owner said its about 120#, in good condition and is asking 375$. Can any of you guys ID this anvil?

That's a Fisher...excellent quality anvils.  Always test ever anvil you look to purchase for rebound, but with fishers, don't expect  them to ring.  Fishers are notoriously quiet due to their cast body  with a hardened steel face. 

definitely a fisher. worth about what he is asking, but try to get it for less if you can.

Fishers are nice for urban smithing because they are quiet. I have a 260# Fisher as my main anvil. 

Thanks for your expertise fellas. I'm happy to finally come across a good quality/well known brand. 

Found another anvil today and was wondering if anyone could ID it. There is a #10 marked on the base other than that no visible markings. 

That one looks like a Vulcan....but I'm not really that experienced with identifying them. I've seen some Badgers that fooled me. Either way, it's a lower quality cast body anvil. Probably Not an ASO, but you'd definitely want to test it to make sure it has good rebound before buying. Certainly not as good as a Fisher, but better then nothing.

Yep, that's a Vulcan. A pretty big step down from what you already have. I'd pass unless it is next to free.

a vulcan or badger, leaning towards vulcan. worth 200 MAX.

100# is what the 10 means. It is similar to my Vulcan in shape, but the weight on mine is cast proud across the back, not on the end of a foot. Either way, it is quite a step down from the Fisher you posted earlier. Vulcans and the like have thinner top plates, and have suffered from casting flaws from time to time. That is not to say it is not a good anvil, just that they are the bottom rung on the working anvil ladder, and every ladder needs a bottom rung--right?  For me that is a $1 a pound anvil.

A couple of questions for you. What is your budget, and what type of projects do you want to make? 

 

500 - 600$ is my budget but I'm just looking to make some knives mostly. I wanted that fisher bad but the owner never called me/emailed me back so I moved on.

1 hour ago, Paint504 said:

500 - 600$ is my budget but I'm just looking to make some knives mostly. I wanted that fisher bad but the owner never called me/emailed me back so I moved on.

 You could look over at Old World Anvils. you can buy a small stake anvil and a fuller for $50  If you're only going to make knives you won't need much more than that. If it's good enough for the vikings it's probably good enough for you! Of course you could always save your pennies are buy something more substantial.

Yeah right now I'm just working with a RR bracket and a DIY forge that I made from cinder blocks, red brick, and cement. I got the noob setup going for sure but eventually I'll be upgrading when I figure things out and improve my skills. So far I made a pair of tongs that I'm pretty proud of and been practicing forge welding. I'm thinking my next step is to get a decent anvil and then a decent blower. Right now I'm using my shopvac  here is a pic of my setup. Maybe you guys can give me some tips. p.s in no snowflake so I encourage any structural criticism.

For the time being One suggestion would be to make some kind of diverter or air gate to control the amount of the air blast.