Sim-biotic Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 Hi all, this is my first time posting here so I'm not all too familiar with how this works but I'll dive right into it. So around 30 miles away from me, there's someone selling an anvil which they say a farrier told them might be a Sisco. It's a bit rusty and I can't see any makers marks etc. but I'm going to go and see it next weekend. So my question is this; what secondary characteristics would suggest it's a Sisco anvil rather than something else? Also as a follow-up, how would you guys transport an anvil? I don't have a van or a truck just a piddly ford fiesta. I imagine I could displace the weight with wooden boards but just wondering if anyone has better solutions Thanks in advance for any help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatfudd Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 Sisco anvils were made in Sweden by Soderfors and are solid cast steel. They are very fine anvils probably some of the best ever made. Transporting it depends a lot on how big it is. I would imaging if the anvil is below 200 lbs your car could handle it about as well as it would a 200 lb human. If it is larger your problem still isn't the ability of the car its the problem of loading and unloading it. I have loaded and moved a 350 lb anvil in the back of my wife's subaru and the only real problem I had was convincing her that it wouldn't ruin her car, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lionel h Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 Nice, clean anvil. If it's a sisco you will enjoy many years with it. Just make a nice stand and bed it down in silicone or construction adhesive to mute the ring. I've really enjoyed mine, they are great anvils Good luck on getting it moved Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will W. Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 2 hours ago, Fatfudd said: I have loaded and moved a 350 lb anvil in the back of my wife's subaru and the only real problem I had was convincing her that it wouldn't ruin her car, Now that's a daunting task. That is a very nice looking anvil. It appears to be in good condition. I agree however, that ease of transportation depends on weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 I doubt it is a Sisco from those pictures. Take a picture of the underside of the base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim-biotic Posted May 14, 2017 Author Share Posted May 14, 2017 First off thanks for the responses everyone much appreciated. Black Frog, I don't have the anvil yet but I'll be able to see it next weekend. What would I be looking for on the underside to make a positive ID as a Sisco? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 More that it isn't a Sisco than it is. The profile, base, and feet style are not like Sisco. Do you have overall length, top face width, and height measurements? A ballpark weight estimation can be made from that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim-biotic Posted May 14, 2017 Author Share Posted May 14, 2017 Overall Length: 34" Top face width: 5.5" Height: 15" I imagine it's going to be over 300lbs but not sure how to work it out Ok so if it isn't a Sisco, it still looks in fairly good nick, is it worth going to look at or should I wait until I see something else like a brooks that looks in good nick? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 I'd say a rough guesstimate would be in the 350# range. Is this in the U.S.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim-biotic Posted May 14, 2017 Author Share Posted May 14, 2017 No UK buddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will W. Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 I would try to get this one of I were you, like scrambler said, don't wait if you can. It looks go be in great shape. Just check the rebound and look for a makers mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim-biotic Posted May 14, 2017 Author Share Posted May 14, 2017 Rightio Thanks for the help guys I'll let you know how it goes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 Yes it looks like a good one---do the ball bearing test to be sure but muckle onto it ASAP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 Welcome aboard, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the Iforge gang live within visiting distance. I don't know Froggy, it looks a lot like mine and there's nothing to see under the foot, only hollowed enough to be stable. The pic below is my Soderfors, it's mortised into a spruce block and rang loudly enough to make your ears ring through muffs or plugs (ear defenders). I usually doubled up on them when teaching, missed blows are the worst. Take a ball bearing, 12mm is good, don't get carried away larger isn't better and they're heavy in a pocket. Wipe the dust off the face, just drop the bearing and eyeball how far it bounces back. The Soderfors in the pic rebounds a bearing in the 95% range I've even gone the the length of dropping it next to a scale multiple times for 9 1/2" from a 10" drop. It will have the best rebound over the center of the anvil and taper off as you test towards the heal and horn. This is normal and you don't need to worry about dead spots caused by a high carbon steel face welded to a wrought iron body failing in places. Called delamination, a Sisco is Swedish cast steel and as good as it gets. I'd be on the road. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will W. Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 Also, during the rebound test, make note of the noise it makes. If it's more of a "thud" it's probably a cast iron body with a steel face, but if it rings like a bell, your probably have a fully steel anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 very different Frosty. SIsco/Soderfors have graceful curves from the feet to waist, and waist to underside of the horn. The feet carry up into the body area more. The original one pictured doesn't have those characteristics, at all. The one pictured has a very HB style of horn shape, but in a cast anvil..... Not sure what make, but I'd be very surprised if it was indeed SIsco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 Okay, I see it now. I guess we need to wait for a little wire brushing, chalk and pics to see what it is eh? Well, maybe. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim-biotic Posted May 14, 2017 Author Share Posted May 14, 2017 Thanks for all the contributions everyone. In this age of online trolling, it's refreshing to find a bunch of decent like-minded individuals. I'll post an update once I get my hands on it and clean it up. Hopefully it's a good one my fingers remain crossed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 I would rent a trailer or truck to transport that anvil, if it was too heavy/large to fit into the Fiesta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 You may want to read the cautionary tale about the large anvil and the Pinto in "Anvils in America'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 11 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: You may want to read the cautionary tale about the large anvil and the Pinto in "Anvils in America'. Isn't that one about making the mistake of buying a Pinto more than a big anvil? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will W. Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 4 minutes ago, Frosty said: Isn't that one about making the mistake of buying a Pinto more than a big anvil? Ha! True. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 Here's a worse mistake for you, I had a high school buddy buy a first model year Vega. Talk about a mistake once it started leaking oil it couldn't be stopped. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 Was that the Bicentennial Vega, with a cracked block (just like the Liberty Bell)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 2 hours ago, John McPherson said: Was that the Bicentennial Vega, with a cracked block (just like the Liberty Bell)? Vegas weren't around long enough for a bicentennial anything heck barely made biannual. It was that stupid, thin sectioned one piece cast aluminum motor with a cast iron head I think it was. Darned things just warped and leaked no matter what. Chevrolet HAD to know they were a BAD engine before they released the things. I never heard of one that ran more than a couple months before starting to leak. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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