cdnaxe Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Hi Guys, I just picked up this anvil from a yardsale junkie friend of mine. i agreed to the purchase based on a cell phone photo and conversation with him. Overall it looks to be in pretty good shape. The edges are in decent shape, the horn is not drooping and it still rings like xxxx. My question is this: i notice that the whole anvil face is sloped from heel to horn.. apx 2in difference in height. Have any of you seen this before in an anvil? my plan was to shim the low side when I mount it but is there a reason to leave it tapered? Also I notice that one foot is out of plane by about 1/4in leaving the anvil to rock a bit. This can be easily shimmed but just wondering if this is common or a sign of poor manufacturing quality? Also can anyone take a guess at the manufacturer? it weighs in at 198# even but the markings on the side are hard to make out. it looks to be like 1-2-something 2.. although at 198# i would have expected 1-3-2 The name stamps are all but gone but I can sort of see a C up top and a WA lower down.. Any guesses? Thanks for any thoughts or advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 slope the stand, to match the tilt of anvil so that it will then sit level. The difference in the foot; take a bottle of silicone and put it on the stand, then place the anvil on it so the silicone with conform to the unevenness of the anvil base. Let me know if this doesn't make sense, I know I ain't the greatest at explaining things. Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 The slant was probably a factory oops as these were hand forged under powerhammers, My guess is someone had a liquid lunch or a bad hangover that day. If it was post manufacturing abuse I would expect signs of it in the face. Though I do notice that the front feet look smaller than the back ones---any sign of post purchase modification to them? Like the previous poster I would advise making the stand to remove the slant. OR if you have a friend with a heavy duty milling machine, flip that anvil bottom up and mill the base to be parallel to the face. Removal of base material is not the problem that messing with the face is! Anyway I would grind the 1/4" off the foot to make it stable shimming tends to work loose under impacts and the life of an anvil is impacts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exo313 Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 This is just like mine, and is probably the fourth or more with similar "features" I've seen in photos of mouseholes around that size. Not enough to see a clear trend but enough to know if wasn't a one-off. 1 2 22 should be 112 + 28 + 28 + 22, and they weren't concerned with a few pounds plus or minus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thats Hot... Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 Would using a sand box stand help with getting the anvil level ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 28 minutes ago, Thats Hot... said: Would using a sand box stand help with getting the anvil level ? that would, just have to put it in the sand level. I had thought about mentioning it. glad you brought it up though, I don't see no reason why it wouldn't. Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 Yup. I tend not to think of that as my anvils are generally portable as I teach in places that are not in my shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thats Hot... Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 21 hours ago, cdnaxe said: Hi Guys, I just picked up this anvil from a yardsale junkie friend of mine. i agreed to the purchase based on a cell phone photo and conversation with him. Overall it looks to be in pretty good shape. The edges are in decent shape, the horn is not drooping and it still rings like xxxx. My question is this: i notice that the whole anvil face is sloped from heel to horn.. apx 2in difference in height. Have any of you seen this before in an anvil? my plan was to shim the low side when I mount it but is there a reason to leave it tapered? Also I notice that one foot is out of plane by about 1/4in leaving the anvil to rock a bit. This can be easily shimmed but just wondering if this is common or a sign of poor manufacturing quality? Also can anyone take a guess at the manufacturer? it weighs in at 198# even but the markings on the side are hard to make out. it looks to be like 1-2-something 2.. although at 198# i would have expected 1-3-2 The name stamps are all but gone but I can sort of see a C up top and a WA lower down.. Any guesses? Thanks for any thoughts or advice! Cdnaxe, you could try this idea. Fab up a stand with wood or go with steel, fill it with sand and then work the sand until the anvil is level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foundryman Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 That's a rare, high speed dragster anvil! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdnaxe Posted July 12, 2017 Author Share Posted July 12, 2017 HI Guys, First off apparently my first post had some unfavourable language when I said it still rings like "bleep"..the opposite of heaven... it certainly wasn't my intention to offend anyone and I'll keep it G rated from here on out. Thanks for all the tips. I've got a big elm stump I was planning to mount it on so it will be easy enough to cut one face on an angle leaving the rest of the anvil leveled off. On 7/8/2017 at 7:41 PM, Exo313 said: This is just like mine, and is probably the fourth or more with similar "features" I've seen in photos of mouseholes around that size. Not enough to see a clear trend but enough to know if wasn't a one-off. 1 2 22 should be 112 + 28 + 28 + 22, and they weren't concerned with a few pounds plus or minus. Exo313 when you say similar features do you mean that your's is sloped to the same degree..ie 2+ inches over its length? and you're bang on with the stamped numbers for some reason I had it in my head that the quarter weights were 24lbs each which is clearly wrong. if it is a "defect" it seems amazing to me that they would continue through to finishing it.. stamped numbers and all. It's not like it's out by a little bit. further more it would have been a pain to forge weld the steel plate on with the whole thing sitting on an angle. still curious if anyone out there knows of a purpose to the sloped face? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 Probably forge welded the faceplate on with it sitting on a dirt floor; I don't see where that would be a pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 They also finished forging to shape after the face plate was welded on so a mistake could've happened than. Weirder than finishing a cocked anvil it may not have been a mistake. One of the guys in our club deliberately leans his anvil away though I don't know what angle. I don't see a problem correct it with the stand or get used to it, no problem wither way and just think of the stories you can tell to the people who notice. "Why yes son it is slanted. See, I was forging an elephant ear ring for the circus and darned if Zippy clown didn't distract me and while Whacky the clown hit it with one of those giant clown hammers!" "Oh no, of course the elephant didn't step on it, an elephant would never do that. Elephants are nice if you're not mean to them and she wanted her new ear ring. She did laugh though, elephants have a giant sense of humor unless you're a mouse." I'd have a ball at demos with it. If it's too much of a challenge I'll be happy to keep it safe from folk who'd disparage it's . . . Uh . . . Diversity! Yeah, that's the ticket, I'll PM my mailing address and promise to keep it dry and safe and it's feelings unhurt. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exo313 Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 Cdnaxe; yes. Or pretty close. I haven't measured it. Far as pushing it through to final stamping goes, anvil shops as I understand were pretty competitive and basically mass production shops once lots of different makers started popping up. I'm guessing a ) tolerances were pretty coarse or b ) anvils like that ended up being sold as seconds. No basis for that guess; shooting in the dark really. But it's what I'd do if I was running a full scale production anvil factory. I'm not wasting wages or fuel or time fixing a 200 pound lump of metal. Especially not after the face is welded on. I'm either shipping it as is or selling it at a reduced rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 My Mousehole anvil had one corner up as well, which wasn't much of an issue when I had it on a stump. When I moved to a steel base, I ended up using a lot more silicone in that corner to take out the wobble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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