Meadowgrove Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 Hello sage curmudgeons, professionals and fellow newbs. Seeking some advice on this cute little piece of metal. The seller is willing to part with it for 220€. Looks to be in pretty good shape to my inexperienced eye. But! It's a 200km drive, so I was wondering if I should bother visiting the seller for some testing. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 I'm no expert on anvils buy any means, but the chips look like hard tool steal (like chiped glass) the body is obviuslty cast, but to my inexperienced ey that could be cast steel or cast iron. I'd drive two and a half hours and pay $200, but I only pay $1.30 a gallon for diesel and the truck gets 25mpg. The government figures about .50 a mile (not counting your time, comercial shippers figure $1.50 a mile) that's only another $250 in fuel, insurance, maintenance and depreciation. Might consider having It mailed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadowgrove Posted August 21, 2017 Author Share Posted August 21, 2017 Here diesel costs around €1.30 a liter so mailing wouldn't be out of the question What kind of problems should I expect with the chipping edges? Too bad there's no more than this one pic of the anvil... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 Unless the face is delaminated the chips arnt that big an issue, as you use the anvil you may deside to clean up one or another as forging die, but from this side their is plenty of good face to work on, and sharp edges are acualy a bad thing. My anvils have a radii from 1" in the heal to 1/4" in the front. Yours is just reversed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 Cast steel anvils GOOD; cast iron anvils BAD. Get the owner to strike it with a hammer while you listen on the phone---a high pitched TING means it's a cast steel anvil and a quite nice one indeed!. A muted thwap means cast iron BAD; or steel face and cast iron body: Good or Bad depending on other factors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 The chips back buy the hardy hole look like hardend steel, to my eye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadowgrove Posted August 21, 2017 Author Share Posted August 21, 2017 Some digging around the 'net reveals the construction should be cast steel. Lokomo anvils have kind of a legendary status here. Gonna guess it's partly because they were made in Finland. Not a whole lot of anvil makers here. And from what I've heard from Finnish smiths, the anvils are pretty darn good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 Hi, Well if you consider that some Finnish blacksmith-hobbyists travel to the Czech Republic to buy a normal quality anvil, and they do it because it's worth it - I'd be happy to drive and buy that Lokomo. I've also heard that Lokomos are good anvils. The chipping on the side is not that bad problem. With my limited experience about the anvil situation of Finland I can say you can have a nice deal on the anvil. Maybe the owner even lets the price down a tiny bit. Worth a try. Bests: Gergely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadowgrove Posted August 23, 2017 Author Share Posted August 23, 2017 Argh, some smith beat me to it. Looks like I have to learn how to TPAAAT... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 Yeah, you do. But if any comfort Finland is not the easiest territory to find a good anvil. try to find a scrapyard that sells scrap steel. (Finland related info: do not try to contact them on phone, wear your worst cloths when you go there, just ask them casually) Hunt for a big industrial looking chunk of steel. 100 mm dia axel and you're golden for a couple of years while you find your actual anvil. And nevermind. Steel goes to you any minute it realizes that you're a magnetic personality. Bests: Gergely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 Your ancestors used what was esentualty a 4x4" (10 cm) block to forge swords, axes, spears and ship rivits. A post or stump anvil, a bick and a portable hole and your off to the races. Of corse, Gergely just had his own cast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadowgrove Posted August 23, 2017 Author Share Posted August 23, 2017 There's two scrap yards in my town, I'm not sure why I haven't visited them yet. Probably because I have a habit of going into a shopping spree whenever there's rusty junk around... But I'll see what I can find! And for Mrs. Meadowgrove's sake I'll try not to empty the whole yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 One must keep the domestic goddess happy, after all she is a bighearted woman of questionable sanity, she married you! Lol. Large sledges, and splitting mauls have made workable anvils as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted August 25, 2017 Share Posted August 25, 2017 On 2017. 08. 23. at 7:49 PM, Charles R. Stevens said: Of corse, Gergely just had his own cast. I'm sorry, Charles, but: what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.