ddurant311 Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 So, from what I've read, it seems repairing an anvil is a last resort. I bartered for an anvil yesterday, not sure of the manufacturer, but the guy I got it from seemed to believe it was made here in Maine. The ONLY letter on it that I can make out is an "A" on the rear left foot. My real question is, is the damage on the left side of the working face something I should consider repairing? I think it shows evidence of prior poor repair attempt(s). It also has very little ring when struck, which, led me to believe someone already ruined the heat treating. If that's the case, can I reheat it and heat treat it again? Lastly, I HATE that it's painted red. Is there any paint removers I should avoid? I've also been cleaning it with Zippo fluid, and it occurred to me that I should ask here before continuing to clean with it. I figured the oily residue it leaves behind would help prevent rust. I've taken some pictures, let me know if anyone needs something else for IDing the maker, or damage assessment. Much thanks to all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 You have an early Fisher anvil. Fisher started in Maine, but by 1852 they moved to Trenton, NJ. I think your anvil was made in NJ, not Maine. Clean it with any chemical removers. Just scrub it down after with a detergent, then use a light oil or boiled linseed oil. Wire wheeling will work too, just use a mask because you do not know what kind of paint that is. Fisher anvils do not ring. The thud is perfectly normal. Do not try to repair the anvil. You have lots of real estate left. Just use what you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 NJ answered Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 Just now, the iron dwarf said: the raised A indicates to me it is cast even though it has handling holes, what does the underside look like ( heel, base and horn ) The handling holes on Fisher anvils were used for the fixtures they had for grinding after casting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 deleted my post because I seen yours, did not know it was a fisher but guessed someone who would know would show up soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 You can take to the bank what the owner of the Fisher Museum tells you about Fisher anvils!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddurant311 Posted August 22, 2017 Author Share Posted August 22, 2017 Njanvil, is there any way to tell if it was made in Maine? The guy I got it from believed it was made before the move to NJ. Thanks for reassuring me about the dull tone! I was also told the cutting face and horn were covered in harder steel, and there are seams that support this idea. You said work with what I have, so I'm assuming the cuts and dings on the cutting face and horn are no concern either? I prefer old things with character, so grinding just to make it pretty isn't something I want to do either. Oh! One last thing I've been pondering, the mounting of this sexy beast. I'm going with wood, but my question is do soft woods absorb my hammer strikes more than hard? Am I losing anything using soft wood? I've got some pretty big pine trees, but my land is scarce in larger hard wood. Should I wait for the wood to dry, or mount it wet? Was figuring the wet wood will really lock in whatever I use for fasteners, but was also thinking it may warp slightly when it dries which could ruin the flat and level fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted August 22, 2017 Share Posted August 22, 2017 311 I will post some photos of a Maine made Fisher tomorrow. They generally had a better finish, and usually had the weight stamped in on the upper left side, right where all of the chipping is. Use the anvil for a while. I think you will find it needs no other work. The steel faceplate is only about 1/4" thick, and you do not want to reduce this more than it already is from years of work. I am sure a nice pine log under the anvil will work fine. If the log is inside, I am sure that it will last. And so what if you have to replace it every decade? Cut the log and mount the anvil. Just strip the bark off. Any checking will add character. It will shrink, but should not ever warp out of level. Use a turnbuckle as part of the holddown, so if need be, it will be easy to tighten it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddurant311 Posted August 24, 2017 Author Share Posted August 24, 2017 Threw in a picture of the stump I picked. Maple, triple tree (which may cause problems later down the road). Hadn't seen a mounting block like this, and we were figuring the small rail track could be used for finer work. Still some finding to do, but I'm pretty happy with the start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 24, 2017 Share Posted August 24, 2017 Stand that long rail on end and use it as well. You can do your heavy rough work on the anvil with the jacked face, finer intermediate work on the rail, come post anvil and the fsmoth work on the small rail section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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