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Posted

Hi all,

i have another anvil prospect, but the face appears to have been repaired with a new plate. Can anyone verify this? If so, should I keep looking?

 

thanks, 

Ben

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Posted

That is not a new plate.  Some Columbians were cast with that as part of the pattern mold.

That is original casting.  Check it with a ball bearing for rebound amount, if you're satisfied with it a Columbian is a high quality cast steel anvil.

Posted

Mine!

Got them both for $600.00! Where I’m from, that’s a pretty decent deal! The anvil needs a good cleaning, but the forge should be good to go! These were supposedly bought together at a hardware store near the seller in 1917. He wanted them to stay together so I obliged!

Still looking for the $50 post vise Thomas! :-P

(sorry for the photo size)

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Posted

"Still looking for the $50 post vise"---yup that's the way you find them!  (But even I was surprised to find a 6" columbian postvise for US$50 at Quad-State!  Of course he was getting ready to pull out with it still on his truck and it didn't have a spring or a mounting bracket....but still WOW!)

Posted

I forgot to mention that there seems to be some sort of plate on the bottom that causes the anvil to wobble a great deal. Is that by design or should I consider either removing it or maybe grinding it flat?

Posted

Can you show it to use?  Is it part of the anvil or applied to the anvil?  This is the reason that so many brands of anvil have a depression in the bottom to deal with possible uneven stump faces too.

Posted

Thank you sirs/ma’am’s! Next up is replacing oil in the blower that leaked out on the ride home! Doing some homework now tor figure out maintenance for it.

Posted

Filling the oil pan in a blower is a good way to see how large an oil stain it'll make on the floor. Just give it a LITTLE quirt through the oiler ports when you start a session. It only takes a few drops to keep them turning smoothly more just leaks out. It's the same story with old mechanical power hammers, they should NOT be slobbering and slinging oil, just a small squirt, a few drops on the main journal oil ports and two or three in all the others is plenty.

I put about 1/4 cup of automotive anti friction motor oil additive, I can't think of the name, in a gallon of chainsaw bar oil. Origionally for the chainsaws of course but it's perfect power hammer and Champion 400 blower lube. It's sticky and the friction reducing additive keeps everything slick. The only place that drips oil on my 50 lb. Champion is the ram guides.

Frosty The Lucky.

Posted

Frosty,

 

the only “port” I can find is this thing. Is this what it should look like? It seems kinda chewed up. I’ve tried fiddling with it, but it doesn’t really move. Would I just drip oil into this?

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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

That Columbian you have is crazy different than mine. I am amazed at how the processes for manufacturing these differ so much.  Besides that, my Columbian has been a great anvil. Great rebound, nice ring, and she comes in right at 180lbs. Glad I got her.  I haven't been on any other anvil since I started swinging so I can't add any comparisons.  I would buy another (bigger) Columbian if the opportunity arose.   Mine also had a slight protrusion on the bottom but not as dramatic as yours.  I ground mine off and called it good.

 

 

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Posted

Kiddcaprix , the edges on that are darn near perfect! Have you notice any issues with the face leaving some of its dimples in your work? Though my edges have seen better days, they cleaned up really well, but the face appears the same texture as the rest of the body. I’m assuming that’s as cast, but I did notice a few marks show up on some thin material I was working on. I suppose I could maybe flap disc the roughest areas, but I’m thinking just leave it alone and see if I can “work” the face smoothe?

Any suggestions/tips?

I did finally grind off most of that issue on the bottom, but it was extremely tough material to grind! It seems like there may be some hollow spaces underneath it, but I couldn’t quite break through it.

Posted

Yeah, I got pretty lucky finding an anvil in this condition.  Most of the "texture" was just dirt and debris.  Those were pictures of when I picked it up.  Just hammering on it has clean the surface up quite a bit.  The scale is a pretty good abrasive and helps clean the dirt off.  I would just hammer on it and it will clean up.  Anything that has transferred into my work piece I leave because I like the hand worked look of things.  Or if making a blade, the texture comes out in the finishing process.  My face is pretty smooth so I haven't notice any spots that transfer. 

-Adam

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