First anvil purchase, what do you think of these options?

[JHCC]

8 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

But I expect that the UN would have stepped in with a pre-authorized doughnut strike...)

I’ll contact UNESCO: the United Nations Emergency Sugar for Curmudgeons Organization. 

[Dale Russell]

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[BoyNamedStacy]

Found another option for $550. 120# Peter Wright w/ "good rebound". Thoughts on it? 

[ThomasPowers]

"good rebound" is meaningless without objective numbers.  We've had a guy here report that his anvil had good rebound until we got the numbers and it was *terrible*.

BTAIM, the anvil looks to be in decent using shape and a much better cost per pound than some we have seen lately; of course an improvised anvil would be much cheaper---what is your financial situation?

[Daswulf]

Yup looks like a good user anvil. As far as checking for sway on the face, its not a big deal when not "major" and can even be useful in straightening pieces. 

[BoyNamedStacy]

8 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

"good rebound" is meaningless without objective numbers.  We've had a guy here report that his anvil had good rebound until we got the numbers and it was *terrible*.

BTAIM, the anvil looks to be in decent using shape and a much better cost per pound than some we have seen lately; of course an improvised anvil would be much cheaper---what is your financial situation?

I'll be sure to do a rebound test if I go check it out. I am looking to spend 800 or less, but I'm in the same town as the Rhino anvil distributor and he has a 2 week used baby rhino with stand he'd sell me for 1k. I was thinking of showing him 900 cash in hopes he would take it but he might be firm at 1 stack. I would pay to to 1k for something like new. I'm currently using a chunk of rail and it's getting slightly annoying.

4 minutes ago, Daswulf said:

Yup looks like a good user anvil. As far as checking for sway on the face, its not a big deal when not "major" and can even be useful in straightening pieces. 

Good to know, thanks! 

[JHCC]

If the rebound is good, that $450 you’re not spending on the Rhino will set you up with a great starter set of tongs, with money left over. Holding your workpiece securely is just as important as what you hit it on. If I’d known that when I started, I would have invested much more of my tool budget in tongs, and saved myself a lot of frustration and not a few burns. 

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

My thoughts on PW anvils is that they are soft. I have a 138# PW and it has a divot in the face near the horn from constant use in that area - how I purchased it. . I also see a lot of them swayed because the soft wrought iron body gives way under (heavy?) use. Others consider them to be superior to anything else.  I love my Fisher because it is so quiet to work on, and would choose a Fisher over a PW any day if they are in comparable condition.

If you have $800 to burn I would look at a new anvil like a JHM

If you want more than 125# for a good price I would say get a big forklift fork and make your own. A 72" fork can run North of 200# and be had very inexpensively.  If you go with the DIY route you could outfit the entire smithy with an anvil, forge, and post vise in the $200 range.

JHCC, as to tongs. My recommendation to those starting out is to use long enough stock that you can hold onto without using tongs. Trying to learn while fighting tongs can just make things very discouraging.  I even use Vise-Grips at times.

[BoyNamedStacy]

JHCC - True, money saved, is money I can put toward a 2x72 grinder, That's also on my short list! As far as tongs go, that's been my main focus of practice/learning and I've gotten a few made already.

BIGUNDOCTOR - Funny you mention a fork, I service a tractor/heavy equipment junk yard and I have had my eye on a forklift counter balance weight that's a few hundred lbs easy. I never thought about something simple like a fork! I bet it's much harder than the counter balance, too! Don't you want more mass under the working surface, though? 

[ThomasPowers]

You mean like this one? $25 for 120# anvil made from good steel?  (And yes I am the Thomas mentioned!)

http://www.marco-borromei.com/fork.html

[BoyNamedStacy]

1 hour ago, ThomasPowers said:

Useless quote removed

That's pretty sweet! Is it just the beginer in me that feels like I need a bigger working surface? 

[ThomasPowers]

How big is the face of your hammer?  Check out the video(s) of people forging kukris using a sledge hammer head as their anvil.

TL/DR: Yes it's you.

[BoyNamedStacy]

I guess I was thinking more along the lines of when I had to rest my peace on the Anvil to drift a hole. It doesn't look like I'll be able to securely rest any large piece of Steel on there

[ThomasPowers]

And your heavy equipment junkyard doesn't have a single piece of dozer or road grader wear plate with nice sized square holes in them?  How very odd!

[BoyNamedStacy]

Well I can't say that I have looked that hard. I'll check it out more thoroughly next time I'm there

[ThomasPowers]

Once you start thinking " I need a tough chunk of steel with a hole in it" instead of "I need a London Pattern Anvil" then it's amazing what you might be able to find.

[sfeile]

3 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

And your heavy equipment junkyard doesn't have a single piece of dozer or road grader wear plate with nice sized square holes in them?  How very odd!

I wish I lived near you guys and your amazing scrap yards.... I have 2 near here. One in NY state that says NY state law prohibits them selling anything that has come in. I don't know if that's true or not, but bottom line is they won't sell. The other one is in PA, but I keep getting told to "talk to the owner". Apparently there are 4 owners and none of them are ever there.

I did find one auto salvage yard that will pull a few things for me occasionally like springs or axles, but that's the best I've found.

[Frosty]

I'm afraid you're right, I was way off, your previous posts hadn't stuck with me. Thomas is probably right too I needed a cookie. 

I think you're probably right in passing for the price. I would've wanted better than a guess myself. 

I apologize, no excuses. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[BoyNamedStacy]

hey no worries frosty, and I appreciate the apology. I can only assume us noobs get annoying so I don't hold it against you 

[JHCC]

An axle standing on end (flange up) will get you started. Check out the improvised anvils thread.

If a scrapyard won’t let you sell you anything (and there is the same law here in Ohio), then GTTS: Go To The Source. Talk to a forklift rental or repair place about a damaged one. Talk to a heavy equipment place about a chunk of a bulldozer. Get creative. 

[MC Hammer]

If you've got $800 to spend, $300 or $400 should get you a serviceable anvil.  I personally would save up and buy the new anvil.  Solid tool steel and you never have to worry about other people's abuse done on the used anvil you purchase.  Honestly, you really have to go in person, at least clean the top and tap with a blacksmithing hammer or do a rebound test with a ball bearing.  A hard face with good ring (except for a Fisher which won't ring) is all you need to know.  For your $800 though, you could get a nice used anvil, tongs, and hammers easily.  It's a big investment so maximize your money.  Deals are out there, but you seem to be finding the full retail priced anvils.  That happened to me when I was looking.  

This helps too.  Read everything you can on this forum regarding anvils.  Check Anvils In America by Postman out from your local library sharing system and read it cover to cover.  Educate yourself a lot on anvils.  This is to your advantage to do so.  You then won't need to ask our opinions on anvils you find.  We don't mind sharing our opinions or you asking, but knowing everything you can makes you an informed buyer.  This works to your advantage.  You can talk to sellers about sway on the face, rebound, etc. from a place of knowledge and sometimes the price goes down when you help educate them.  Don't do this with a blacksmith as you will just end up insulting them, but with a non-blacksmith seller you can sometimes bring them out of the sky on their "antique" "rare" anvil.  I did this with a guy and his $800 anvil all of a sudden became a "Well, all I really want to get out of it is $500."  I passed on it, but that was $300 off the price just for talking to him.  He wasn't a blacksmith and that's the first question I ask: "So, what do you use it for?"  Most say it's just been in their garage or workshop and you find out quickly they know nothing about blacksmithing.  If they say they've been forging for 18 years or something then you just keep your criticism mostly to yourself and offer them a price you feel is fair (don't try to low-ball him or her) and then walk away if they won't budge thanking them for their time and telling them it's a nice anvil "thank you for taking the time to show it to me, I'd love to be the next caretaker of such a nice anvil."  They might just think about you when they move it around a few more times and give you a call.  I guess what I'm saying is that if you go the used route it may take some work and diplomacy to get a decent anvil or you can just pay-up and not worry about trying to get a decent price.  I only had $400 to buy an anvil when I was looking and I walked away with a 179 # Trenton, an armful of tongs and hammers for $350 but I had been actively looking for over a year doing Thomas's TPAAAT method.  

[ianinsa]

just a thought here , you are close to where the NWBA have their anual "DO"  soon it is worth a deco if nothing else. i have been to more than one and have never regretted one moment and i have a bit further to travel!  there are always tailgaters and i thought prices seemed reasonable.  THE ADDED bonus is you get to meet some really nice folk to boot.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

From the pictures posted on FB the anvil prices are no deal at the ABANA conference, at least the first day. They said plenty of other deals though.