Sébastien Marchand Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Hi everyone! I just acquired my first anvil! This was a super exciting day, I've done some blacksmithing before at Les Forges de Montréal and I loved it! Having a blacksmithing area in my shop was a dream and I have no choice but to build a forge now that I have an anvil! I don't have much information about my anvil, it's a 110lbs anvil with no pritchel hole, a big parting line on the middle and no branding, there's some pictures here: https://imgur.com/a/SM4Emon Any idea on what type of anvil it might be? I don't care so much if it's not a high quality one, it's my first anvil and I'm sure that I'll learn a ton on it! Also, should I do any preparation on it before using it? Like removing the paint on the horn and on the main plate? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-1ToolSteel Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Interesting. Not a name brand, but it might still be decent quality. Face is a little rough and unfinished. I'd at least take an angle grinder to the casting line over the horn. Does it ring when struck, or just a dead thud. This is where we separate the anvils from the ASOs! The look of it kinda reminds me of some anvils I recall Thomas Powers talking about that were hit-or-miss, depending on whatever type of steel they had left over to melt. Have you tried a rebound test? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sébastien Marchand Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 Thanks for the reply. It does ring when struck! Here's a video (with sound) : https://photos.app.goo.gl/Lgnidvc9FMNjfUEu6 (if it doesn't work as an anvil then it looks like I'll be able to use it as a music instrument ). I haven't done the rebound test yet, I need to go to the hardware store to get a bearing ball first, I'll try to do this tomorrow evening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Are you in Quebec? (The fact you took a class in Montreal doesn't mean you live near there. I once gave a lesson in an open air museum in Germany; but lived in Columbus Ohio USA...) A mechanic will probably be a better source for ball bearings than a hardware store. (Most of the steel balls I have seen at local hardware stores are not hardened 52100 steel). I would wire brush the face clean before trying the rebound test. That one does look like some of the ones I see down here cast in whatever was left in the pouring ladle at the end of the day; *BUT* it looks like it had extensive work done on it with a mill and so may be a better one than expected! You can probably drill a pritchel if you want one---and please stamp some wild name on the side to mess with future owners....something like Silage Marinade or Yoda Works or... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sébastien Marchand Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 Thanks Thomas! Yep, I'm in Montreal, QC, Canada. I'll update my profile right now, thanks for reminding me (I just realized that as I logged in via Facebook it has used my profile picture, which is me blacksmithing for the first time ). I'll wire brush the face tomorrow (I guess that I'll probably have to use the angle grinder to remove the parting line at some point...), then I'll see if I can find some good ball bearings nearby... Not sure about the pritchel, as recommended in the forum's beginner post I'll wait to have used my anvil for 2000h before doing any irreversible modification to it :). I love the Yoda Works name and the idea of putting this wild name on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Interesting. If it isn’t a dead lump of cast iron, you may have something good on your hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Hammer Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 It looks like a casting line right up the face of the anvil. That's usually not a good sign, but it does ring nicely but then again so does a block of steel I have that only registers 5 inch rebounds on a 10 inch drop. I use it as a flatter station and for any time I need sharp corners. Definitely do the rebound test with a steel ball bearing. They can be found on Ebay or Amazon. Mine is a 1 inch bearing and I think it works really well. Do the rebound test and report back. Maybe you've read it in the forum, but 7 inch or above are considered acceptable rebound returns when dropped from 10 inches. With that said, there is a whole thread recently dedicated to arguing the rebound debate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Any ball bearing say 3/8" -1/2" work work fine for checking rebound. Look for an electric motor shop, or pump shop as they are constantly replacing ball bearings. Not many ball bearings in cars today, as most are roller bearings for axles and wheel hubs. We go through them constantly at the bakery I work at; motors, pumps, mixers, conveyors, tension rollers, etc... I try to grab the larger ones as they get changed out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 If after using it for a year and the face looks as it does now, I'd say you have a good anvil. On the other hand if the face is all scared up and the horn broken off... c'est la vie and if it didn't cost a fortune no harm done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sébastien Marchand Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 Thanks for the comment everyone :), I'll do a rebound test as soon as I can get a bearing ball (thanks for the tips @BIGGUNDOCTOR !) and I'll post the results here. If I understand correctly it's fine to use a wirebrush to clean the top of the anvil and I can also grind down the parting line? I won't do any aggressive grinding until the anvil is ready to be used (I need to make a forge first! And I'm planning to make a belt grinder at some point, I might do this before the forge (I'll use Jeremy Schmidt's plans for this grinder). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksmith-450 Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 J'ai vu ce modèle au Québec,... Forge du Village à Granby. Toi, où l'as tu acheté ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksmith-450 Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 (edited) [Matériel commercial retiré] Edited July 20, 2018 by Mod34 commercial material removed per TOS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sébastien Marchand Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 Intéressant! Je l'ai acheté au marché aux puces de St Eustache! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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