moneylessrec Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 I'll probably not be posting very much at all, since I have very little experience, and all the beginner questions seem to have been answered already. I'm sure I'll get in binds as soon as my forge is running, though. About me: I've worked metal in other people's forge, but I'm only now starting to build my own. I have quite a bit of diverse knowledge, though, so I'm building all of it myself that I can, using tools from other hobbies where safe, but I will have to buy a few things. I enjoy making blades and such, but I really want to venture into handmade housewares and hardware, so I am looking for a London pattern anvil. Hopefully something will happen across my path. If you know of any in my area or could be shipped reasonably, please don't hesitate to reach out. Also, if you're in my area and wouldn't mind a 20-something happening into your shop, I could use more instruction and socialization. I'm in Weaver, very close to Anniston. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 Welcome to IFI! If you haven't yet, please READ THIS FIRST!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 Have you looked into joining The Alabama Forge Council? https://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/100-alabama-forge-council/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moneylessrec Posted November 1, 2018 Author Share Posted November 1, 2018 I did read the new guy thread! Thanks for pointing me towards it! Irondragon, I haven't looked into it yet, but I will now, thank you! Upon looking, it seems the closest AFC affiliate forge is well over an hour from me, so I'll probably be looking for a similar local group rather than a statewide, even though I'm sure AFC is very awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 We used to carpool to get to SOFA meetings from Central Ohio, less cost and a lot more fun! (It was about 2 hours away.) Here near El Paso the closest ABANA affiliate is a 4 hour drive away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moneylessrec Posted November 1, 2018 Author Share Posted November 1, 2018 If I can find interested parties locally wanting to give it a shot as well, that would be an awesome idea! You don't have a link handy to your anvil acquisition strategy do ya? I was looking, but I seem to only find people talking about the finds they made with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 Short form: Talk to EVERYONE about wanting an anvil to get started smithing. Don't "filter out" people; I've found anvils talking to 92 year old ladies and young guys in their 20's in a major city (469# Fisher in mint condition under a US dollar a pound!) It's handy to have a cheap "giveaway" business card to give to people with your contact info on it. Have cash on hand. Good anvil deals can have a very short halflife. I prefer to seal the deal within an hour or at most during the same day. Don't make assumptions, talk to people! (People are often surprised that the number of anvils per square mile was generally HIGHER in cities than in the country!) I've run across a surprising number of anvils just talking to folks after church, or the people next to me waiting in line for something---hence the cards with contact numbers Keep your eyes open. I spotted a small hardy in a crate of plumbing fittings at the fleamarket; bought it and then asked where the anvil it went too was. 100 pound Vulcan with the paper label still on it from the place that sold it. We were taking a test drive on a car we were looking to buy and I spotted a largish postvise next to a collapsing small barn---wife wouldn't let me stop until AFTER we bought the car and then I got the postvise and 125# PW from an old gentleman in the decrepit house next to it. He had a much happier Christmas with a couple of hundred extra dollars that year. (I traded that anvil, a postvise screw and screwbox I had salvaged from a destroyed vise and US$100 for a 410# Trenton; fellow in an association I belonged to was tired of moving the big anvil around; but still wanted to keep the possibility of smithing in the future...) When you are at a fleamarket and see rusty old "barn stuff" ASK! Many times folks would leave the heavy smithing stuff back at the barn and take the smaller stuff to sell. Generally online is one of the worst ways to find anvils at a cheap price. Folks on line selling stuff are trying to make money from it and have easy access to comparative prices. You want to find the "hidden" ones where people just want to see them go to a good home... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moneylessrec Posted November 1, 2018 Author Share Posted November 1, 2018 Thank you so much! Some of these are things I know, but some of them are things I never would have thought! Also, thank you for taking the time to reply here, I know it's aggravating to have to keep repeating yourself. Happy forging! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwilson645 Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 Welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moneylessrec Posted November 1, 2018 Author Share Posted November 1, 2018 20 minutes ago, jwilson645 said: Welcome! Thanks! If you know of any anvils east of ya, let me know! Hayden is only a couple hours from home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 Don’t forget that blocks and bicks worked for a few millinia And a portable hole works well for tooling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwilson645 Posted November 5, 2018 Share Posted November 5, 2018 On 11/1/2018 at 3:32 PM, moneylessrec said: Thanks! If you know of any anvils east of ya, let me know! Hayden is only a couple hours from home. I started out with a chunk of railroad track but any slab of steel, stone or whatever will work to get you started. Take your time and don't buy the first one you see. I had my mind set on not paying more than $2-3.00 a pound for one. After looking at a bunch of junky ones for a year or so, I bought a 180lb Fisher at the Alabama Forge Council conference at Tannehill for $325 3yrs ago. That's $1.80(ish) a pound if you're keeping track. There are alot of people out there selling them for $5, $6.00 per lb and more in "antique stores", Craigslist, etc. I feel like you're better off buying from someone that has actually used one than from Joe off the street that has seen them used on Forged in Fire. .02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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