Mouse Hole purchase..

[roninwarrior]

So, literally just got done making an anvil from a chunk of steel when this Mouse hole popped up on Craigslist real close to me. The price was right and could not resist. 

Was told that it is a Mouse hole, unknown year, and the weight is 130 lb. I have not actually weighed it myself. It seems to be in decent shape. Hard to read the writing/numbers. 

Also has some delaminations near the heel, not sure how worried about that I should be? 

 

Overall, super excited to come across this. 

 

[John McPherson]

Not a face delamination, which would be horizontal, but a significant structural crack. Don't do any heavy work on the heel without getting it repaired. Or, just don't do any heavy work on the heel.

Could be repaired by a tricky welder without hurting the face heat treatment at all. After gouging out the crack, weld the anvil upside down in a trough of water, with 1/2" of the face submerged. It needs to be several inches deep and gallons of water to be an adequate heat sink, with the face supported outside the weld zone, not just a baking sheet.

The weight markings are 1 * 0 * 15, which translates as 1 x 112 + 0 x 28 + 15 pounds, or 127 pounds. Also known as 9 stone, 1 pound. Pretty close to 130.

(And if you think the hundredweight (112), quarter weight (28) and stone weight (14) system was bad, try making change in pence, farthings, shilling, quid, etc.)

[roninwarrior]

Awesome. Thanks for the reply. I think I will just use it as is and like you said, don't do anything heavy over the heel. Looks like I might be able to get away with using the hardy hole since it is in front of the crack. I don't do anything heavy anyway, as I'm just a beginner. 

Thanks for helping with deciphering the markings! Really excited to start pounding on it today when I get home from work.

Edited November 9, 2018 by Mod34
Excessive quoting

[arkie]

ronin, now that you are the proud owner of a legendary Mousehole anvil, you might be interested in the history of it.  See if you can locate a library copy, or better yet, purchase a copy of Richard Postman's book Mousehole Forge.  I received a copy of it for Christmas one year along with Postman's Anvils in America.  The history of the forge and anvil making is really very interesting reading and I'm not even a bit of a history buff.  Guess I've read it 3-4 times now.

[ThomasPowers]

Face is suspiciously clean/flat.  Check with the ball bearing test---it may have been milled decreasing the use life by a century or more.

[roninwarrior]

Ah yes, I will have to pick that book up!

I also did notice that the face is suspiciously clean. It does not have too much of a ring but my 3 lb hammer bounces nicely. Unfortunately, I have not tried a ball bearing test yet. (I used a hammer when I bought it and it seemed fairly lively.)

Here is another pic of the face. I would not even know what to look for to tell if it has been milled.  Got it on the stand last night around midnight and was too tired to fire up the forge and hit some metal to test it out. My hammer bounces nicely when I drop tested it. I will fire it up this afternoon and seen how it does. 

 

[John McPherson]

Cleaning the paint off of the face with a wire wheel brush, and a light wash with vinegar will reveal any welding done on the face.