Barry M Posted December 3, 2018 Share Posted December 3, 2018 I am new to blacksmithing. I have been interested for several years, but life is busy. Recently, I have been doing a lot of research, reading this forum and watching videos. I have a piece of railroad track that I use and have been heating all my materials with a torch. I am about to build a forge, either the 55 forge by Glenn or the box of dirt forge by Charles R, Stephens. My plan was to add tools slowly and continue having fun. During my research I discovered which brands of anvils that I would prefer having. I had read all the reviews (good and bad), including the ones on this forum. I thought "If I were buying new and if money was not an issue, I would buy either a Refflinghaus, Ridgid-Peddinghaus or Fontanini". Well, while Christmas shopping online for my family after Thanksgiving, I stumbled on a 25% off coupon from a reputable online tool store that sold one of the anvils that I wanted with free shipping! I spent the next few hours talking myself in and out of making the purchase. You already know what happened. The anvil arrived, I was excited to open my early Christmas present to myself. I settled on the the smaller 165 pound anvil, but it is so heavy. I am not yet ready for anything larger. I checked it all over, welds look good, hardy hole off a little no big deal (already expected that), face is smooth but not flat (high in the middle, more than I expected) I think I can live with that. I scraped all the clear coat off of the face. I had a 1" ball bearing that I was testing the rebound with. Rebound in the middle is about 8 inches (dropped from 10 inches) and about 9 inches on the flat horn. The thing that got my attention the most was the small depressions that were left on the face between the hardy and pritchel holes, but none on the flat horn. I have zero experience on a real anvil. I expected there to be no trace that a ball bearing had hit the face. Is this normal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 3, 2018 Share Posted December 3, 2018 Welcome aboard Barry, glad you delurked. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many members live within visiting distance. There's no way to answer some things in a meaningful manner without having an idea where you cast a shadow. Seriously you may live in one of the spots on earth where the ley lines cause bearing balls to dent anvil faces. You don't need a 1" bearing ball that notion is from the more is better crowd and you can carry a 3/8" or 1/2" bearing ball in your pocket all the time without noticing. What brand anvil did you pick up, a couple more details please. 80% rebound is pretty decent and 90% on the horn is good. Kind of backwards of what I'd expect though, it usually falls off the farther you get from the sweet spot over the dead center of the body. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry M Posted December 3, 2018 Author Share Posted December 3, 2018 Thank you for the response Frosty. I had to look up the word "delurked". I have my location under my name (looking from my computer) maybe it is hidden? I will have to check that. I live in Baker, Florida. I bought a 165 lb Ridgid-Peddinghaus. It seems to be harder at the edges and the horn than it is in the middle. It does seem backwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanglediver Posted December 3, 2018 Share Posted December 3, 2018 A new No. 9 being tagged by a bearing ball, this is disturbing. I've dented my own anvil shaped rail with a 1" bearing ball. But then I attempted to quench harden it, afterward it became more resistant to denting. It's tough to be an anvil baby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rojo Pedro Posted December 3, 2018 Share Posted December 3, 2018 I too find it disturbing. Are you sure they are dings and not just some marks in the finish? Any way to post a picture? I think I know the tool company of which you speak and find it amazing that they can deliver those reputed great anvils at such low prices. On that same Friday I saw the 275 lbs model for $1480 delivered !!!! It took all my will power not to click. I still want one I will be following this one and good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry M Posted December 3, 2018 Author Share Posted December 3, 2018 28 minutes ago, Rojo. Pedro said: Are you sure they are dings and not just some marks in the finish? Any way to post a picture? When I first tested the rebound, I noticed that it rebound on the middle of the face was the least. So I got out a razor blade and scraped off all of the factory clear coat and rechecked. That is when I noticed the depressions. All of the paint is off. I will attempt to take pictures and post them, but it will not be until Tuesday after work. I am going to bed now now and have to work 16 hours tomorrow (Monday). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted December 3, 2018 Share Posted December 3, 2018 Might be traces of finish from the impact of the bearing. Try again and see if the bearing leaves a dent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry M Posted December 5, 2018 Author Share Posted December 5, 2018 On 12/2/2018 at 10:20 PM, Rojo. Pedro said: Are you sure they are dings and not just some marks in the finish? Any way to post a picture? It was hard to get the light just right, but here is a picture. All of the finish has been removed. There are about 50 of these all over the face from dropping the bearing, On 12/3/2018 at 1:08 AM, JHCC said: Might be traces of finish from the impact of the bearing. Try again and see if the bearing leaves a dent. I only dropped the bearing a few times before I removed the finish. I can drop the bearing and watch the dings form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted December 5, 2018 Share Posted December 5, 2018 On 12/2/2018 at 7:37 PM, Barry M said: Is this normal? No it is not, that anvil is defective. I would contact the seller and demand a replacement or my money back. I have worked with that brand anvil and the face is very hard, even hammer blows didn't dent it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry M Posted December 5, 2018 Author Share Posted December 5, 2018 13 minutes ago, Irondragon Forge & Clay said: No it is not, that anvil is defective. I would contact the seller and demand a replacement or my money back. I have already sent an email to RIDGID. They asked for my address and said they are going to have a "Local Territory Manager" contact me. I would like for RIGID to get one off of the shelf, check it and send it to me. I think that am going to see how that works before I contact the seller. The seller does not exclusively sell blacksmith tools and I figure RIDGID might want to make it right since it is their product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted December 5, 2018 Share Posted December 5, 2018 Or it may be a cheap cast iron copy made in China or Mexico and the seller has been duped into thinking it is a genuine RIDGID, although I haven't heard of any cheap copies being made. Good move contacting RIDGID direct. Let us know what they find out & do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry M Posted December 5, 2018 Author Share Posted December 5, 2018 15 minutes ago, Irondragon Forge & Clay said: Or it may be a cheap cast iron copy made in China or Mexico and the seller has been duped into thinking it is a genuine RIDGID I bought it through a company listed on the RIDGID website as an authorized dealer of RIDGID-Peddinghaus anvils. I will keep you posted on how this turns out. I read that these anvils are known to have a little horn droop. Is this a little excessive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted December 5, 2018 Share Posted December 5, 2018 Thanks for including the picture of the dings; that definitely clarifies that it’s defective. Good job to contact Ridgid (which ironically has its US factory about twenty minutes from me); here’s hoping they make good. Keep us posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rojo Pedro Posted December 5, 2018 Share Posted December 5, 2018 Good luck Barry. I will wait to see how they treat you before i order mine. Thanks for sharing this important info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevomiller Posted December 5, 2018 Share Posted December 5, 2018 I agree that the face shouldn’t dent. The bearings are harder than most anvil faces, but the mass and velocity of them during impact is NOT enough to dent a properly heat treated anvil face. I dropped a one inch hardened bearing on a 4140 drop I have that’s about 35 rc, and it didn’t mar the face. The hardness of a commercial anvil should be 15 to 25 points harder than my drop, which is a substantial difference. As for the drop on the face, it’s more than I’d like but it’s similar to others I’ve seen from that maker. I hope Ridgid takes care of replacing your anvil quickly, as it appears they botched the heat treating on yours. Best Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry M Posted December 5, 2018 Author Share Posted December 5, 2018 Thank you guys for the responses. I know sometimes I can have a little OCD, but I felt like this was not right. So thank you for helping me confirm that there is a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcusb Posted December 8, 2018 Share Posted December 8, 2018 I like the QC tested sticker on the anvil base...... I remember awhile back someone had a similar experience with a Refflinghaus. Some slip thru the cracks it seems. Good luck with the company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1 Posted December 8, 2018 Share Posted December 8, 2018 So what's the outcome Barry? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted December 9, 2018 Share Posted December 9, 2018 Keep us informed, Barry. That just isn't right. Hope the company comes good with a new one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Hammer Posted December 9, 2018 Share Posted December 9, 2018 That doesn't look like a real Ridgid/Peddinghaus based on the pictures. I have a piece of mild steel that gets 50% rebound drops with a 1 inch ball bearing and it doesn't leave any dents. I'm thinking it's a knock-off and I'm glad you are pursuing this. Don't give up, you paid good money and deserve to get what you invested in. You said originally that 165 pound anvil was big enough and that you couldn't handle anything larger. Please know that a good shop anvil size is at the 150 lb range, so you have plenty of anvil there. I have a 160 pound Fisher and a 179 pound Trenton and that is plenty enough anvil for me for a lifetime. I'm not looking for anything heavier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry M Posted December 10, 2018 Author Share Posted December 10, 2018 On 12/7/2018 at 11:58 PM, Marc1 said: So what's the outcome Barry? On 12/9/2018 at 6:37 AM, ausfire said: Keep us informed, Barry. That just isn't right. Hope the company comes good with a new one. I received an email from RIDGID that they sent my information to a my "Local Territory Manager". I received an email from her on 12-10-18. She said that since my email said that I wanted to speak to someone that was knowledgeable about anvils that I needed to call tech support and she gave me their number. I will call them today. Since it was taking so long with RIDGID, I went ahead and requested a return from the seller. I did this in case working with RIDGID does not work in my favor. RIDGID's written policy is that I ship the defective item at my expense, but I am not willing to do that. I have not heard back from the seller yet. On 12/9/2018 at 6:18 AM, Lars_ said: Anvils have this drop because of the difference in cooling down. That's also why your horns are harder than the central mass which stored heat longer. Your anvil shouldn't ding up that easily. Did you try to take a file, of which you know the hardness, to the edge? It shouldn't bite easily with only light pressure. I have read about the heat treatment and horn drop so it was not a surprise. I was just expecting it to be less. I agree with what you about the central mass stored heat longer and it should not ding up that easily. I have files, but I do not know their hardness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted December 10, 2018 Share Posted December 10, 2018 That does it for me -- if I ever get a new anvil, it's going to be a Holland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reeltree Posted December 10, 2018 Share Posted December 10, 2018 The top has what looks like grain running through it, suspect. The sides looks to have excessive texture , and the logo is way off centered and not very defined, My final analyses,, a knock off counterfeit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BartW Posted December 10, 2018 Share Posted December 10, 2018 There's something wrong with that anvil. Doesn't look right. And it shouldn't ding at all. I have one block of steel (1.2379 aka German D2 with extra vanadium), which was a block from a forming press in heavy metal industry. It's HRC 62 -63 all over. Files skate acros it as if it were made from glass; and I barely can scratch it with a HRC 66 test file. Makes a 3 inch ball bearing jump straight back into your hand, and leaves no dings at all. This thing is scary to hammer on, as I fear it can chip; but I've been at it with sledgehammers, and haven't managed to make a single chip. My other anvil is a 1940'ies Skoda (Czech) anvil; made from cast tool steel - same steel they make naval gun barrels from. This one is HRC 62 on the top, and gradually descends towards a HRC 50 in the feet. This one makes a ball bearing also jump back in your hand, no dings at all. I'm probably spoiled in the anvil departement (both costed me excactly 4 beers); but yours sound defective. I've seen actual peddinghaus anvils from the 60'ies; they are very hard and very noisy anvils. but they don't ding under a bearing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1 Posted December 10, 2018 Share Posted December 10, 2018 4 hours ago, Barry M said: I received an email from RIDGID that they sent my information to a my "Local Territory Manager". I received an email from her on 12-10-18. She said that since my email said that I wanted to speak to someone that was knowledgeable about anvils that I needed to call tech support and she gave me their number. I will call them today. Since it was taking so long with RIDGID, I went ahead and requested a return from the seller. I did this in case working with RIDGID does not work in my favor. RIDGID's written policy is that I ship the defective item at my expense, but I am not willing to do that. I have not heard back from the seller yet. Return it, it's no good. With online purchases, the return fright is the risk you take. No real way around it unless you can drive to their depot. I remember buying a powerhead for an outboard motor and they sent me the wrong model. had to pay $300 shipping to return it and then bought from another supplier. Things we do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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