Hello, new to the group trying to get into blacksmithing, i am a welder by trade. I have picked up two anvils one is a 63lb arm and hammer the other is i think a Columbus 97lb. I would like to know more about them. Say when they were made,if they are any good, any and all information you can give me would be appreciated.  

Arm and Hammer and Columbian anvils are both great brands.

Arm and Hammer was forged in Columbus Ohio and "Anvils in America" should be able to convert that serial number on the foot to a date of manufacture.

Columbian is a cast STEEL anvil and was made in Cleveland Ohio.

You need to do the ball bearing test and the ring test; both are on the light size for a shop anvil but very handy for a travel anvil; does the face of the A&H show typical shoeing damage?

The columbian has good rebound and rings like a bell with the ball bearing test. The Arm and Hammer has good rebound but only rings on the heel of the anvil the rest of the face sounds muffled. Thanks for the info

Check for a delaminating faceplate on the Arm and Hammer. It should ping all across the face. Tap it with a hammer and watch for any movement.

The ball bearing test is designed to give an objective reading of the face plate hardness. I don't mess with anvils that have less than 70% rebound on the ball bearing test and prefer 85+%.

The cast steel anvil should have an annoying ring to it and there is a large number of posts on how to quiet it.

A&H should have a good ring when tapped with a hammer all over the face. If it doesn't then there is a hidden crack and most likely the face/body weld is failing. *OUCH* *OUCH* *OUCH*! I don't touch anvils with such hidden damage as it's like buying a used car with a bad motor in it.

I will have to try to see if the face is separating from the body on the arm and hammer. If it is failing is it worth welding it back on. ( i picked it up for my eight year old son to work on) i paid $75 for it and $25 for the Columbian so i would not  really be out anything the kid would still be able to beat on it.

Unless you can see through solid steel you may not be able to "see" the delamination point.  It may be in the center of the face and the edges the weld may be OK. However since the A&H were not well dressed you may see the contact line and get all excited over nothing.  (My A&H has a clearly visible contact line and rings like a bell!) Note A&H were a top brand they just didn't dress their anvil as much as some other brands did.

Also "muted" doesn't tell us much---anvils ring loudest when tapped on the heel and the horn so lower than that may still be good. A crack usually produces more of a "thud" than a "TING".

As for  welding it back on: doing it properly is excessively expensive as it needs to be completely welded over the entire contact zone NOT JUST THE EDGES! (And then heat treated.)

USE IT! If it falls apart you can then decide what to do---and may have a dozen others to replace it with by then.

Those prices are probably causing dental damage for some of our members here...lower than they can buy scrap metal at!

Well here are a few videos of the ball bearing tests and tapping on the anvil with a small hammer. I just talk about blacksmithing alot with just about everyone i meet and things just seem to find me.

Those sound fine. Mount them up and get to work.

 

2 hours ago, Pyromansfire said:

I just talk about blacksmithing alot with just about everyone i meet and things just seem to find me.

That's what is known around here as the TPAAAT or the Thomas Powers applied anvil acquisition technique. That just goes to show that it works. A hundred bucks for two anvils! I'm betting there's a couple members shaking their fists at the sky in frustration.  

I'm glad for you especially since your going to be using them with your son. Now is the time it's easiest to ingrain always using PPE's. Good luck and remember it's supposed to be fun.

Pnut

I am hoping to get the anvils mounted up this weekend. Been browsing the different stands on here getting ideas for the materials i have on hand. TPAAAT yes it does work. You never know who has something just rusting away nearly forgotten in the garden shed. I am hoping this will build lasting memories and good bonding time with the kiddo.Safety first of course. Thanks for the feed back guys i appreciate it  

I have an A & H, 149 lbs. I was able to date it with the serial number like Thomas says. It is a beautiful anvil and rings all over the face and the rebound is 90%. The heel is a bit thin and worriesome to some when using it for heavy work but I haven't heard of anyone breaking one yet. Mine is right at 100 years old.

13595 is the serial number on the Arm and Hammer if some one has a copy of AIA and could get say the date of manufacture or any other info that would be great

Well, i got one anvil mounted and the pieces for the second cut. Killed the blade on my skill saw trying to cut those 4"×16" rail road timbers to size. I ended up using my chain saw for the second one. I just used plumbers strapping to hold the anvil in place while the construction adhesive cures. Used the jack stands and bucket to find the right anvil height. Going to put the other stand together this week after work and finalize the plans for my propane forge. 

God bless and have a great week. 

You will probably find the extensions to the base surround will become trip hazards and really aren't needed.

I see you mentioned RR timbers. If they are in fact timbers from the RR they will be coated in some nasty stuff. I'm having some word selection issues lately I want to say it's creosote but It doesn't sound right. Just be aware that the tarry substance on RR ties is carcinogenic.

Pnut

The legs on the stand are there to to add some more stability till i find a good lay out for my shop then it will be anchored to the concrete with angle iron and red heads. As far as the treated timbers go we should be fine as long as we do not light it on fire and breath the smoke. 

6 hours ago, pnut said:

I see you mentioned RR timbers. If they are in fact timbers from the RR they will be coated in some nasty stuff. I'm having some word selection issues lately I want to say it's creosote but It doesn't sound right. Just be aware that the tarry substance on RR ties is carcinogenic.

Pnut

Creosote is correct, and it is a carcinogen both when inhaled and with prolonged contact on the skin.

It seems like when I'm tired the aphasia gets much more pronounced. Thanks , JHCC.

Pnut

Well the second anvil is mounted. Dont have a forge as of yet but i made do with a map gas torch and hammered out a marshmallow roaster that quickly went into the scrap bin. But it sure does feel good to move some metal. Can not wait till i can make a parts run to menards to get the rest of the supplies needed to put this forge together. Then i can smith in earnest. I know the kiddo sure is excited.

The first thing you should forge is some iron straps to replace the "plumbers tape".

To find the delaminated part of the faceplate, sprinkle sand on the top.

The sand will not bounce in the afflicted area when the anvil is lightly hammered on. 

Thanks for the tip with the sand. If the plumbers strap and construction adhesive fail i will replace it with something better. I did get a forge together and made a hunting knife out of a chunk of a twisted up cold chisel. Thanks for the advise.

Pyro

Nice work and two very fine anvils.  I love the bolted up stand.  Great job all the way around. 

What did you do for heat treatment on the knife? 

Thanks, for heat treatment i normalized it by heating it to what i call cherry red and allowing it to cool to room temperature. Then i heated it in the forge till it was non magnetic and went till it was a bit brighter in color and quenched it in oil. I then cleaned it up with the belt sander being sure to keep it cool. I then used a torch and heated the spine of the knife till i got a nice straw color to the edge of the knife and quenched in water did some hand sanding, a paracord handle and sharpened it sharp enough to shave with

Had the lab at work check out the knife 1.29% carbon content it is definitely high carbon steel.