Manno Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 Hi all. Just beginning my Smithing journey after the new year. Been trying to slowly collect some of the fundamentals. Today a guy gave me this anvil. It's in pretty bad shape. Could you taker a look and tell me if you think it would be worth trying to refurbish? I don't have much cash to start this new hobby, and I'd love to use this anvil if it makes sense. I think it's a Columbian, but I'm not sure. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 Welcome aboard... Have you read this yet? READ THIS FIRST Knowing where in the world you are located will help with answers. That Colombian is usable as is (how much does it weigh) and grinding, milling or welding on the hardened face will do more harm than good, unless it's repaired using the Gunther/Schuler method which is costly and takes someone knowledgeable about anvil construction . https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/16998-robb-gunther-and-karl-schuler39s-anvil-repair-process/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stash Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 I wouldn't bother trying to 'refurbish' it- it's not that bad off. The face looks pretty usable as is. I would just try to find a few spots on the front and rear edges to remove some raggedness and create a few radiused edges. If you need sharper edges you can make a hardie block with whatever radius you need. Work with it for a while before you do any major work (which is probably not really necessary). Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 Using it will polish up the face. Mount it and get at it. Have you read the jabod threads? You could put one together and be forging in a day or two. No need to wait till the new year. Good luck and remember it's supposed to be fun. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyGoatLady Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 Looks good to me. I've used one in much worse shape and without a hardie or pritchel hole. You learn where the best spots are and how to work around the damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 As others said, that's a perfectly usable anvil. Mount it and start using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 Welcome aboard Phats, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header you'll find out how many members live within visiting distance. You'll learn more in a day with an experienced smith than days or weeks trying to figure it out yourself. Just put that fine old lady to work as she is. Oh go ahead and wire brush the rust off and maybe even brush on something to prevent rust if you must. Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO) works well once it polymerizes and gets over being sticky. For myself I prefer Trewax, paste carnuba polish, it's the stuff they use on bowling alleys and strip off with sanders. It's TOUGH. I apply it to work that's about fresh cup of coffee temperature, it liquefies and is very penetrating so it fills all the nooks and crannies, wipe off the excess and when it cools it makes a good tough finish. Again ditto, no grinding or welding on that old lady! She's in good usable condition and you don't know what you actually need let alone what you're actually going to want or like. Don't be fooled into thinking it needs to be flat and sharp edged to do good work. It has some edge damage, no biggy there's plenty of edge left to work with and once you have some experience under your belt, say a year or two of using it is plenty of time to modify the edges some. Forget what you see on Youtube, etc. most of the videos are made by folk with no qualifications other than a camera and internet connection, most of their advice and How to videos are bad and wrong, some are outright dangerous. Iforge has a section about videos with discussions about them, the site doesn't let BAD advice of any kind stand unchallenged. Anyway, stick with us, we'll have you up and working in no time. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manno Posted November 18, 2019 Author Share Posted November 18, 2019 Thanks all, for the replies. Much appreciated. I'm located in Colorado along the Front Range and am living in Louisville. Th anvil weighs 72 lbs. Looking forward to getting it mounted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 11 minutes ago, Phats said: living in Louisville. We won't remember that once leaving this post, hence the suggestion to edit your profile to show it. If you keep us apprised of your progress, we will give you pointers along the way, whether asked for or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 12 hours ago, Phats said: Thanks all, for the replies. Much appreciated. I'm located in Colorado along the Front Range and am living in Louisville. The anvil weighs 72 lbs. Looking forward to getting it mounted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 Remember to prewarm the anvil in the winter, I have a friend who uses a thrift store clothes iron. Plugs it in and places it on the anvil's face when he enters the shop and by the time he's ready to hit hot steel on the anvil the chill is off! 72 is a tad light so make sure you do your heavy work over the sweet spot---steel all the way down to the base. Does that anvil ring when tapped? With location and size it was probably used for shoeing which would account for much of the edge damage. Starting out you might look at it and wonder if it's usable; with 38 years of experience I look at it and say, "Probably good for another 100 years of hobby work---IF nobody mucks around with trying to 'fix' it!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 You beat me to it Thomas. With the weather changing I was going to remind people to warm up their anvils and hammers. When I went out the other day it had been down to nine degrees the night before. I thought it best to put a piece of warm steel on the anvil to warm it up while I was getting everything else ready. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manno Posted November 18, 2019 Author Share Posted November 18, 2019 4 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: Remember to prewarm the anvil in the winter, I have a friend who uses a thrift store clothes iron. That's exactly right Thomas, this was given to me by a guy who has a little ranch not but 6 miles away from me. He used it to shoe his horses and apparently has a newer one that he uses now so he gave me his old one. Thanks for the advise on pre-warming. I'll take it to heart. Finally, yes, it rings like a bell when tapped. Beautiful sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 The ringing means there is no hidden major cracks; You are good to go!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentForge Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 That is a perfectly usable anvil! To my knowledge that surely is a Columbian anvil Have fun enjoying this beautiful craft and everything surrounding it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 Phats, all I would do is smooth up some of the edges with a grinder to the smallest radius that fits the chipping. May even toss a 45 degree chamfer on the big ones, as that could come in handy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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