Allen0311 Posted July 19, 2020 Share Posted July 19, 2020 I bought my First Anvil! It is a 1926 Soderfors Paragon 111 pound Anvil. I know it is cast steel. Face is in great shape and has very few chips. Picked it up at an estate sale for $350. I think I got a good deal. Anyone know what the marks on the foot mean or what it might be worth? Not gonna sell it. Just curious. Gonna build my first forge over the next few weeks! Ready to start a hobby in the craft! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonnytait Posted July 19, 2020 Share Posted July 19, 2020 Very good Swedish cast steel anvil at a fair price. Nice score. Remember not to grind or sand the face. That anvil is ready to use as is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted July 19, 2020 Share Posted July 19, 2020 congrats. Very nice find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted July 19, 2020 Share Posted July 19, 2020 I would say at $3.15 a pound you got a very good deal, especially in today's market $4-$5 a pound is not unheard of, especially for one as nice as yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 19, 2020 Share Posted July 19, 2020 Welcome aboard Allan, glad to have you. Once you've spent some time using that find lady you'll be spoiled for using almost any other. Soderfors are some of the best on earth. Hot steel and hammer time will put a shine on her face. BOY, talk about the way to break into a craft! You my friend are one lucky dog. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frazer Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 She's a beauty! I love my 151# Soderfors. The face of yours is in excellent shape. I paid closer to $3.60/lb for mine and it had a pretty significant amount of sway in the face. That doesn't really effect the performance in my opinion, but I would say you got a pretty good deal! No clean-up required on that beauty. Just needs a stand and some hot steel. Maybe a coat of lindseed oil on the non-working surfaces. A few things to note, my neighbors are somewhat close to me and boy was she loud when I first started using her. A quality Soderfors are known for. So when mounting her up, I recommend adding a nice thick layer of silicone caulk between the stand and the anvil. I also have strong neodymium magnets under the heel and the horn and a chain wrapped around the waist. Any one of these might be enough to deaden the ring of yours, but of the 3 I would say the caulk made the biggest difference. Even if you don't have neighbors that don't like listening to you work, your ears will appreciate you quieting the anvil down a bit since the ring was really quite loud when I first got mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen0311 Posted July 26, 2020 Author Share Posted July 26, 2020 On 7/19/2020 at 3:10 PM, Jonnytait said: Very good Swedish cast steel anvil at a fair price. Nice score. Remember not to grind or sand the face. That anvil is ready to use as is I didn’t sand the face. Just wore brushed the non striking areas and boiled linseed oil those areas. Left the face as is. On 7/19/2020 at 5:15 PM, Frosty said: Welcome aboard Allan, glad to have you. Once you've spent some time using that find lady you'll be spoiled for using almost any other. Soderfors are some of the best on earth. Hot steel and hammer time will put a shine on her face. BOY, talk about the way to break into a craft! You my friend are one lucky dog. Frosty The Lucky. Thanks Frosty. I’m pretty excited about it. Was looking at new ones when a friend sent me the estate sale link. Drive right up there to get it. On 7/20/2020 at 8:33 AM, Frazer said: She's a beauty! I love my 151# Soderfors. The face of yours is in excellent shape. I paid closer to $3.60/lb for mine and it had a pretty significant amount of sway in the face. That doesn't really effect the performance in my opinion, but I would say you got a pretty good deal! No clean-up required on that beauty. Just needs a stand and some hot steel. Maybe a coat of lindseed oil on the non-working surfaces. A few things to note, my neighbors are somewhat close to me and boy was she loud when I first started using her. A quality Soderfors are known for. So when mounting her up, I recommend adding a nice thick layer of silicone caulk between the stand and the anvil. I also have strong neodymium magnets under the heel and the horn and a chain wrapped around the waist. Any one of these might be enough to deaden the ring of yours, but of the 3 I would say the caulk made the biggest difference. Even if you don't have neighbors that don't like listening to you work, your ears will appreciate you quieting the anvil down a bit since the ring was really quite loud when I first got mine. Thanks for the tips Frazer. I plan on welding a tripod stand for it out of 1” plate steel and 2” tubing 1/4” wall. Will definitely put some silicone between it because she definitely sings now. Hearing is bad enough from Marine Corps and commercial construction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 26, 2020 Share Posted July 26, 2020 I'm excited for you Allan. Our anvils could be litter mates but mine was cast for a different vendor, she's a, "125lb. Sorceress #5 cast in 1926." I originally mortised her into a large Spruce block and her ring was dangerously loud, a missed blow could leave your ears ringing through muffs and plugs. Besides being monosteel they tend to be thin on the heal which really makes them resonate. When the old block started leaving rotten wood on the floor and rocking I welded up a steel tripod. I didn't put anything heavy on it for the anvil, the anvil is plenty rigid enough a thick mounting plate won't make any difference. I only made an angle iron frame flange up the anvil foot slips into. Then I made hammer and tong racks that wedge the hammer and stand together tightly. I have to tap them in place with a hammer. The hammer doesn't move relative to the stand at all and a tripod is stable on virtually any surface. What I suspected might happen turned out to be surprisingly effective, the difference in resonant frequencies between the anvil and stand are self damping. They quieted the Sorceress to the point I can work without hearing protection and not suffer, it's still LOUD but only loud it doesn't make people 50' away wince but it does draw spectators nicely. Pics below. DRATS! I still can't find where my computer hid the pics of my Sorceress and stand. grumble grumble. The first pic shows both my anvils, the closer is the Trenton the farther the Sorceress. My wife's boss's visiting nieces were visiting and wanted to take a shot at a little blacksmithing it shows anvils on stands fairly well. The second is the Trenton, it's rigged to load in the pickup truck with the engine hoist. The hammer rack is matched by the tong rack on the far side. The racks wedge between stand and anvil foot as seen in the last pic are secure enough to lift both with a hoist or jib boom crane. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rojo Pedro Posted July 27, 2020 Share Posted July 27, 2020 Nice anvil Allen and I second Frazers recommendation on the silicon. Check out my Kanca anvil post where I posted a before and after video As an 0331 I know what you are talking about with your hearing. I once stuffed cigarette butts in my ears at the MG range when I forgot my ear plugs at infantry school. Didnt want to say anything and get in trouble. Third phase boot camp haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen0311 Posted December 6, 2020 Author Share Posted December 6, 2020 Built my stand for this anvil and it made a huge difference in the sound. Used a 1” thick plate that was an uplift plate for a set of anchor bolts. Welded legs of 2x3x1/8” tube at 12 degree angle. Filled with sand and compacted and capped with 3/16 plate steel. I welded grade 8 1/2” bolts to top of the plate and made angle iron brackets to hold down to stand. Primed and painted it with hammered black paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 6, 2020 Share Posted December 6, 2020 Looks good, nice job Allen. I'd round the corners on the plate though, they're real shin barkers as is. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen0311 Posted December 6, 2020 Author Share Posted December 6, 2020 6 minutes ago, Frosty said: Looks good, nice job Allen. I'd round the corners on the plate though, they're real shin barkers as is. Frosty The Lucky. Thanks Frosty. I’ll take any advice to save shins! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 6, 2020 Share Posted December 6, 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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