Iron Kitten Forge Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 ive been offered a 288lb Swedish soderfors anvil. they're asking $1000 ($3.47/lb) which i think seems like a good price but i wanted to get some advice from the more experienced members of the community. should i go for it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 Soderfors are top drawer anvils. $1000 dollars for it as a good price, is depending upon where in the world you are located. I can think of a half dozen countries that use dollars for their currency. Another factor would depend upon if it passes the ring & rebound test to determine if it has lost it's hardness in a fire or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 Unless it's been through a hot enough fire $1,000 is a darned good price for a cast Swedish steel anvil and Soderfors are as good as they get. I wouldn't even dicker and I always make a counter offer. Not for that beauty though it'd be in my pickup . . . now. Oops, in my excitement I forgot to welcome you to the forum. Welcome aboard Mr. Anderson, glad to have you. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Kitten Forge Posted April 15, 2021 Author Share Posted April 15, 2021 I'm in the us, I'm new to the craft and I've only done very small work on my grandpas old railroad track anvil that he passed down to me so I know this anvil is way above the needs of my proficiency but I'm hoping i can grow into it. thank you both, you've given me a lot more confidence and I appreciate your knowledge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 I see you added your location, given that like Frosty said the price is right and if I were you I would be all over it. Keep in mind with good anvils, they do not stay on the market very long. Like my grandpa always said, "if you snooze, you lose". With a 288 pound anvil, there isn't much you can't do with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatLiner Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 I would jump on that one. It's edges are still good. It doesn't appear to be abused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 Another thought if it turns out you don't want to take up the craft it will sell for at least this much. Good anvils don't depreciate unless you damage them. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Kitten Forge Posted April 15, 2021 Author Share Posted April 15, 2021 Update on the anvil, i offered them $700 and they accepted so I'm picking it up this weekend. I'm pretty excited! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 Good deal! 13 hours ago, mr. anderson said: I know this anvil is way above the needs of my proficiency but I'm hoping i can grow into it. Quality tools have a way of challenging us to be better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Kitten Forge Posted April 15, 2021 Author Share Posted April 15, 2021 Thanks, I'm hoping it will. I'll update y'all with more pictures once i get it. I'll have to make a stand for it cause it doesn't come with one, any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 Check out the anvil stand section of the forum, especially the "Show me your anvil stands" thread: I am personally a big fan of the welded metal tripod, partially because of its weight and stability, but also because it helps reduce the ring of the anvil (especially when you put a layer of silicone caulk between the anvil and the stand). With a Soderfors, you're going to need all the ring-reduction you can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 Once you place your anvil, will it stay put, or will you wish to move it around? 288# is not a paperweight! Congratulations on what looks like a major windfall! Robert Taylor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Kitten Forge Posted April 15, 2021 Author Share Posted April 15, 2021 I probably can't do a metal stand as I don't know how to weld. I'm hoping i won't have to move it much once it's set up. I'm not a small guy but 288lbs + stand is more than i want to have to carry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 They make boats, bridges, and many other things using rivets. If you can use a drill you can bolt metal together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Kitten Forge Posted April 15, 2021 Author Share Posted April 15, 2021 Good point, I'll check out the anvil thread and hopefully I'll find a good option. Would a steel frame be quieter then a stump, assuming they're both securely mounted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 SWEET SCORE Mr. Anderson! Buy good hearing protection, plugs AND muffs aren't unreasonable using a Soderfors anvil. Yes, a steel stand will damp the ring for the same reason cast iron with steel face anvils are quiet. The resonance between the stand damp each other. My steel tripod stand has an angle iron rim flange up the anvil fits snugly and your tong and hammer racks wedge it tight. A sand box stand is a good option, you can adjust the height easily and you can move them with a hand truck reasonably easy. Moving a tripod with a hand truck is trickier and needs some forethought to make it as easy as possible. I didn't and I have to tie it to the hand truck. I don't blame you, even when I was younger and stronger I didn't like moving heavy stuff by hand. I have a 200 lb. Trenton that I'm perfectly happy with it where it is. Heck, I'm not crazy about lifting my 125lb. Soderfors. The garage sale engine hoist is the BEST garage sale deal I've ever made, makes loading and unloading the pickup EZ PZ. Prepare to be spoiled for using other anvil makes. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Kitten Forge Posted April 15, 2021 Author Share Posted April 15, 2021 I like the idea of the sandbox stand, does the anvil just sit on top of the compacted sand or is there something i can't see clamping it down? It seems like a tighter bond then gravity would be required to keep it really stable. Nearly all of the videos I've watched have stressed the importance of bolting the anvil tightly to the stump for both noise reduction and energy conservation. Mobility won't be particularly important for me as if i wanted to work somewhere else i still have my railroad anvil that i can easily toss into my car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 When using sand to reduce the ring of an anvil, just level the sand at the proper level for the anvil height and set the anvil down onto the sand. It may settle a small amount during use but just raise the anvil and add a bit more sand. To further reduce the ring of the anvil I found that 2-3 inches (or more) of sand over the feet works well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted April 16, 2021 Share Posted April 16, 2021 Wow $2.43 a pound is not just a good deal, it is an outright steal for a Soderfors in that good of shape, talk about anvil envy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JW513 Posted April 16, 2021 Share Posted April 16, 2021 Nice anvil, you got it for a........."steel"..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 16, 2021 Share Posted April 16, 2021 An anvil can't bounce on sand so it won't move around. A little if you're using a bottom "bending fork" in the hardy hole and a long bending fork in hand. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Kitten Forge Posted April 17, 2021 Author Share Posted April 17, 2021 Awesome, I think that's what I'm gonna end up doing. I'm getting the anvil tomorrow and I can hardly wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokey07 Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 mr.anderson, i have a 402 lb Kholswa anvil that i have used since 1980 . built a sreel box out of 3/16th sheet, poured in sand and then a piece of 1/2 inch chip board. makes it stable and does not ring too bad,and the anvil does not tilt or move. Smokey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Kitten Forge Posted April 17, 2021 Author Share Posted April 17, 2021 It's mine, and it's heavy! I'm defiantly not gonna wanna move it once i have it in place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 Congratulations! Let the good time roll! Did you put a seat belt on it for the ride home? It sounds silly but imagine being in a roll over accident with an anvil. I know, it's a little late to mention it now, my bad. For anyone else looking to bring an anvil or heavy piece of anything home with them in the cabin with you. Tie it down please, thing can get messy. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.