gauge Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 I just finally got around to building the base for the 135 pound M&H Mousehole that I purchased back in April. Sorry for not attaching a picture sooner, but after this weekend, I'm fired up about anvils again. Anyway, this weekend I passed a yard sale, and since the wife wasn't with me, (she doesn't like yard sales), I decided to stop. The guy there seemed to be selling mostly old tools - 40's 50's era. I asked him where all this stuff came from and he told me his father in law was a machinist and that he recently died and he and his wife were selling his estate. Everything was for sale including the house. I rummaged through dusty old boxes and picked up a few oilers and some lightly rusted wrenches and then...suddenly....I spotted it. Way off in the distance, under a tree was what looked like an anvil. I asked they guy if it was for sale, and he told me was planning on keeping it because, in his words, "no one would probably pay what it's worth". I asked if I could look at it, and we walked over together. On the side was a hardly visible "Hay Budden" and "Brooklyn". Under that was "194". It was a 194 pounder. Despite sitting out in the weather for how many years, it looked to be in pretty good shape. I asked if he was going to sell it, how much he would want for it. He said he thought it was worth at least $300. Thank goodness there was an ATM not far. He helped me carry it to my truck, and the rest is history. Now I need to make a ANOTHER base. The Hay Budden has an amazing sound. Maybe just because I currently have it resting on concrete. When I hit it with a hammer, the hammer leaps back in the air and the entire garage fills with the sound of a ringing bell. Ding...Ding...Ding... If I did this right, there should be 2 pictures below. The first is the Mousehole with the stand I recently finished. The second is the newly acquired Hay Budden. One question I have is, on the front base of the Hay Budden, under the horn, are the numbers 3475. There may be a one in front of it, but I don't think so. I assume this is a serial number. Would anyone know the date of manufacture from this number? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucegodlesky Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 1893 Nice find, good price Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keykeeper Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 That, my friend, is an awesome score. Beautiful face, no large chips, and under $2 a pound. I'm envious.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Martin Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 One heck of a score there. Awesome find. Can't wait to hear how it works for you. And as KeyKeeper said.(Well not exactly) I'm jealous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferrous Beuler Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 Fantastic anvil gauge, she seems to be in beautiful condition. If you liked the 135 pounder then you are going to love the feel of 194 pounds beneath your hammer. Seems you may be a hopeless junkie now and I don't know if there are any support groups for those seeking to quit the anvil buying jones. Good luck. Dan:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 A nice find - but does the wife know yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gauge Posted August 20, 2008 Author Share Posted August 20, 2008 Yea - She knows. I was so excited, I had tell somebody. She doesn't share my enthusiasm for old iron, but she doesn't prevent me from enjoying it either. Curious coincidence - I bought the Mousehole from the estate of a deceased farmer, and when I went to look at it, it was sitting OUTSIDE on a stump under a tree. Seller told me it had been in that spot for at least 50 years! When I stumbled on the Hay Budden this weekend, it too was sitting under a tree - only it was sitting directly on the dirt with part of the base buried - YIKES! Yet - to my astonishment, neither of these anvils are horribly rusted. My father always told me that the only iron that doesn't rust is stainless. Both my anvils date in the 1800's. The Mousehole from the 1820's! How is it possible that they didn't rust away into oblivion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Martin Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 Because rust can prevent the weather from damaging it, and the rust also prevents more rust from attacking it. I don't know how to explain this properly, but I think it was Jerry(Frosty) explained it to me. (How rust can protect an anvil and stop it from rusting any further.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip in china Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 How high is the stand for your first anvil? You have got a couple of very good anvils there. All you guys remember the mantra "Never keep all your anvils together. It makes it too easy for your wife to count them." This mantra should be chanted every morning by every married blacksmith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Rust is iron oxide and protects the base metal from rusting any further until the moisture starts it to flaking and exposing fresh material. In addition, wrought iron ages better than most other ferric based materials because the slag inclusions inhibit active rust. The Haybudden is a great anvil and a good score for the price. I'd probably sell the Mousehole and work on the HB exclusively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucegodlesky Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 I agree. had a mousehole that size and didn't like it, especially after I got my HB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gauge Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share Posted August 21, 2008 How high is the stand for your first anvil? I tried for over a month to build a base from a tree stump. I failed MISERABLY because I couldn't get the bottom of the stump to be flat and the entire base and anvil would wobble. Finally I went to Home Depot and bought a 2 x 12 x 16 plank and cut it into 8 identical pieces that were 2 feet long. Then I glued and bolted the 8 pieces together. So the entire stand is 11.5 inches wide by 12 inches deep by 24 inches high. You can't see it in the picture, but on the bottom of the anvil was a square hole that tapered into a cone shape. I bought a 1 inch round by 8 inch long bolt. I heated it in my furnace until it was cherry red and pounded it on the anvil until the head of the bolt was the same shape as the hole on the bottom of the anvil. I then drilled a 1 inch hole in the center of the base and inserted the bolt so the cone shaped head of the bolt fit snugly into the bottom of the anvil. This keeps the anvil centered on the base and unless the anvil jumps up about 1.5 inches it shouldn't fall off the base. I also appiled a strip of adhesive glue between the anvil and base. I also sanded and stained the base. I think it makes for a neat clean look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gauge Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share Posted August 21, 2008 I'd probably sell the Mousehole and work on the HB exclusively. I have too much time invested in the base which is custom made to fit the Mousehole. I couldn't sell it for that reason. When my son get's older, I'll probably give it to him. Besides, I don't know how the rest of you feel, but I am very much attached to my anvil, (and all my tools for that matter). I couldn't see myself "trading up" just because I found something bigger or better. If I ever find a third or maybe a fourth anvil, I would probably just make a stand for each and keep them prominently displayed in my garage. Each anvil is old and has so much history, it just stirs my imagination each time I look at them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucegodlesky Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 hehehehe the sickness has started (BOG) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 The small one is the "travel anvil" of course and you probably want to keep an eye out for an even smaller one for travelling some day. I have always ended up regretting selling off good tools just cause I had another one. But there is a limit to how many I keep to hand and when I get another one I highgrade them and sell on the "extra". Anvils are out there! Most folk don't think of NJ as an anvil rich region but there were a *lot* of industrial forge shops associated with manufacturing not to mention that Fisher anvils were made in NJ IIRC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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