Another new guy

[JMSZ]

JMSZ, out in California, east of the Sierras, not the crazy parts.  I have been interested in blacksmithing for a long time, but more for around the house and yard type of thing.  I just like doing and making my own things, partly because I get what I can get what I want and partly just because of the satisfaction of having done it myself.

I'm mainly self-taught in pretty much everything but I don't pass up an opportunity to learn from somebody who knows what they're doing, so I'll be doing a lot of reading here over the coming weeks.

I was finally able to pick up a pair of anvils, a 152lb Trenton and I don't know what the other one is, but I'll post pictures.  The Trenton seems to be in good shape and based on some of the posts on here, dates from somewhere around 1900.  It has a good ring to it and when I was cleaning the face with a wire brush, it was even ringing then.  The other (smaller) one doesn't ring at all, it almost sounds like hitting concrete.  It has an obvious weld around the waist and there are multiple small voids in the metal, so I'm guessing it's probably not the highest quality, but if it works, it works.

I still need tools, including the tools that mount on the anvils, and a forge. 

I'm leaning towards a charcoal forge as my primary heat source, I keep hardwood charcoal around for cooking already, so I can just stock more, and I'd like something that I can get a hold of if propane is in short supply (or gone).

I'll post back again soon and look forward to learning from here and maybe running into somebody from my area.  I'll get my profile info updated shortly.

 

 

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Howdy from eastern Oklahoma and welcome to the forum! 
sound late like you’ll be better off using the Trenton anvil, 

forges are easy to build, and those tools your hunting for that mount on the anvil are called hardy tools, personally ive made mine from free sucker rod ends leftover from pipe fence projects, 

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Where in CA? I grew up in Fairfield then immigrated to America in 2005   The Nevada desert suits me OK, although I do miss big trees and fresh produce.

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard JMSZ, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header we might remember where you are and invite you to hammer ins, BBQs, club meetings, or some such. My folks built a place just above Portola and I used to cruise 395 collecting obsidian to knap. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley but escaped to Alaska in 72.

The quiet anvil with some casting voids and welded waist could be a Fisher and top shelf. Quiet anvils are nice, it won't be long before you start trying to quiet your Trenton down. Honest, I know I have a 200lb. Trenton and an even louder 125lb. Soderfors. A steel tripod stand made both quiet enough to not make my ears ring through plugs and muffs. 

Lots of people call "Bottom" tools "Hardy" tools, either is fine as long as you know what folks are talking about. You can weld a square shank to the side of your bottom tools which is good for struck ones. This lets you offset the part you're hammering on over the center mass of the anvil for more effective action. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Welcome from the Ozark mountains and a Vietnam era vet. "Semper Paratus".

[JMSZ]

Thanks everybody for the welcome.  Updated my location (as precise as I prefer to go) and adding some pictures (resized), please let me know if I didn't do it right.  Three of those have the Trenton, the rest are what might be the Fisher.  I'll get a few more of the Trenton up tomorrow.

 

Frosty, thanks for the pointer on the Fisher, it does kind of look like one.  Only thing is that all of the markings are cast and raised (nothing inset) and it's pretty cryptic compared to the pictures of Fishers that I could find.  That bigger "8" looking marking (pic _145308) is right above the waist. 

[JMSZ]

Correction, the "8" is right above the foot, directly under the horn, not on the waist...  I went back and looked again and did some more scrubbing with the wire brush.  If it had any shallow stamping on it, it's long gone. 

One other thing I did notice earlier and confirmed is that the face is very thin, may 1/8" .

Thanks everybody.

[JMSZ]

Sorry for the extra posts, it won't let me edit my original one...

After some digging, I've figured out the small one is an Illinois Iron and Bolt Company anvil, Badger or Vulcan, if somebody can tell, it would be much appreciated.

I should have been in bed an hour ago, but then I would get one more clue...  Sleepy time.

[Frosty]

A 1/8" steel face sounds like a Vulcan to me. I don't know about the Illinois Iron and bolt part though. I'm not an anvil guru, someone with Anvils in America will speak up I'm sure.

The characters and logo cast proud is typical of a cast iron body. Your Trenton is probably the better anvil but the Vulcan is quiet. Quiet is good.

There's a time limit on editing your post, I THINK maybe 1/2 hour and that's it.

See you tomorrow. 

Frosty The Lucky.

 

[ThomasPowers]

150 was considered a good sized for a commercial shop anvil back in the day, the ravenous craving for ever larger anvils is referred to as "Anvil Envy".  The 8 means it's probably around 80 pounds  so a decent size for a travel anvil; though a good ring is handy to draw in crowds at public demos!

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

With the bulge under the hardy hole I would say Badger. Vulcans and the early II&BC are flat under there..