Hi, new here

[SHC]

The ball is stamped “16”, so I’m just ASSUMING that means 16 pounds. We know what they say about assuming…
Since the stamping is in such good shape, I’d also wager it’s not a mill ball but, what do I know? Very little, that’s what. 
It could be stamped “18”, I just glanced at the stamping. 
No fuse holes, and y’all seem very knowledgeable about this sort of thing so correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe internal fuses weren’t seen until conical shells came about. Which were actually more of an impact detonator, correct?

 It is approximately 5” in diameter. I can cup it in my hand. 
 

I’ll take pictures when I get a chance. Right now I’m sitting at the airport in Jackson MS waiting for my son’s plane to land. 
 

By the way, I believe I’ve settled on a Holland. Exactly which model, I’m not positive as of yet. I’ve read many of foundryguy’s posts and understand anvils aren’t his primary business, so I’ll be contacting them before I purchase to see if there are any inventories that haven’t been updated on their site yet.

 It’s been an agonizing process. Some of you would be amazed at some of the things my head does. TBI, PTSD, OCD, ADHD. I know some folks here deal with some of these problems, some deal with all of these issues and more, so I know I’m not entirely unique and I’m sure some of y’all can sympathize with how hard it can be to make a decision. Especially one I’m hoping will be a lifelong decision. 
A few days ago my wife asked me to pick up something for her aquariums. She had some fish with ick, or ich depending on who you ask to spell it. I got to the store and had choices. I couldn’t figure out which would be best. One had all natural ingredients and guaranteed to work in 48 hours. The other had chemical sounding ingredients, supposed to work in 24 hours and treat secondary infections. Other choices fell in between those. I couldn’t raise her on the cell phone so I got one of each. 
 

I’m also shopping for a new ride. My youngest turns sixteen tomorrow and I’m giving him my old car. It’s nothing special, a 2012 Dodge Avenger. I got it cause it was cheap, I was in the middle of divorce and fighting for custody (I won), and it’s what I could afford at the moment. 
I got the kid… but lost my Cadillac. I got the better end of the exchange, but I want another Cadillac. Or a Camaro? Boy those new Silverados sure are purty, but my old one still runs good and the 4X4 works great, so do I need another Z71? Nah… two more years and I can get antique tags for it…

What about Suburbans, Tahoes, Yukon Denalis? My Cadillac came with a owner’s VHS tape and gold plated pen, I wonder if they still have the pens?

 Maybe a Ford? Nope, just threw up in my mouth a little bit…

Dodge? One was enough. If I were in need of a diesel I’d go Cummins all the way, but I’m getting a gasser so another Dodge is out. 
 

But do I want comfort or speed? Both, but don’t want to compromise either for the other. 
Cadillac Escalade is just a luxury version of the Denali, which is a luxury version of the Tahoe/Suburban… but the Suburban I want costs more than the Denali I like, which is only about $500 cheaper than the Escalade I like and all of these cost more than the Camaro I want but not by a whole lot and I have trouble getting in and out of low slung cars. 
Another bike? Yeah I had that brush with death when that drunk lady in the Furd knocked me into oncoming traffic but it sure was fun up until then. 
Caddy has a sports car. But do I want a low slung stick shift Cadillac just because it’s fast and says “Cadillac” on it? 
My left knee is gonna struggle with a clutch I already know from experience…

 

This is how I think. Shoot at me, I can make a choice in a nano second. Give me time to think? May as well waterboard me, it might be more pleasant. And yes I’ve been there too. 

[Farmall]

Sounds like a 16 pound shotput for track and field.

[Daswulf]

Far as I ever heard the cannon balls were never weight stamped. 

[George N. M.]

Das is correct.  Cannon balls never had a weight mark cast into them.  Olden days artillery men went by caliber (diameter) rather than weight when looking at an unknown projectile.  The real issue was how a projectile would fit into the bore of a gun.

Exploding shells, generally fired from mortars, go back to at least the 16th century.  These were the "bombs bursting in air" of the Star Spangled Banner.  The shell was oriented in the bore of the mortar so that it pointed forward and was lighted by hand just before the propelling charge was ignited.  This was the only feasible orientation because if the fuze was oriented in any other direction the pressure in the bore on firing could drive the fuze into the projectile causing it to explode in the bore of the gun or at the muzzle.  Not a "good thing."  If there was a misfire and the the propellant didn't ignite things got really exciting real fast because you now had a burning fuze in the bore which was going to detonate the shell in a few seconds.  The gun crew could either try to remove or extinguish the fuze while in the bore or take cover.  The latter could frequently result in the destruction of the gun and, often, the crew.

One of the things that the introduction of rifling into artillery did besides improve accuracy and range was insure that the shell would arrive at the target nose first.  So, an impact fuze could be fitted causing the shell to reasonably and reliably explode when it hit something at the end of its trajectory.   

Farmall is probably correct about it being a shot for putting.

One thing modern life and particularly with the internet is giving us too many choices.  It used to be that we were limited to whatever was in the store or major catalog (Sears, Montgomery Wards, etc.).  Now, we have a gajillion choices which can be paralyzing.  It is too easy once we find something that is OK to continue to click to try to find something even better.  My wife is going through that right now with ceiling light fixtures for the kitchen and bathroom.

This may be my military training coming out (retired Lieutenant Colonel) but I suggest that a person should pull the trigger on something when it is good enough and forget that there might be something slightly better.  There is an expression that "The perfect is the enemy of the good."  Trying to achieve the perfect paralyzes the execution of the good whether it is buying a vehicle or planning a military operation.  That is the core of being "decisive."

"By hammer and hand all arts o stand."

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

I was always a GM owner. Still have my 1987 Cavalier Z24 hatchback. It has 233,356 miles on it and still going strong, although I don't drive it much any more. Same with my 1982 Chevrolet 4X4 Fleetside, mostly a beater truck now still runs but salt on the roads has rusted it out pretty badly. Then we had a 2003 Pontiac Vibe that my wife loved but the 2008 recession,  closed our local GM dealer and GM stopped making the Pontiac's.

The only car/truck dealer close to us (13miles) is a Ford dealership. The closest GM dealers are over 60 miles away. We just bit the bullet and now own a 2015 F150 and a 2018 Ford Escape. Both of them are very good rides. 

[SHC]

Shot put sounds very logical! Thanks guys!
 

 George, I’ll try my best to remember that advice. I made it to Sergeant in the Corps, then made it back to Lance Corporal right before discharge. Looking back I believe it was the same personality trait that led to back to back demotions: I had too much time on my hands and got stressed. Never had any issues in theater working under stress as a Rifleman, but back in garrison was a different story. My mind would run wild, I’d drink, I’d get in trouble. Everything’s much simpler in combat. I haven’t found an outlet that calms my mind the same way except blacksmithing and fighting.  

[JHCC]

11 hours ago, George N. M. said:

One thing modern life and particularly with the internet is giving us too many choices.  It used to be that we were limited to whatever was in the store or major catalog (Sears, Montgomery Wards, etc.).  Now, we have a gajillion choices which can be paralyzing.  It is too easy once we find something that is OK to continue to click to try to find something even better.

This has also lead to the phenomenon known as "decision fatigue", where constantly having to make choices about EVERYTHING gets us to the point that we simply can't make any more. 

I agree that a shot put sounds reasonable. I have something about the same size that I attached to a post to use as a raising stake. I would not recommend using one for ball bearing tests on anvils!

If I needed another anvil and had the cash, Holland would probably be my first choice. I've inspected their wares at Quad-State a few times, and I really like the quality of their castings.

[ThomasPowers]

Various sized ball stakes are very nice for SCA armour making,  I've got mill balls, shot put, flag pole balls, kettle bells, dock weights(99#) and crane headache ball stakes.

In general  99+% of what is sold at fleamarkets as "cannon balls" are not.  Knowing the standard sizes of US and CSA artillery makes it easy to discern what are severely overpriced "fakes"---though people will argue with you till they are blue in the face over them.  (Just pre-covid I was at a fleamarket where in one row a fellow was selling mill balls for US#1 apiece; the next row over a fellow was selling the same thing as ACW cannon balls for US$30; of course they didn't fit any of the artillery used in the ACW...)

I lucked onto a low miles used Toyota Tacoma pickup that really suits me fine: 5 speed standard, extended cab; but not a 4 door, cruise control, no power windows; but the windows in back open a bit, and a keyed entry on BOTH doors.  Simple metal keys.  It's a 2004 and I hope I can keep it till I don't need a vehicle anymore.

Out here it can be a 100 mile tow if anything fancy goes out on your vehicle, simple is good!

[SHC]

Thomas, the newest vehicle in my household is the 2012 Dodge that’s going to my son who is 16 today. Big milestone for a young man! And he’s turning out to be a good one. 
The oldest is a 30 year old Honda Civic. The Dodge has proven to be almost disturbingly bulletproof. 
My wife has a 2011 Traverse and a 2001 Tahoe, and she’s talking about trading in one or both on something newer and nicer. 
I’ll be keeping my ‘98 Silverado, no question about it. It’s my “Heston” ride, I’ll give it up when the keys are pried from my cold dead hands, but Christine don’t like anyone else driving her (yes I named it Christine, yes I firmly believe it’s possessed).
But I feel like I’ve paid enough of my dues to my family and life in general to do something nice for myself. My obligation never ends of course, but I’ve put my own comfort and pleasures to the side for long enough. 

I just hope Christine don’t get jealous. 

[SHC]

Irondragon, I was raised in a Ford family. Always swore by Ford. These days I just wouldn’t take one. I like the super dutys, but if I needed a 3/4 ton or bigger diesel, I’d go back to dodge and get the Cummins equipped Ram, probably cheaper too. 
I like the Mustangs too, but I like the Camaro better. 
The work truck I was issued when I worked for West Monroe is currently on its fourth engine and fifth transmission. The first two transmissions turned to shrapnel while I was driving it. I thought I’d run over an IED. The first engine went kaput one day when I cranked it in the cold (it does NOT get that cold in Louisiana!). The block cracked. 
When I left that job, the truck still only had 60K miles on it. It was a 2015 F150 V6. Never towed anything bigger than a lawnmower. 

[SHC]

Just contacted Holland for a shipping quote, having to go offline for a bit though as I’m at work. I’m eagerly awaiting an email from them. 
 

I’m getting way more anvil than I need at the moment, but I’m hoping it’ll be just right someday. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve learned the hard way to go with just a little overkill rather than “good enough for now”. Good enough for now means spending more money to upgrade later. 

[SHC]

Picked up my new anvil at the local fastenal location. Got it home, had the boys help me unload it. Then I got pretty sick and don’t remember much of the next few days. Pneumonia apparently. They first thought Covid of course, until I tested negative multiple times. 

I’ve mostly recovered. Getting tired easy, my lungs aren’t quite clear yet, but I’m back to work on the job and around the house. I’m still on antibiotics and an inhaler  

I got the anvil set up. The stand is six pieces of 4X6 post treated with creosote, banded together and buried just over a foot into crushed concrete and sand. I tamped the mix around it nice and tight with a steel rod until it just wouldn’t tamp anymore. Then I scraped some loose sand and dirt around it. It’s about half an inch to an inch low, but I figure the sand and dirt will compact as I work around it. If it doesn’t I’ll just do a little rain dance around it, maybe shuffle my feet while I do it. It’ll work out. 
 

I’d like to have another pair of 4X6 pieces, but this is what I had to work with. The stand is a little narrow, the base of the anvil overhangs about 3/4” on either side, but it’s nice and stable. I don’t feel it’s in danger of falling. 

And first project from it. Mama said she needed a new hoof pick and didn’t like any of the ones they sell in the local co-op, and said she thought it’d be cool to have me make one instead of ordering one. It needs a little final shaping and I’ll touch it to the grinder, then blacken it and ship it off. Scraper on one end, pick on the other. 

[ThomasPowers]

Maker her a horse headed one from 1/2 a horseshoe for Valentines day!   (Beware that you may get a bunch of orders for them if She shows it off to friends!)

[SHC]

Ah, but I don’t have that skill set yet! Nor the time to be taking any sort of orders yet. 
I’m kicking around the idea of going ahead with retirement. I’ve got secured income and my stocks are doing well. But I’m not very old, late model/high mileage. My body says “screw this”, pride says “show em what you’re made of”. 

 

[ThomasPowers]

I just turned 65 and my body says it's past time; I was hanging on for my dental insurance at work; but they have been denying everything lately so may not need the job much longer!

Just think of our weeks of single digit humidity out here!

[SHC]

I don’t know what I’d do with single digit humidity again. Last time around I thought I was gonna dry up and blow away. 
 

I’m only 37. But I’ve got healthcare, financial security, and a list of old injuries that I can’t even read without taking a break.