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Identify an anvil


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I've found a Vulcan Anvil that appears to be cast from the owner's description; he said that some of the logo is badly pitted. It has a raised number "30" under the horn (pointed end) and a raised number "44" under the other end. The owner thinks it is about 250 pounds and is unable to send pictures. The face has had some things welded to it and then cut off with a cutting wheel so I don't know its actual condition. The owner thinks the face is about 1-1/4" thick because of a weld he can see on both sides. it is mounted on an angle iron frame with channel Iron feet that is less than 4 years old.

I'd like to know what the markings mean and how much it may be worth. It is local (within 50 miles). I just need some idea before I make an offer. He hasn't set a price. Thanks for your wonderful forum. God Bless!

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Welcome aboard from 7500' in SE Wyoming.  Glad to have you.

If you put your general location in your profile we can give you better answers.  Anvil values can be very geography dependent.  Right now we don't know if you are in Lapland or Tasmania.

I can't help you with the markings but your statement about things being welded to the face and then cut off is a red flag.  It may be minimal damage or it could be a deal killer.  The real way to evaluate an anvil is to lightly tap it all over the face to make sure the ring is consistent.  Vulcans are notoriously quiet anvils without much ring but the sound should be consistent across the whole face.

Also, take a ball bearing (1/2-1" diameter) and drop it on the face to test for rebound.  70% is OK, 80-90% is great, anything less than 50% is pretty poor.s

1 1/4" sounds improbably thick for the high carbon steel face but I could be wrong.

Assuming you are in the USA and everything checks out OK I would say a fair market price would be about $2.50-4.50/pound.  This will vary by location.  It is possible that it might be so damaged that it is only an ASO (Anvil Shaped Object) which is only suitable for a boat anchor or a large door stop.  In that case it is only worth scrap value, about 25 cents per pound.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

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Welcome from the Ozark mountains.

The number 30 is the weight 300 +/- pounds as cast and Vulcan's that large are not common. The 44 is the year it was cast 1944. The hardened steel face plate is definitely not 1 1/4 inch thick. If he can see where it is welded on, that is a red flag. Vulcan's face plate were added when the body was cast out of cast iron. Any welding on the face plate (unless it is done properly) will probably do more harm than good. The HAZ area's will weaken the face.

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To expand on Irondragon's comment:  HAZ is "Heat Affected Zone."  This means that the in the places where a weld has been done on the face the temper of face plate has been affected.  It may be harder or softer (more probable) than the rest of the face plate.  Neither of these is a good thing and will decrease the value.  If it is in an area that will not be used much, such as near the horn, the negative effect is less. If it is over the "sweet spot" (the center of the face directly above the base) it is more of a problem.

If there is actually a 1 1/4" plate on the face it was probably added later and welded on only around the edges rather than fully attached across the whole plate..  This is a BAD thing and probably makes it an ASO. One way to tell might be how much of a drop there is to the horn or the little table at the base of the horn.  If it is 1.25" or more I would strongly suspect an added plate.

It may be a usable anvil if the problems are minor but, personally, I wouldn't pull the trigger unless I could inspect it in person. 

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand." 

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Thanks very much for your quick and knowledgeable replies. A 300# anvil is probably too big for me but I'll go look and use the knowledge I learned here to evaluate it.

FYI I'm in SE Georgia and the anvil is in NE Florida. 

Thanks again for your help. God Bless you all! 

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Chief:  The 1/4 step down you mention argues against a 1 1/4" plate being welded to the top of the anvil.  The weld line may indicate something else or nothing at all if someone was futzing around with a welded and just wanted to practice laying a bead.  That said, be critical and a bit suspicious when inspecting it.  Don't expect a Vulcan to ring like a bell but the sound should be consistent across the face.  That and the amount of rebound are your 2 most important criteia.

One thing to watch out for is an anvil that has been through a barn or shop fire.  It may look good but the heat has drawn the temper of the face plate and it will have a very poor rebound.  There are difficult ways of retempering the face but ity involves big fires to heat the anvil red hot and a very large quenching tank or something like a lake, river, or ocean for quenching.  And, manipulating a 300 pound red hot hunk of iron can be interesting without things like overhead cranes or an engine lift.  And no mylon lifting straps!  Only chains.

Don't be afraid to point out issues and problems with the anvil to the seller and how they reduce its value.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

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What the seller is mistaking for the face plate edge at 1 1/4" is probably the grind line. They ground the sides of anvils near the top. I don't know why they stopped were they did, might depend on who was doing the grinding.

My Soderfors is a single piece of cast Swedish steel and the grind line around the face and heel makes it look like it has about 1/2" - 5/8" faceplate.

If you're going to stick around the forum putting your general location is beneficial. A lot of answers are location specific, especially hunting tools and equipment. Getting together with an experienced smith will let you learn more in a couple hours than days or more figuring it out yourself. You also might want to move that big old lady someday and need a couple guys to lend a hand.

It's not a rule, suit yourself.

Frosty The Lucky.

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