HELP? What is this anvil?

[BoardMoreThanUsual]

Hi, 

Hope this is the right place. I am writing to try and figure out what I have and what would be the best way to preserve/restore this anvil.

This anvil belonged to my old lady's father and i want to do it Justice (if possible) by cleaning it up and identifying it.

He was an artist in NYC back in the day and from my understanding he used it to make carving chisels and various tools for his sculpture. The mrs remebers cranking his forge by hand when she was 6 or 7 yrs old ( 60ish years ago shhhh).

I cleaned the paint off it and soaked in vinegar then rinsed with water. Have a wire brush in the angle grinder for the surface rust. That's as far as I have gotten and am comfortable doing with out further suggestions.

I will attach a few photos of the progress so far. I am not looking to sell this or make a profit more of a family keepsake.

Thanks in advance for any and all comments.

[Glenn]

Stop right there with the cleaning process.  Working hot metal hammered on the face will make the face shine.  Otherwise proceed to the coating..

Coat the entire anvil with BLO boiled linseed oil.  It will take a couple of days to dry and then form a finish that will need to be recoated once a year or so.  ATF automatic transmission wiped on the face every time the anvil is used will prevent rust.  If it is not used, then BLO.

There are many suggestions on the site for anvil stands.  Use what appeals to you, and the wife.

 

[BoardMoreThanUsual]

Thanks I have BLO ready to go, the working surface is really pitted , just leave as is? 

Any idea of the make of the anvil?

[George N. M.]

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

I am not an anvil nerd but I can offer a couple bits of advice and factoids.

First, and most importantly, DO NOT try to do more to "restore" it than you already have.  About all you should do is put a coat of boiled lindseed oil on it to protect it from rust.  Yes, there is some chipping on the edge but do not try to "fix" that by welding.  Severe chipping can be repaired by welding but it takes a very specific process which involves heating the whole anvil and using special hard rods and cooling down the anvil slowly.  Look up "Gunter-Sdhuler anvil repair method" if interested.  Anything else will damage the anvil further.

Second, it is vary likely an anvil of English origin because the numbers on the side indicate the weight in English Imperial hundredweights, tenths of hundredweights, and pounds.  An Imperial Hundredweight equals 112 pounds.  So, the manufactured weight of your anvil was 1 hundredweight (112 lbs.) plus 3 tenths of a hundredweight (33.6 lbs.) plus 5 lbs. for a total of 150.6 pounds original weight.  A very nice wight for a one man shop.  It would probably weigh in at a bit less today due to wear.

I would estimate the fair market value today of around $700-900.  However, that can vary widely depending on the market where you are.  A similar brand new anvil of that size might run you around $1200-1400.

Over all, nice anvil and there are lots of smiths who would be proud to have it in their shop.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[BoardMoreThanUsual]

Thank you,

Looks like rubbing it down is the next step. 

I'll figure out a stand next, He just had it on a log with bent over nails holding it in place.

Maybe I ll try and figure out how to incorporate that into the stand.

[Frosty]

Nice anvil, as suggested above please don't do and "restoration" or "repair" unless absolutely necessary for use. 

My preference for rust proof finishing is a good quality carnuba paste wax, I use "Trewax" applied to it at fresh cup of coffee temp. Molten carnuba has a very low viscosity and will penetrate every nook and cranny. When cool it is very hard and wear resistant. The other popular brand is, "Bowling Ally Wax" yes, the same tough stuff they have to sand off to remove from a bowling ally.

George, isn't the second number in the English hundred weight system quarters? Making it 112lbs + 84lbs + 5lbs for a total as stamped weight of 201lbs?

Welcome aboard, board guy, glad to have you. Before you oil or otherwise finish your anvil, try rubbing the sides with chalk, flour, and lightly wipe it off. This will bring out surface textures like stamped in the characters we can hardly make out in the second to last pic. Also if you photograph it with the light source at an oblique angle, shining along the surface rather than at it, textures will be brought out more clearly. Doing both at the same time is even gooder.

Frosty The Lucky. 

[BoardMoreThanUsual]

I can try powder or the like for sure. I'll try and take different pics and post here before "oiling"

[BoardMoreThanUsual]

I dont think this is any better but he is what I came up with.

[Frosty]

I can't make sense of it, those may have been made testing tools or some such.

By oblique light that means the light source is from the side at a shallow angle. You have to turn the flash off on your camera. As can bee seen in the first and last pics, the chipped edge is indistinct. Lit from the side all the features of the chips will cast strong shadows and reflect strong highlights making the features easy to see. 

A perfect example if you have a pair of binoculars is to look at the 1/2 moon on a clear night. At the terminator (day night line) the mountains and craters stand out in bold relief. On a full moon the features at the center are mostly  bright textureless shades of silver and gray.

 Frosty The Lucky. 

[BoardMoreThanUsual]

I thought similarly that those marks were made by the end user, either putting his name in or testing his chisels. I'll check again with the light coming from the side no flash and no other light on in the garage. Sorry for my poor photography skills. I'll check both sides but I am assuming the side with the weight stamp should be the side with any makers mark

[BoardMoreThanUsual]

Just went down and did as instructed,  no difference,  no other marks were noticeable. It's not a big deal as I said I'm not selling it just trying to save it from the scrap yard. I'll  finish up getting any rusts out of the books and crannies this weekend and oil it up and work on figuring out a base.

Edited May 13, 2023 by Mod30
Remove excessive quote.

[Will Brouwers]

That's a good looking anvil!

In my opinion, it looks like lettering VL?CAN. When I look up Anvils in America, I see under the English Anvils section a little blurb on Vulcan Works. Attached is a picture of the section.

Also, Board, did you know that those square holes were used to make the anvil? While it was hot, the makers would put long square bars in them to better be able to maneuver the hot and heavy anvil under the power hammer. 

[swedefiddle]

Good Morning,

That looks like a real nice looking "Vulcan"

Neil

[Will Brouwers]

It is interesting that there are no other distinguishing marks or words helping us know for sure if it is a Vulcan from England. Normally they have the word WORKS next to the word Vulcan. I'm trying to do some sleuthing googling Vulcan anvil England and looking at the results in images.

[George N. M.]

Frosty, as usual, I beleive that you are correct, quarters, not tenths.  So, 201 pounds is correct.  Still a verty nice size for a one man shop.  

George

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Welcome from the Ozark mountains. Here is a thread about the English made Vulcan Works anvils. Hope it helps.

https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/60090-sanderson-brothers-vulcan-works-sheffield/

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sails. ~ Semper Paratus

[Frosty]

Nothing to apologize for Boardmore. Photography is a acquired skill and taking good pics of metal objects is a type of its own. I've coached folks about taking shiny object pics before. And believe me it can get really complicated. 

It's a nice anvil and a good shop weight, it'll last several generations. Your grandkids can tell their grandkid about learning smithing from their grandfather on it. Use it in good health, make beautiful useful things and please show us the pics.

We LOVE pics.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Stash]

Well, I'm going to go against the grain here, ID wise. The overall shape to me looks more  modern (1900ish, +/-) US made- my initial thought when I saw the shape was HB or Trentonish. I suggest that it was made by the American Wrought Anvil Co, of Brooklyn NY. Their logo has a similar look to what we have in the pictures above. That would make the weight when mfg of 135 lbs.

Steve

[George N. M.]

As I said before, I am no anvil nerd.  However, I agree with Stash that it looks more gracile with a longer horn than most Vulcan anvils than I've seen (or at least American Vulcans).  However, the partial lettering seems to fit the word "VULCAN" .  Also, I am unaware of any American manufactor using English Imperial weight markings.  However, that could have been done to make it look more like a higher percieved quality imported English anvil.

More comment on my mistaken thought that the 2d number of the weight was tenths of an Imperial hundredweight:  Today, we tend to think more in the decimel system but formerly folk tended to use fractions more.  I think the metric system encouraged folk to think in base ten and pulled us away from fractions and toward decimal useage.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[BoardMoreThanUsual]

I want to thank you all for your input, research and time, the maker was more of a curiosity than anything else. 

I will proceed with cleaning up the last bit of surface rust around the holes then just oil it up.

Once I come up with a stand I will definitely post a picture or two in this thread.

Unfortunately I personally will not be using it, I have never smithed before and atm dont have the means to purchase all the proper equipment. Then learn what to do. Maybe in the near future, who knows, finding a new hobby could be fun.

Thanks again all, I will continue to follow this thread incase anyone comes across some information.

Regards,

John

After typing this and reading a response that it could be American Avil, I googled it and came up with this post, we may have a winner.

American anvil ID

 I think I'll take this as a win unless someone comes up with a better answer. 

Thanks again

Edited May 13, 2023 by BoardMoreThanUsual
Added I formation

[George N. M.]

Board, it is not very expensive to get started in blacksmithing.  Look up JABOD (Just A Box Of Dirt) forges.  Then, you need a "pounder."  Any hammer will do and decent Harbor Freight hammers are pretty cheap (about 2 pounds weight is good).  The only other thing you need is a "grabber."  Tongs are best but you can use vice grips, pliers, or channel locks.  I used vice grips for years before gradually transitioning to tongs.  You already have the most expensive thing, an anvil.  Many folk start out using improvised anvils, which work very well, by utilizing railroad trac, fork lift tines, or any old chunk of steel.

The most important tool is knowledge.  You can pick it up from books, videos, or right here at IFI.  Be aware that there are some BAD videos on You Tube.  I like Black Bear Forge, JPL Services (our own Jennifer), Torbjorn Ahman from Sweden, and Christ Centered Ironworks.  Some folk like Alec Steele but I find his style of presentation kind of annoying but thats just me.

I hope to see you around again.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[Glenn]

22 minutes ago, BoardMoreThanUsual said:

I do not have the means to purchase all the proper equipment.

All you need is something to hit, something to hit on, and heat to make the metal soft.  You already have an anvil so you need a 2 pound hammer of some sort, ball peen hammer will do, and a heat source.  Look up the JABOD just a box of dirt topic on the site.  You do have dirt where you love do you not?  Wooden pallets can be used for fuel and are available behind most every store.  They will give them to you for free if you ask.

A set of vise grips will serve as a pair of tongs, or just leave the metal long and and hold it in your hand.

Every member on the site would like all the proper equipment, but lack the aircraft hanger space to work in.  So they use everything from a shade tree to a tarp, to a out building, or whatever is available to work under or in.

Blacksmithing is just another tool. It allows you to take what you have and change it, or use it, to make what you want.  You can have a chisel, pry bar, screw driver, or many other things made before the engine in the car gets warm on the way to town.  And it is exactly what you need, not something that is just close and maybe in stock at the store.

Those large, huge, and complex metal projects are just a lot of little pieces joined together.  Each of the little pieces YOU can make.  All that is left after that is attaching them to each other.  Do not sell yourself short.  That S hook the wife wants to hang the flower pot is just a piece of heavy wire with a bend on each end.  

 

[BoardMoreThanUsual]

Thanks Again All,

I have been watching videos for the past 3 days. I think Ill give it a shot. I still have to make a stand and such before i get started, but i WILL get started. That being said is it still ok for the BLO to be put on the anvil at this point, obviously i wont be making anything crazy at first just dont want the oil or the like to contaminate the work if thats such a thing. Thanks for the encouragement, and the little push.

 

BTW The Anvil weighs Appox. 130-135 lbs, with me holding it on a bathroom scale for those still courious.

[JHCC]

28 minutes ago, BoardMoreThanUsual said:

just dont want the oil or the like to contaminate the work if thats such a thing

That's not a thing. At forging temperatures, any oil that might have gotten on the workpiece burns right off.

[BoardMoreThanUsual]

Ok , all done on this anvil post all rubbed down. Anvil stand next and I'll post pics of that in the appropriate section