Buying my first Anvil...

[jmforge]

Even a "quiet" anvil will probably ring pretty loudly when you are working out on the horn.

 

[gizamo]

Anyone here miss Mikey as much as me...?

I use to PM him and seek out his advice. Think he'd have alot to say about this Barn Sale find that I picked up over the weekend.

We lost so much when Mikey left our ranks...Dang, I miss him. Rereading this thread just left me feelin' empty.

Here's to you, Mikey....
http://www.navoyageur.org/ameling.htm

 

[BillinOregon]

Gizamo: I miss Mike too. He always offered such great advice that you could take to the bank. Appreciate the link that shows his amazing fire steels.
Nice find on the post vise! Mine is an old beater I got for $60. I have a propane forge, but am half scared of the thing, so mostly use my washtub charcoal forge and champion blower. My learning anvil is a Russian cast steel 110-pounder that I got from Harbor Freight (not the Chinese cast iron). I'm preparing to switch to a nicely rebuilt 120-pound Trenton, although with my sketchy skills I don't deserve it.
I have been using a magnet under the heel to quiet my Rooskie, but may try the more traditional chain wrap on the Trenton.

 

[fatboy]

Mike was a good guy always seemed to get back to ya if you had a ? Nice vise what size are the jaws and do you know who made it ?

 

[gizamo]

It's a set of five inch jaws. Unmarked but very well made. I've benched it and set a section of railroad track in it. The track rebounds nicely and fairly sings....

Had a million questions for Mikey...that I could ask. It's why I brought the old thread back, just thinkin' of how he'd PM me back and forth and offer advice. Man, I miss him....

 

[gmarc]

Folks
:hmm: :hmm: There are many good anvils out there for reasonable prices. I have two in my shop, a 260# JHM and a 100# TFS double horn I take to demos.

The JHM isa copy of of a Kohlswa B7 & the 100# TFS is a euro-style (continental) knock-off.

Both of these give good service and are far cheaper than the drop forged Peddinghaus.

Antique anvils are often thrashed and are seldom (in my experience) a good value, especially if they are sway-backed. Old anvils can be more trouble than they are worth, to restore.

Just my 2c

Grant

 

[44-henry]

I don't know how it is in your neck of the woods, around here anvils bring good money at auction, but every now and than you run across one at a garage sale. I've purchased two in the last three years this way and the most I paid was $50 and that included a pile of accessories.

 

[gmarc]

A 50.00 anvil? That's a BIG stroke of luck, esp with accessories.

There are about 1100 members in the CA Blacksmith's association and Lord knows how many occasional smiths. Talk of anvils on the cheap sparks a feeding frenzy.

I got really lucky in an antique shop in N. California and wound up with beaucoup tools from the timber industry smiths.