Buying my first Anvil...

[gizamo]

God, how things have changed...even up here in Rural Maine.

Anvils use to sell at auction for 50 cents a pound. Not no more!!! I'm seeing prices range from $2 to $4 dollars a pound depending on it's quality. A famous maker anvil from the olden days in in the upper atmosphere. So I'm left with the question...how do you test a anvil for sale out of a barn for life? How do you know if they are dead or live?

giz

 

[rdillion]

Bill Moran, master knifesmith, says in one of his tapes that a hammer should bounce on a good anvil and that the anvil should ring. He demonstrates this on his tape.

 

[jmforge]

The standard trick is to take a large steel ball bearing with you. Drop it onto the face of the anvil and if it rebounds almost as high as from where you dropped it, you have a very good anvil. You can also do it with a hammer. Just let the hammer fall and see how it rebounds.

 

I bought a small anvil from Grizzly a few years ago. It was pure junk. My son is a welder. he "hard faced" it for me. It's a decent anvil now. I sure wish I had a good one. Someone said that an old railroad track makes a pretty good anvil.

 

[Pork Chop]

Buy from the best and you won't regret it...

 

[ameling]

Forget most stuff you have heard about hearing an anvil ... ring. There are just too many variables that can affect how or if an anvil will "ring".

First you make sure that the anvil has not gone through a building fire and is now "soft". A light/medium tap with a hammer at an angle should not leave a dent on the face of the anvil. Tap down near the base of the anvil on an edge to see how much of a hit it takes to put a slight dent in it. Then use the same force up on the face of the anvil.

Then check that ... rebound ... of the hammer when you strike directly onto the face of the anvil. How much does the hammer rebound? Hold the hammer handle lightly. A "lively" anvil will rebound fairly well. A "poor" anvil will barely rebound at all. That poor anvil will absorb most of your hammer blow, and wear you out fast in use. The anvil will still work, but it will work you much more than needed.

Next check for cracks, dings, dents, and how chipped up the edges are. Some of the dents/chips can be ground out. Some might need to be welded up and ground smooth by somebody who knows how to repair an anvil.

Yes, the days of "cheap" anvils are long gone. The standard opinion around here used to be that an anvil was worth a buck a pound or a hundred bucks. But it has been years since that.

Mikey

 

[paulvallandigham]

A lot of old anvils, made in the 19th century, were cheap products, made from cast iron bases, with a 3/8" thick steel plate welded to the top. They worked well for the travelers( immigrants) going west, and for minimal use around farms. But, they don't, and didn't hold up to heavy use.

So, first you have to decide how much use you are going to make of the anvil you buy. I bought one such anvil years ago, at about $.50 a pound, all beat up, scored, etc. I used a sanding disc to smooth the surface of the flat, and remove a lot of the rust that was on the rest of the anvil. I did some minimal work on the anvil, such as making vent picks, and it worked okay for that kind of thing. Someone wanted the anvil more than I did during a move, so I let it get away. I am still looking for a better anvil at a " deal".

There are solid Cast Steel Anvils on the market, and such anvils were industrial norms all through the 20th century. But, they are also brutes- often weighing more than 150 lbs. Centaur Forge, in Wausau, Wisconsin, is still one of the leading USA dealers in new anvils, of all kinds- and you will be amazed at the variety of anvils that are being made today---- as well as other equipment needed by blacksmiths and Farriers.( Horseshoers). Check its website, and then order its catalog.

 

[J.D.]

I bought my Fischer and Peter Wright anvils at farm sales for less than $100, each, but that was over 20 years ago. :v :grin: Even they were bargains, at the time.

A small one in fair shape went for about $200 recently. I was surprised that it went so cheap. If I had been paying attention, it would have come home with me. :redface:

God bless

 

[Jblk]

Fischer probably made more anvils than any other company in the USA.They were often called the non ringing anvil.They are a good anvil to use in a neighborhood because of that fact.Most auction sale anvils are pretty worn today but occasionally you find a good one but you will pay dearly for it.

 

[ameling]

There are a bunch of good web sites and forums out there about blacksmithing. And lots of groups in most areas of the country that hold meets and have newsletters to share info. And the big national (actually international) group ABANA - Artist Blacksmith Association of North America.

A place you should check out is www.iforgeiron.com They even have a "blueprint" on finding and buying a good anvil. Just don't waltz into the discussions/message threads as a "know it all". There are always people on there that will know more than you, and shoot you down if you need it. It will be done with respect, but they won't put up with ego manure. You have to ... earn ... your way there. That "I just got an anvil/forge, now how do I make a knife/sword" question may be funny the first time, but not after a couple hundred times!

Also check out anvilfire.com - they have some great step-by-step tutorials. And Centaur Forge is like a "candy store" for blacksmiths. Their free catalog is thick, and about 1/3 of it is books/videos. They are the largest farrier horse shoeing supply companies in the US. And if you stop by their store, they do have ... used ... blacksmithing equipment for sale as well as all the new stuff. www.centaurforge.com

Mikey

 

[JOHN ZUREKI]

There was an anvil in the barn for sale last week at Dixon's....$500.00.

 

[gizamo]

There is a local antique shop that has a Peter Wright in a 188lb weight. It is pretty pristine. They are asking 4 Franklins for it. I'm thinking of offering 3 Hundred. Not trying to steal it, but money isn't what it used to be....

giz

 

[jmforge]

Some bladesmiths are using post anvils nowadays because they seem to work best for what we do. Think of a traditional Japanese sword forging anvil, but without the inconvenience of having it buried in the ground and having to forge kneeling down. :grin:

 

[jmforge]

There is a local antique shop that has a Peter Wright in a 188lb weight. It is pretty pristine. They are asking 4 Franklins for it. I'm thinking of offering 3 Hundred. Not trying to steal it, but money isn't what it used to be....

giz

Compare that to what you will pay for a 200 lb Peddinghaus and see how it works out.

 

[ameling]

Either 3 or 4 Franklins is a good price for that 188 PW anvil in good shape.

The key point is ... how much is it worth to you and what you are going to use it for. Lots of blacksmiths like their large anvils - 150# on up to 5 or 600#. 200# to 300# are common in many shops.

My working anvil on the bench is a 72# Haybudden my great uncle had on the farm. But I have several larger ones near by for larger work when necessary (120#, 150#).

But an anvil is just a large heavy flat surface to work hot iron on. I have a pie wedge shaped granite rock with flat top/bottom surfaces that I use for Viking era blacksmithing. But you only hammer HOT iron on it. It works well. I also have several cut-offs or drop-out slugs from the scrap yard that I use as anvils. The one on my workbench in the living room is round - 7 inches in diameter and 3 1/2 inches thick! It makes a great small working anvil. Out in the shop I have a rectangular block 3 1/2 inches thick that is around 5 inches tall by 11 inches long. Another great "scrap" of iron/steel to use as an anvil. A little grinding/sanding smooths up the surface and rounds over the edges. They are not heat-treated like an anvil surface, but as long as I only hammer HOT iron on them they work well. Just the occasional small dent from a missed hammer blow.

A bunch of people use sections of Forklift tines for an anvil - cut to shorter length with tabs welded on to bolt/nail it to a stump. They make great "lighter" anvils. I have even used a section of tractor drawbar as an anvil. And many times I've used a large sledge hammer as a small anvil - either on one face/end, or along the sides.

So don't think you need an ASO (anvil shaped object) to use as an anvil. Just something with a large flat surface. You can even forge hot iron on the end grain of a green oak stump. Yes, it will smoke a lot and char, but it does work.

Lots of options. And that PW anvil is a good deal at either price - IF it fits your needs.

Mikey

 

[Tumblernotch]

I have a 200 lb Fisher "Eagle" cast steel anvil that I picked up at an antique shop 17 years ago for, get this, $94. It liked to have killed me getting it out of a shed, down a set of steps and through a gravel driveway on a small broken down dolly. Then with my wife "helping", I loaded it into the trunk of a car with a 8 inch thick oak block still bolted to it. But it was worth it. The cast steel anvils are nice because they don't ring like the wrought iron anvils do. My hundred weight Mousehole rings pretty loudly and although spectators may enjoy hearing it, it gets a little old when you're working over it several hours a day. BTW, I paid $140 for the Mousehole several years before I bought the Fisher. A few years ago I was offered a 1000 lb anvil that had been in a railroad shop for $800. Now that's a good deal, but fer cryin' out loud.......! :shocked2:

 

[J.D.]

Lots of blacksmiths like their large anvils - 150# on up to 5 or 600#. 200# to 300# are common in many shops.

My working anvil on the bench is a 72# Haybudden my great uncle had on the farm. But I have several larger ones near by for larger work when necessary (120#, 150#).

But an anvil is just a large heavy flat surface to work hot iron on. I have a pie wedge shaped granite rock with flat top/bottom surfaces that I use for Viking era blacksmithing. But you only hammer HOT iron on it. It works well. I also have several cut-offs or drop-out slugs from the scrap yard that I use as anvils. The one on my workbench in the living room is round - 7 inches in diameter and 3 1/2 inches thick! It makes a great small working anvil. Out in the shop I have a rectangular block 3 1/2 inches thick that is around 5 inches tall by 11 inches long. Another great "scrap" of iron/steel to use as an anvil. A little grinding/sanding smooths up the surface and rounds over the edges. They are not heat-treated like an anvil surface, but as long as I only hammer HOT iron on them they work well. Just the occasional small dent from a missed hammer blow.

A bunch of people use sections of Forklift tines for an anvil - cut to shorter length with tabs welded on to bolt/nail it to a stump. They make great "lighter" anvils. I have even used a section of tractor drawbar as an anvil. And many times I've used a large sledge hammer as a small anvil - either on one face/end, or along the sides.

So don't think you need an ASO (anvil shaped object) to use as an anvil. Just something with a large flat surface. You can even forge hot iron on the end grain of a green oak stump. Yes, it will smoke a lot and char, but it does work.

Lots of options. And that PW anvil is a good deal at either price - IF it fits your needs.

Mikey

Dang, 200-300# + anvils mean heavy work. I'm not dedicated enough to blacksmithing to work that hard. :v :grin:

I do use the 96# Fisher as my go to anvil because it is fairly quiet. While I don't live in a suburban setting, the PW is just too loud for my tastes. I find myself replying "What" to comments by the wife after working with the PW for an afternoon.

Don't get me wrong, I do like to hear the sound of the anvils ring, but it's kinda like listening to bagpipes. I love 'em both, but at a distance. :grin:

God bless

 

[Tumblernotch]

There is a local antique shop that has a Peter Wright in a 188lb weight. It is pretty pristine. They are asking 4 Franklins for it. I'm thinking of offering 3 Hundred. Not trying to steal it, but money isn't what it used to be....

giz

That sounds like a good deal to me even at $400. If you can get it for $300, I'd say go fer it!

 

[ameling]

There are lots of ways to quiet down an anvil. Like placing it on a rubber mat (cut from an old innertube). Or setting it down on a bed of sand. Or taking a big magnet from an old speaker and sticking it on the side or up under the heel. And sometimes the way you clamp the anvil down to a base/stand will quiet it down.

A friend picked up an anvil many years ago that ... rang like a bell! He was so happy! His shop at that time was a 20 by 40 cement block building with tin roof. He went back to his old anvil quickly, and soon sold that new anvil that rang so much!

But how well an anvil rings is not a good indication of how good the anvil is. It's all in how it "feels" under your hammer, how much energy is absorbed by it, and how much "rebound" you get. And those mostly affect how long you work and how fast you tire out.

Lots of blacksmiths use ear protection in their shops. Like any "machine shop", they can be noisy. And that all adds up over time. Besides annoying some of the neighbors.

Many years ago when I lived in town, I would pull my forge/anvil out from the garage to work out in front of it by the alley. Nobody ever complained, but several older people that lived nearby would usually wander over to watch and chat about the old days. I learned a lot that way. Especially when some of them would start laughing when I did something ... wrong! The laughing usually let me know to stop and think about what I had just done, and then figure out what I SHOULD have done!

I've got a strip of rubber innertube and an old speaker magnet on my 72# Haybudden anvil on my main workbench. It still can get a bit ... loud.

Mikey

 

[DBox]

I've had an old anvil that weighs about 75 pounds with the top beat off that my grandmother on my mother's side bought for my birthday when I was 14 that I started my shop with. Then a couple of years later I helped my granddaddy on my daddy's side clean up around his place and he gave me his 135 pound anvil and post vise. I'm still using Papa'a anvil and still have Grandmother's. I'm 49 now and still have plans to reface the smaller one. Any anvil at a decent price is worth the money. Chances are you won't wear out even a low quality one. I knew an old man that's long dead now who used a huge one that the horn was broken off of and had been that way for probably 75 years according to him. He said he wouldn't trade it for 10 good anvils because it was all he had ever used.