Finally Found That Antique Anvil I Been Huntin'

[TDM]

I’ve got a 126 lb Peter wright and a 226 lb hay budden. The rebound of the pw is far better. Nice find! Also a ~450 lb on my 50 lb Bradley power hammer ( fewer achy joints and far faster heavy work)

That, is a very nice selection to have! The closest I'll ever get to that kind of equipment is by watching Forged in Fire!

 

[alcessapiens]

That, is a very nice selection to have! The closest I'll ever get to that kind of equipment is by watching Forged in Fire!

Got lucky, 126 was my dad’s, swapped a $10 yard sale 110v spot welder for 226, paid $1000 for Bradley (and $1000 more for crane truck to bring it home)

 

[Crown_Pointer]

Antique English manufactured anvils were marked with three numbers on the side of the body. The left represented units of 112. The middle, quarters of 112. The right number indicated pounds up to a quarter of 112. It was a now obsolete system called English Anvil Weight

I guess you missed my "figure the weight" link in the text. ;-)

 

[alcessapiens]

I guess you missed my "figure the weight" link in the text. ;-)

A hundredweight is, very weirdly, 112 lbs

 

[TDM]

Got lucky, 126 was my dad’s, swapped a $10 yard sale 110v spot welder for 226, paid $1000 for Bradley (and $1000 more for crane truck to bring it home)

We’ll, it’s great that you have those. And a pleasure to pound on I’m sure! Years ago, say 20 years or more, good anvils were fairly common at antique stores around here as most all have tool sections. Not anymore, but I’ll keep looking.

 

[alcessapiens]

Anvils used to sell around $1-$2 /lb. Along comes forged in fire and every fool with money to burn and delusions of competence are paying $5-$7/lb. Antique dealers have the notion that any rust coated piece of scrap metal is some blacksmithing tool. This summer I explained to a dealer that an ankle plane and saw vice aren’t blacksmithing tools and that his piles of cast iron Chinese hooks aren’t forged, but cast. He then tried to get me to make him some decorative hooks and he planned to bury them for a year or two so as to “antique “ them. I offered him a sack of salt and a hammer to go pound salt in his ***. Dishonest scumwaffle.

 

[TDM]

Anvils used to sell around $1-$2 /lb. Along comes forged in fire and every fool with money to burn and delusions of competence are paying $5-$7/lb. Antique dealers have the notion that any rust coated piece of scrap metal is some blacksmithing tool. This summer I explained to a dealer that an ankle plane and saw vice aren’t blacksmithing tools and that his piles of cast iron Chinese hooks aren’t forged, but cast. He then tried to get me to make him some decorative hooks and he planned to bury them for a year or two so as to “antique “ them. I offered him a sack of salt and a hammer to go pound salt in his ***. Dishonest scumwaffle.

Your right about that! Even around here, where prices on most antique tools are still reasonable, all blacksmithing tools are long gone. Last year my wife and I stopped by one of our regular shops, they had an old, beat up, cast iron Chinese anvil just like HF sells now. They had a $280 price tag on it. I was speechless, but the next time I went there it was gone. Like one of my grandfathers used to say "a fool and his money are soon parted".

 

[alcessapiens]

We’ll, it’s great that you have those. And a pleasure to pound on I’m sure! Years ago, say 20 years or more, good anvils were fairly common at antique stores around here as most all have tool sections. Not anymore, but I’ll keep looking.

Power hammers are rare enough ( unless you want a new one). It’s far bigger than I need but it’s incredibly well made. It’s really an industrial hammer rather than a blacksmithing hammer. It is lineshaft so I had to make an odd motor mount to place the motor above it. I had to tune it back a bit because with the massive sow block it hits like an 80lb. And I only need a quarter of that.

 

[alcessapiens]

Your right about that! Even around here, where prices on most antique tools are still reasonable, all blacksmithing tools are long gone. Last year my wife and I stopped by one of our regular shops, they had an old, beat up, cast iron Chinese anvil just like HF sells now. They had a $280 price tag on it. I was speechless, but the next time I went there it was gone. Like one of my grandfathers used to say "a fool and his money are soon parted".

Those harbor freight things are ASO’s (anvil shaped objects). Utter crap when compared to the real thing. I made an anvil for a friend out of a heavy chunk of rail spiked down to an old chunk of elm ( two rail plates under it to spread the weight across the surface of the elm). Works beautifully ( $10 scrap metal, $5 acetylene, two grinding discs)

 

[TDM]

Power hammers are rare enough ( unless you want a new one). It’s far bigger than I need but it’s incredibly well made. It’s really an industrial hammer rather than a blacksmithing hammer. It is lineshaft so I had to make an odd motor mount to place the motor above it. I had to tune it back a bit because with the massive sow block it hits like an 80lb. And I only need a quarter of that.

Never seen one in these parts. I could let my imagination run wild with a power hammer!

 

[TDM]

Those harbor freight things are ASO’s (anvil shaped objects). Utter crap when compared to the real thing. I made an anvil for a friend out of a heavy chunk of rail spiked down to an old chunk of elm ( two rail plates under it to spread the weight across the surface of the elm). Works beautifully ( $10 scrap metal, $5 acetylene, two grinding discs)

Yep. Luckily I do have a good chunk of rail too. Comes in handy.

 

[alcessapiens]

Never seen one in these parts. I could let my imagination run wild with a power hammer!

The Bradley hammers were made in Syracuse ny and sold all over the world. They are far larger and heavier than little giant hammers. I got this one 170 miles away , but I live close to Syracuse. There is a rebuild shop that does excellent restoration on little giants and sells them on eBay.

 

[The Appalachian]

Congratulations on your find. Got an anvil question. Do all anvils have a hollow base? Like for packing with black powder and shooting them in the air.

Well, while cleaning this anvil up I found how they would "fire" it and launch it very high. This old Peter Wright has a square hole in the base about 1" square 3" deep. That's a fair amount of cannon powder you could pack in there.

 

[TDM]

The Bradley hammers were made in Syracuse ny and sold all over the world. They are far larger and heavier than little giant hammers. I got this one 170 miles away , but I live close to Syracuse. There is a rebuild shop that does excellent restoration on little giants and sells them on eBay.

Those are quality machines for sure. If I were younger, I'd seriously consider getting one. Now, I'll be happy if I can find a good 100-150 lbs anvil.

 

[TDM]

Well, while cleaning this anvil up I found how they would "fire" it and launch it very high. This old Peter Wright has a square hole in the base about 1" square 3" deep. That's a fair amount of cannon powder you could pack in there.View attachment 173374

I'll be, but don't try it unless you locate another one first. Just in case.

 

[alcessapiens]

Well, while cleaning this anvil up I found how they would "fire" it and launch it very high. This old Peter Wright has a square hole in the base about 1" square 3" deep. That's a fair amount of cannon powder you could pack in there.View attachment 173374

That’s how they fire an anvil but it’s used with a porter bar to help move the anvil. One bar in the hardy hole, one in the bottom hole with a turn or two of chain around them to keep them in place.

 

[alcessapiens]

I'll be, but don't try it unless you locate another one first. Just in case.

I wouldn’t abuse a good anvil. Now firing a harbor freight thing into a lake might be a public service.

 

[TDM]

That’s how they fire an anvil but it’s used with a porter bar to help move the anvil. One bar in the hardy hole, one in the bottom hole with a turn or two of chain around them to keep them in place.

I did not know that. Thanks.

 

[TDM]

I wouldn’t abuse a good anvil. Now firing a harbor freight thing into a lake might be a public service.

You are correct!

 

[alcessapiens]

I did not know that. Thanks.

They look like a big, square Allen wrench. Personally, I just pick it up and try not to drop it on my feet.