Anvils

[OLD MAN]

Originally Posted by Jim-TX

Eleven hundred pound anvil? Pics?

GWIZ is in charge of history and will be along to show link to photos.

[tnmike]

Anvils, a subject near and dear to my heart. IF you really, really want to make one...here you go.

http://www.metalwebnews.com/howto/anvil1/anvil2.html


I have reconditioned and resurfaced probably 20 or more anvils in my lifettime. Most of them were in sad shape and I used hardface rod to build up the bad places in the top. (be sure to preheat the anvil on a forge before you weld it) I surfaced some with a side grinder but most were done on a vintage Cincinatti mill. The Cincy was marked Ordnance Dept and had a six inch face mill with power feed on each axis. It really made a nice job. A surface grinder would be good too but its hard finding one with enough throat. Another drawback is that most anvils are not square or flat on the base. A mag chuck doesnt hold them too well with shims in place to level them

I welded new steel tops on a couple of them. I used 4140 on one and a piece of fork lift fork on the other. Both have held up well. If you do it right its really hard to tell its been worked on.

[Fla Jim]

At the risk of being flamed by the "blacksmith's" of SFT.
I'll recommend the 110# harbor freight anvil. I've had one for about five years now. I don't use it often, but it's worked ok for me.
I modified the horn as was recommended by a article I read.
Here's some links:
http://www.spaco.org/anvil110.htm
http://www.anvilfire.com/21centbs/pr...nvil/index.php

[camdigger]

I had a piece of 100# / yd rail (free to me) that I flattened the top of that I intend to use until I can get a real anvil I can afford (may be never at the prices they bring at auction)

[Brian C.]

[QUOTE=Fla Jim;312881]At the risk of being flamed by the "blacksmith's" of SFT.QUOTE]

Not by me you wont. Wouldnt it be a dull place if we all agreed on everything all the time.

Originally Posted by camdigger

(may be never at the prices they bring at auction)

Auctions are often the worst places to buy, due to collectors & dealers running up the prices.

[bgott]

I have a picture here somewhere of my 224# Hay- Budden. I found it when some junkers had me look at an old JD tractor for them. I got it for $75. The anvil on top in this picture is a 50# Vulcan cast iron. I got it for $20. The anvil on the bottom is a 95# Hay- Budden. I got it for $40. The trick to finding anvils is to hit every estate and yard sale you come across. If an anvil is advertized there will be collectors and that screws up getting a deal. Look low, I doubt you'll find one in the rafters. Dig under work benches and in the corners under trash. That's how I found the two smaller anvils. Me and everybody else was tripping over the little H-B looking at a Craftsman lathe on the bench, I finally looked down in the shadows and it was " Come to Daddy"! I carry a Streamlite to sales now for those dark corners. The Vulcan was in the trash pile. I got a 6" post vise not too long ago for $40, they wanted $85, which was a good price but nobody knew what it was or wanted to pack it to their car. I needed the exercise so I got it out of their way before someone tripped on it.

[tnmike]

The HF anvils were a deal if you needed an anvil and didnt have one. Its too bad they dont carry them any more. Much better than a RR rail. I bought one for 60 bucks on a closeout and still have it. I havent gotten around to working the horn down because I have four other old anvils.

Old anvils are getting harder and harder to find. Its seems like everyone thinks they are worth their weight in gold, at least around here anyway.

[cutter]

Originally Posted by bgott

I have a picture here somewhere of my 224# Hay- Budden.

Well Brad, I went shopping & found you a couple of them.

http://www.shopfloortalk.com/forums/...achmentid=3819

http://www.shopfloortalk.com/forums/...achmentid=3825

[bgott]

Thanks Rod, I went and found them and then wasn't sure how to carry them over. Spell that "lazy".

[bgott]

That Vulcan is a sweet house anvil. You know, for when you get to screwing around with something at midnight and need a hard surface to beat on and you don't want to go out to the shop. I was using it for a door stop but it can suck to move it if you pull your back.