Mouse hole anvil

[verndahl]

Here's a anvil that's for sale on craigslist for 300 (122lbs). It's rough but do you think it's salvageable?

 

[Bruno]

It doesn't look that bad. But for 300 USD a bit overpriced imo. Anvil prices are very dependent on location.
Over here, an anvil costs about 1 euro per pound, give or take.

 

[verndahl]

Unfortunately the prices are crazy here in the U,S . ( thanks to the show Forged in Fire) now blacksmithing is the "in" thing. It's good if your looking for information but not if your looking for supplies. i think i'll probably pass on this one and wait for something that requires a little less work (if i can get lucky) and a little closer to home ( this one's a hour and a half away).

 

[Bruno]

Have you seen Charlie's post anvil?
Honestly i would happily forego my 250 pound anvil if i had a post anvil and a flat block of steel to align things on. Paying 5 usd per pound is silly money

 

[verndahl]

Yeah, right now i've got my piece of train rail mounted to a 4x6 steel post. It has worked so far for what i've messed around with but i can tell that a larger flat surface would be useful.

 

[32t]

The more I watch and learn I am surprised with how much work is done on the edges of the anvil.

Sort of like buying a 3 inch hone and doing a rolling X stroke using only the outer 1 inch or less.

 

[verndahl]

Yeah I'm learning that too., that's why i'm thinking that i would like to find and anvil (or suitable piece of steal) with sharper edges.

 

[32t]

Lets see how some of our more experienced guys think of this but I sort of envision the anvil as being a big ice cube and sucking the heat out of the piece you are trying to work.

With a razor or knife that doesn't take much......

 

[Victor Creazzi]

If I were needing a 100 pounder, I might jump at that one. Mouse holes are good IMO because there is so much mass under the heel and hardy hole. Of course as a welder I don't see that damage as being very much of a problem. The undamaged edges on that anvil are plenty sharp IMO.

 

[32t]

If I were needing a 100 pounder, I might jump at that one. Mouse holes are good IMO because there is so much mass under the heel and hardy hole. Of course as a welder I don't see that damage as being very much of a problem. The undamaged edges on that anvil are plenty sharp IMO.

As a welder how would you fix this?

What rod etc. for an unknown steel ?

 

[Victor Creazzi]

I've had good results by preheating my anvil and repairing the edges with 11018.

 

[Bruno]

Any anvil will suck heat out of a piece. Weight doesn't really matter muchbafyer the first couple of pounds.

My anvil has most of the weight underneath the table which is what you want.

 

[Bruno]

The weight is also underneath the hardy hole

 

[petercp4e]

So this afternoon I got a text from my son-in-law.
Are you home? - Yup
I'm coming over. - Ok.
Another text - can you come outside? - Yup
No one is there and he comes up the road in a company truck and backs in.
Hey..they were going to throw this away at work...want it?

Well I guess 2/3 of an anvil on a nice beefy stand is better than nothing.
So the fun begins...

Pete <:-}

 

[32t]

I would like to see the back story to hear , "What happened?"

 

[petercp4e]

I would like to see the back story to hear , "What happened?"

Me too. I'm thinking it takes an awful lot to bust a third of an anvil off.

Pete <:-}

 

[Victor Creazzi]

That looks like a great knife makers anvil. You could always get a hardy hole welded on if you needed to.

 

[32t]

I think it must have been Paul Bunyan's that he used when trying to make a new ax.

Is there any marks on it to show its history?

 

[petercp4e]

There is some lettering but I couldn't quite make it out. I'm going to try rubbing some white chalk or baby powder on the area. It might bring out the lettering just enough to read it.

Pete <:-}

 

[verndahl]

Wow Pete, good find. Looks very usable, i'd take it over a piece of rail any day!