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dougf

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
402
Location
Missouri
I had been looking for an anvil for YEARS but was unwilling to pay 4+ a lb, so I just beat on railroad track until one day on a lunch break I saw this 150lb Hay-Budden posted for $125 bucks. Needless to say I told my boss I may be late coming back from lunch, sped to the ATM and picked it up.
 

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nateo

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Joined
Jul 4, 2018
Messages
186
Location
Embrun, ON
I probably shouldn't post this in such august company but here we are! A neighbour overheard that I was looking for something to occasionally bang other things against and dropped off about a 30" section of rail. Payment for me taking some off was to leave him with a more manageable length for his shop. I cut 2" and 12" sections and gave the top a quick clean with an old flap disk. I think I'll clean up the ends a bit more yet so everything is reasonably flat and square and I might even flatten the top of the little one, but I think I have successfully achieved "something to bang other things against".

20230618_172846.jpg
 

Farmer J.

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Joined
Sep 18, 2016
Messages
1,995
Location
UK, Cornwall/Hertfordshire.
Mrs Farmer J's Grandfather made wooden Ladders in a large carpentry barn workshop. She wasn't allowed in there as a little kid, too many very sharp shiny things! She does remember a massive collection of moulding planes, which were sold at auction after he passed.
Also he mended clocks and watches as a hobby sideline, and made the case for this clock from Quarter Sawn Oak.

This is his Jewellers Anvil for making clock parts, now cleaned up as a display piece.
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drivesitfar

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Joined
Oct 23, 2013
Messages
36,007
Location
Pacific Northwest
More posts on the anvil thread in a while and good laughs too even if not necessarily about good old anvils.

Nice post Farmer!! And of course the following ones made me smile.

Hope you’re all having a good weekend

BTW I can’t recall even seeing an anvil to buy around here lately so maybe I need to find some again. I know one member flies to the Carolinas and Midwest to buy a few anvils and has them shipped to the PNW
 

atch

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Joined
Apr 4, 2006
Messages
842
Location
Columbia, Missouri
On the subject of ASO's (anvil shaped objects), is it advisable or not advisable to mill the top flat after doing the rest of the shaping?

If yes should you go all the way to the edge or leave the edge somewhat rounded?

I've got a piece of track about 30" long that I've had for many years and my father had for many years before that. It's about time I shaped it to be more useful.
 

Luntz

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 13, 2020
Messages
212
Location
Franklin TN
Can anybody identify this? Located at an upcoming auction from a foundry.

ANVIL, RECTANGULAR, W/ STAND, 30" X 7" TOP TABLE, 35" X 14" BASE PORTION OF ANVIL, OVERALL HEIGHT OF ANVIL 15-1/2", TOP FACE IS 31" FROM GROUND WHILE ON STAND


Screenshot 2023-08-08 at 12.44.25 AM.png
 

PolishAvenger

Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2010
Messages
10
Location
Vancouver, WA
On the subject of ASO's (anvil shaped objects), is it advisable or not advisable to mill the top flat after doing the rest of the shaping?

If yes should you go all the way to the edge or leave the edge somewhat rounded?

I've got a piece of track about 30" long that I've had for many years and my father had for many years before that. It's about time I shaped it to be more useful.
This is a personal preference kind of thing. I would flatten completely, then do varying degrees of rounding of the edges to allow for shaping forged pieces. I would also leave a small amount of crisp edge...this just gives flexibility of the ASO.
 
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Outlawmws

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 9, 2011
Messages
39,180
Location
The Badlands
On the subject of ASO's (anvil shaped objects), is it advisable or not advisable to mill the top flat after doing the rest of the shaping?

If yes should you go all the way to the edge or leave the edge somewhat rounded?

This is a personal preference kind of thing. I would flatten completely, then do varying degrees of rounding of the edges to allow for shaping forged pieces. I would also leave a small amount of crisp edge...this just gives flexibility of the ASO.


I agree, its a personal choice, I have one that someone flattened out, and its my "Cold forming" go to. (thus saving my two full sized anvils) But I also have just small sections of rail for the same use, and sometimes they are the better choice. If you have the wherewithal to do that, I would,; you can have both:

RR Anvil.jpg

Rails 2.jpg
 

Grant Gunderson

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Joined
May 17, 2013
Messages
2,319
Location
Bellingham, WA
Looks GREAT!!!
Your Vulcan should have a steel top plate...do you know how much of it you were able to leave intact?
I only took 0.030” off to clean it up. So it’s still intact. From what I could tell from the side of the casting it was at least 0.500” thick, but hard to know for sure without machining down the sides.
 

Grant Gunderson

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Joined
May 17, 2013
Messages
2,319
Location
Bellingham, WA
Great job! what did you use to get the sides that nice?
I used short strand fiberglass filler to even put the casting. Same as I’ve done on my Bridgeport and lathe to smooth out the sand castings. I’m n this case it should face the added benefit of damping the anvil too. Luckily the top was fairly square and overhung the base so little chance of chipping it in use.
 

2oolhound

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 18, 2010
Messages
5,918
Location
BC Canada
Ever heard of Anvil Heaven? This is it- ANVIL HEAVEN

Warning - it's a youtube video therefor amateur quality. I had to use the youtube speed controls to play it at 1/2 speed to keep from getting dizzy BUT IT'S WELL WORTH THE EFFORT.
 

Zeke

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Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
17,176
Location
Long Beach CA, the sewer by the sea.
Ever heard of Anvil Heaven? This is it- ANVIL HEAVEN

Warning - it's a youtube video therefor amateur quality. I had to use the youtube speed controls to play it at 1/2 speed to keep from getting dizzy BUT IT'S WELL WORTH THE EFFORT.
Couldn't stay with that. Why can't people use foam on the camera mic? Nothing worse than wind noise on a recording.

Lot's of anvils, that's for sure.
 

2oolhound

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 18, 2010
Messages
5,918
Location
BC Canada
Couldn't stay with that. Why can't people use foam on the camera mic? Nothing worse than wind noise on a recording.

Lot's of anvils, that's for sure.
What I hate is all the swish pans, in+out, back+forth, real cameramen know enough to hold a shot and keep the camera stable. After 75 years of professionally shot TV enter youtube where they have to provide controls so you can speed through or slow down to follow action. Anyone can post content but only a few know how to present moving imagery.

ASC & CSC (American/Canadian Society of Cinematographers) have established pan/tilt rates based on focal length, subject distance, film speed etc., sadly much of the content produced today lacks these important controls. Lets hope the insurgence of ai, ml, GTB4 etc gets it right or only computers will be able to follow it.

But WOW, that fortress is holding a gold mine! The custodian sure knows a few things about anvils too.


 

Defender Chassis

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 7, 2007
Messages
1,129
Location
Williamstown, WV
IMG_20231023_114323112.jpg
I have posted pics of the big anvil already. The one in the middle I recently bought for $80. You can still buy them new. Not sure how good it is but it had my name on it so now I own it. The top one I found squirreled away in a toolbox on a shelf over the office in a building I just bought. Looks like it was made from a piece of crane rail. The people I bought the building from probably didn't know they left it behind. Lots of trash to go through and not much of anything of value. I'll treasure this bit of handy work though.
 

MadeByMiller

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Joined
Dec 29, 2018
Messages
1,230
Location
Rapid City, SD
My grandpa gave me this old Columbian anvil yesterday. He told me that his grandpa had bought it new in the early 1900s, so it originally belonged to my great-great-grandfather and has been passed down through my family. I'm honored to own it and I look forward to getting it cleaned up to the best of my ability.

Like all old tools in my shop, I am interested to know more about it's history. I'm having a hard time finding much information other than this anvil fire article that tells a bit of history on the brand. I've also gathered that Columbian anvils are unique as they're a cast steel construction with a heat treated face rather than forged as many anvils are. My anvil is also to my understanding a farrier's pattern, having the small horn on the table. The anvil weighs 154 lbs and has a "U" as well as a "z" cast into the side facing the camera here. Sorry for the poor photo, I'll get some better shots when I have time.

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Outlawmws

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Joined
Aug 9, 2011
Messages
39,180
Location
The Badlands
Your Columbian has a inlaid face; not clear if it was cast in place as Columbian did on many early vise jaws, or forged in place. but you can see the dividing line right at the top surface of the horn.
 

MadeByMiller

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Joined
Dec 29, 2018
Messages
1,230
Location
Rapid City, SD
Your Columbian has a inlaid face; not clear if it was cast in place as Columbian did on many early vise jaws, or forged in place. but you can see the dividing line right at the top surface of the horn.
At first I thought the same, it looks like an arc welded plate, but after further reading I found that they are in fact solid cast steel with a heat treated, hardened face at some depth. The line we see is a casting line, much more discernable in this photo I found of a 100lb Columbian:
1708302740151.png

And another Columbian anvil showing the cast line up close:
1708302899955.png

This thread is a good read for more information: https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/49990-question-about-colombian-anvils/
 

Outlawmws

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Joined
Aug 9, 2011
Messages
39,180
Location
The Badlands
This thread is a good read for more information:


Sorry, I read that thread and its 100% opinions - conflicting at that, and zero hard verifiable facts.

Get some better pics of your "cast line" at different angles and light. even the rust/patina is different from one to the other. What I see is exactly what I see on certain hewing hatchets, and most all Wiss snip jaws. a specific line and a difference in steels used. both of the examples I mentioned are well known, and in the case of Wiss, marked "Inlaid" (forged) blade edge materials. You cannot file the stuff, its too hard. it must be ground or honed with a stone

While your anvil face does not need it too hard, (you don't want it cracking) it does need to be tougher than as cast, even if steel.
 
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