Anvil price?

[czechsonofagun]

I have a chance to buy an anvil, it is old, 125 pounds, in good shape - i.e. face is straight and does not look abused. The first suggested price was $300, is it a fair price you think? I did not ring it with a hammer yet, but I expect it to be good - definitely US or Europe made.

Centaur Forge - to compare - lists same size new anvil for close to $500.

Opinions, please?

 

[BobRip]

I have a chance to buy an anvil, it is old, 125 pounds, in good shape - i.e. face is straight and does not look abused. The first suggested price was $300, is it a fair price you think? I did not ring it with a hammer yet, but I expect it to be good - definitely US or Europe made.

Centaur Forge - to compare - lists same size new anvil for close to $500.

Opinions, please?

I bought a real old (face serviceable, but not great) 138 pound anvil for $175 last year. It was about 100 years old. $300 does not sound too bad for one in really good shape. Oh, mine came with a decent stand, that I filled in sand. They thing is not going anywhere.

 

[magicheater]

Guess inflation has upped the buck a pound rule of thumb.

 

[NSBound]

Rule of thumb around here is $1 a lb. I sold a 125-lb one last summer for $125. You'll pay a bit of a premium for bigger ones - $400 for a 300-pounder.All this with generally good condition.

 

[Cami]

If I'm buying one I suggest paying by weight because it's just a lump of steel....If I'm selling one I explain that it's not a simple lump of steel so much as a sophisticated tool that would take a great deal of work to reproduce.

 

[czechsonofagun]

In the heap is a bunch of used/abused anvils, but i don't want to deal with resurfacing. I will try to negotiate it bit lower, there is no rush but since I will be putting money in it it just makes sense to get piece I will be happy with it.

I hinted on it as a Bday present

 

[Royboy]

I worked as a farrier for many years and worked on many different anvils. The only thing I would add about the price of th anvil is to find out of it is a forged steel anvil rather than a 'cast' anvil before paying $300 for it. If it gives a good 'ring' when you tap it (never actually directly hit it hard with a hammer... just hit what you are working on!) and the face is in good condition then that seems a fair price to me. If it gives a more dull sound when tapped it may be cast rather than forged and should sell for less than a forged anvil. The face of the forged anvils resists chipping and can be refaced if needed down the road. In my experience the cast anvils chip easier and don't take refacing as well.
This is obvioulsy going to be a shop anvil, right? For a farrier a smaller anvil is actually worth more because you can't lug that big boy around and take it in and out of your truck. hehe
Roy

 

[JB4310]

When I was a kid starting out building tool and equipment collection, I wanted an anvil so bad. I sure didn't have 300 to buy one and no one gives them away.

I had to carry one about 200 yards on a midnight rescue mission out of a barn that was to be bulldozed (the next day) for a housing development.
The property was corporate owned and already picked through of anything worth saving by everyone else so no guilt involved, just a sore back, as I weighed about 155 pounds (age 18) and the anvil weighed more than me.

Definitely not in perfect condition, face and corners are worn, probably why no one else want it, but it serves my needs.

I've found that it's not always best to have the anvil on a firm base when striking something heavy. What ever your hitting will sometimes bounce to much. Seems like putting it on soft ground allows the anvil to take up the energy and allow for more effective hammering ??

Here's a pic of mine used as an extra counter weight for when I moved my JD's BH with lighter Ford, in and out of a storage tent that the JD wont fit due to ROPS mounted canopy.

IMO, unless your a black smith, alot of things can substitute for an anvil, I think a monster vise is more useful for metal fabbing, nothing to substitute for a heavy vise on a stable platform.

JB.

 

[galen1115]

I worked for a railroad for 25 years and spent time in the blacksmith shop and was a layout man for a while. The old Missouri Pacific had a good shop and tools. We had all the anvil tools that you put in the square hole on them. In the hands of a skilled craftsman and a hot fire, you can make metal do just about anything. We would make shop anvils for the employee's on slow days. We called it a government job. We would take a piece of rail and form it into and very good home anvil. Rail is very good steel. Ah! those were the days. And yes, I have one.

 

[IH3444]

JB4310, that is one sweet anvil. I love it on the front of your tractor. Nice touch!

 

[wampum]

Guess inflation has upped the buck a pound rule of thumb.

Buck a pound or less seems to be the price when I sell anything. The higher inflation price only happens when I try to buy something. Or at least that's the way it seems to happen.

 

[Lloyd_E]

prokop,

Having done some smithing and owning a small shop/propane forge I know a little. That is a reasonable price. I would pay that and I am cheap!. If you get it for less good on you. Take a hammer and lightly bounce it around the top face. All anvils have a sweet spot - meaning there is an area that rebounds faster than others. The rebound helps with the mechanics of hitting - responding to the metal. You should also have a good base. An oak stump will work or build a block out of oak. When standing, you should be able to clinch a fist and have your knuckles with arm straight lay on the top of the anvil. This is proper height ratio and is general because we all have different body, leg and torso ratios. Also if you find there is too much ring you can wrap some chain around the base of the anvil - it will lessen the ping. Also make a couple of plates for the top of the anvil - sacrificial plates will take the abuse of cutting with a chisel or punching with a punch without destroying the anvil. There are lots of tools you can make to add to the pleasure of using your new tool. WHen not in use rub a little bit of oil on the surface to keep it clean and free of rust.

Lloyd

PS: make sure you mount the anvil to the base...

 

[coreshot]

I worked for a railroad for 25 years and spent time in the blacksmith shop and was a layout man for a while. The old Missouri Pacific had a good shop and tools. We had all the anvil tools that you put in the square hole on them. In the hands of a skilled craftsman and a hot fire, you can make metal do just about anything. We would make shop anvils for the employee's on slow days. We called it a government job. We would take a piece of rail and form it into and very good home anvil. Rail is very good steel. Ah! those were the days. And yes, I have one.

I would like to see a pic of that, if you don't mind. I'm somewhat of a rail fan.

 

[galen1115]

Sure coreshot. It's at my farm in southern Missouri. Next time I'm down there I'll take a picture of it. It's not much to look at but the price was right. LOL

 

[czechsonofagun]

Gentlemen, thanks for your input. I will definitely take a hammer next time I go there and see how it sounds.
Now for resurfacing, anybody knows how is it done? Say I get a bad anvil and go on fixing it? I probably will not, since it would proly brake even or more $ when all is set and done, but I want to consider all the options.
From the technical point I would say it has to be grinded flat and than surface rehardened - but that's just searching my memory for my college education - long lost

 

[Redbug]

I have always subscribed to the Farmer's Market Bulletin, (most states print them up thru their Ag dept).

When I was looking for an anvil for my workshop, several were always posted in the market bulletin, for sale. I called and shopped around and found my perfect anvil from an old farmer in his barn at a good price. It was love at first sight! It must be near a hundred years old and weighs about 100 pounds. I use it all the time. It has it's sweet spot, and I can tell the difference in hardness over different portions of the face. It's one of those things that you know is old, and has personality. More than just a tool.
I also have some pieces of rail, I pound on from time to time. It's easy to cut to size with a metal bandsaw.

In shopping around, I discovered that there are all kinds of anvils in this world, most are pretty beat up, and bigger anvils around than ever imagined...that you need a tractor to move them around. And a lot of fake ones, too.

Prokop, I would think a milling machine would be the way to go, just to resurface. Take it to a metal shop. I'm not sure about re-hardening. If they mill very little off, you may not need to re-harden. I wonder how deep the harder metal is on the face?

 

[2manyrocks]

Is there anything wrong with using a piece of railroad track as an anvil? I saw where they were tearing out track the other day and was thinking there should be some use for that stuff.

 

[czechsonofagun]

Is there anything wrong with using a piece of railroad track as an anvil? I saw where they were tearing out track the other day and was thinking there should be some use for that stuff.

I think it would work to some extent. Anvil is - or should be - compatible with additional tooling for instance. Also anvils developed over hundreds of years to provide the shape the blacksmith needs for most of his work - my $0.02 only, I am not blacksmith yet

 

[tommu56]

I found this link on making one a while ago when I was thing of making one.
ANVIL MAKING

tom

 

[JB4310]

Here you go Czech,
Says it's in good shape but doesn't look it.

Enormous Anvil 500lbs 34.5

Just showing this for conversations sake, may not be very practical.

This one looks beat but I've seen one at a private school I worked at, there use to be a stable on the campus. The thing was huge, at least 6 inches wide and in pristine condition, and was probably 500+ pounds.

JB.