Re: Wasn\'t someone on here Looking for an Anvil?
Antrim, I just had to post my recent anvil experience due to what you wrote. First off, against my better judgement, I ventured into my local Harbor Fright (yes, I do know how to spell) store because they had a 55 pound anvil listed for sale. Afterall, how bad could you screw up making an anvil?! Answer: plenty bad!
I went through the isle that had hammers on the way back to look at the anvils they had for sale. My wife was still tearing my ear off about why in the world I was even thinking about buying something from the disposable tool place as we walked to the back to see the anvils. Once there, I took a small swing with the hammer onto the top of the anvil, expecting to hear a nice ring. Nope! The anvil emitted a dull thudding sound and the hammer barely bounced back! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
I explained to my wife that the anvil was made of absolute crap junk steel and whacked it once more to make sure. Again, a dull thud.
It just so happened that a very old small man was standing close, and he really started chuckling. He then said "Boy, if you buy that anvil, you deserve to get hurt when it breaks." Taking no offense to his comment, I agreed with him and told him that under no circumstances would I waste my hard earned money on a pot metal anvil. Now, here is what shocked me.
The friendly old gentleman proceeded to tell me that he ran a welding shop for nearly 50 years before he retired over a decade ago. He said that he sold off nearly everything in his shop except an old anvil that he got from his father. He had only one son, and his son wanted nothing to do with welding or metal working. So, the old fellow offered to give me his old 100 pound plus anvil if I would come to his shop and pick it up. You bet!!
My wife and I went to his house in rural southern IL later that afternoon. Sure enough, he had drug out best he could this very old, but high quality anvil. He told me that he had likely hit that anvil with a hammer a few million times over the decades, and his father before him had done the same. He picked up a 3 pound sledge hammer and whacked it a good one. It rang like the Liberty Bell. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
I'll admit, I couldn't take his anvil free. I insisted on paying him for it, against his will. I still feel like I stole it. It has a few nicks in it, and a bit of surface rust, but I believe it will last a few more lifetimes. It weighs in at well over 100 pounds.
My wife is still facinated at how tickled I am at my new treasure I came across quite by accident. My question; do I just wire brush it off and use it for my lifetime as is, or do I wire brush it off and paint it black or dark gray? Either way, it has found a home for as long as I live! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I can't believe I actually came across a real anvil just when I was totally disappointed at the new anvils made now!
