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Anvils

Started by Radar67, November 19, 2012, 10:53:48 AM

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thecfarm

Quote from: Al_Smith on November 22, 2012, 09:19:08 AM
Now is that mousehole a wrought anvil or lamenated top steel like a Peter Wright ?

Okrafarmer,pick on AL.I'm just repeating what he said.   ;D I just can't spell.
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Shotgun

Quote from: thecfarm on November 23, 2012, 08:51:05 PM
Quote from: Al_Smith on November 22, 2012, 09:19:08 AM
Now is that mousehole a wrought anvil or lamenated top steel like a Peter Wright ?

Okrafarmer,pick on AL.I'm just repeating what he said.   ;D I just can't spell.

Make that, "Okrafarmer , pick on AL . I'm just repeating what he said .   ;D I just can't spell ."     ;)
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Okrafarmer

Sorry, just trying to find a way to kid around without having to mention the G-word.  ;D  :D
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

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mrcaptainbob

I 'think' I know what the square hole is for....supposedly there are various shaped 'tools' that fit in there with square shoulders. Sharp edged ones for cutting is one that I've heard about, but what is the round hole for? And....why is there a square stepped section between the horn and top plate?

Okrafarmer

I'm not sure, but I've always thought that some of these anvils look like some kind of battleship aircraft carrier or something.

I do know that every shape, angle, bend, hole, edge, or curve you find on an anvil has a distinct purpose, for hammering something specific.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

Don_Papenburg

The round hole is the pritchel hole . It is used to punch holes with a pritchel punch.
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Okrafarmer

Quote from: Don_Papenburg on November 23, 2012, 11:21:48 PM
The round hole is the pritchel hole . It is used to punch holes with a pritchel punch.

I wonder why they only give you one. Seems like you would want round holes of several different sizes.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

beenthere

You can drill more if you want.
south central Wisconsin
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Okrafarmer

When those earlier anvils were made, I don't suppose many blacksmiths would have had access to drill bits that would cut steel, cast iron, or wrought iron. Although I could be wrong. Not sure those became common before about 1900?
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

Magicman

This shows the definitions if the various parts of an anvil:  Anvils

And here is something that I found which helped me identify and date my anvil.  Mine has the 1820 - 1835 marking.  LINK

Mine is stamped like the 2nd picture with the exception of the weight markings.  Mine weight is:  0 . 3 . 25
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Okrafarmer

 Nice links, MM!  :)  :P
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

Al_Smith

There was a zillion types of forming tools you could use in both the prichel and the hardy hole depending on what you were trying to do .I know some of them not all of them .

Magicman

Quote from: thecfarm on November 22, 2012, 09:27:26 PMMagicman,we need a picture!!! 

OK, here are a couple of pictures of mine.  There are so many questions that I wish I could ask my Granddad.


 
I did not even realize that it was marked until I got the wire brush.


 
A closeup showing the markings. 
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Radar67

Magic, it looks like your top and edges are still in good shape to be that old. Those are hard to find.

As I understand, the step was used for getting a good, sharp shoulder on the metal when you needed it. The step edges tended to stay in better shape than the main surface.
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Al_Smith

In this conversation discussing anviloligy on the long side it really doesn't make a diff what kind or who made it as long as it's functional .

Now maybe if this were 1883 and you were hand forging shoes for a race horse or 2010 pounding out parts for the space shuttle it would .I doubt  seriously though if that would apply to very many especially the shuttle part .

Rooster

So, all this talk about anvils has lighted a fire under me to get my homemade forge built.  It's been talked about amongst the guys in the family,... how we would all like to dabble in some forge work...aka "pounding hot iron".  I know that my son and I will definitely use it for projects and some artwork. 
The first thing I did was ask my Dad if he would like to share the anvil that he got from one of his neighbors.  I believe it is a 139# Peter Wright.  I tried cleaning it up a bit, and this is what we ended up with.

Rooster



  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 
"We talk about creating millions of "shovel ready" jobs, for a society that doesn't really encourage anybody to pick up a shovel." 
Mike Rowe

"Old barns are a reminder of when I was young,
       and new barns are a reminder that I am not so young."
                          Rooster

Okrafarmer

Any of you trying to decipher the writing on the anvils, you might try doing a crayon or pencil rubbing, with a piece of paper.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

Magicman

Wow Rooster, yours looks new.

I'm glad that Radar stirred the anvil pot because I had no idea that anvils had a history.....and a future.   :)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Radar67

Looks like I may have to get you over one day to work on a forge Lynn. I just need to get my tractor barn finished to have a dry place to put it.
"A man's time is the most valuable gift he can give another." TOM

If he can cling to his Blackberry, I can cling to my guns... Me

This will kill you, that will kill you, heck...life will kill you, but you got to live it!

"The man who can comprehend the why, can create the how." SFC J

Al_Smith

Forge ! My dad made one from the front brake drum of an old farm truck stuck in the middle of an  old BBQ grill surrounded by dry sand .Worked like a charm .

The old boy would build a coal fire and banked the coals to burn off to coke which took a couple hours .Open it up and used an old Kirby vaccuum for the air and could heat steel like you wouldn't believe .Had a grand total of nothing in it .

That old forge is where I learned how to forge weld as a teenager maybe 50 years ago more or less .

Magicman

I also melted some of my Granddad's tools in his forge.  He was not happy.   :-\
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Al_Smith

Yeah you have to watch where you put it in the fire for sure .Leave it in the air blast  too long it'will go from cherry to white pretty quickly,actually amazingly fast .

I forgot what the actual fire temp is ,over 3000 though which is not as hot as actelene but you've got more fire surface so it heats up a lot faster .

To weld you have to push it to white which is around 2000-2100 and most steel melts right above that say 2200 . Heat er-up toss some white sand on it and  hammer like a wild man .The hammer blows drives around another 400 degrees to it .If it's blowing sparks with the hammer it's welding .Don't dilly dally around either because the steel will only hold the heat  so long .If it's cooling stick it back in the fire .

Ironwood

Great thread guys, good job on finding history of your prized possessions. Nice cleanup job Rooster. I too have a thing for smithing.

For those who do not know I have the largest supply of true wrought iron in North America, we supply Colonial Williamsburg and Mount Vernon and many, many highend smith around the country. The only other volume supplier is in Yorkshire England "repuddling" old iron they find.

Currently good anvils are over $2 a pound and pushing $3 for really clean, rare ones. I recently picked up a 550 pound Peter Wright, I had been staring at it for years at my local metal suppliers shop where it was used as a paint skid....finally proposed a VERY generous barter for some furniture.....didnt know it was a PW until I brought it home to clean off the paint.  :o PW where THE cat's meow and standard for most all folks, farmer to farrier. and industry. 

Many old ones ARE wrought bodies. If you want a "quiet" anvil look for a Fisher, they are the ones with the eagle on the side of the body. They are cast, and much, much quieter. The guy in NJ is Josh, he bought all the rights to the Fisher line and has/will be opening a museum with a TON of cool historic stuff. I have found some good stuff for him to fill the "gaps" in his Fisher collection. He (I believe) has a 1500 lb Fisher.  :o

There are LOTS of good groups around the country that help continue the fine smithing traditions, some with ties to ABANA (Artists BLacksmith of North America) and/or other organizations affiliations. We are very fortunate to have PAABA (Piitsburgh Area Artists Blacksmiths) and they support a very active local tractor club (about 20 minutes away from me) that has a 3200 sq ft dirt floored shop that hosts "open forging" Thursday nights for members throughout the warmer months, last time I was there, there were 5 women, five men, and about 6 kids working hot iron off four/five coal forges and manual blowers (some of the old timers sit and run the blowers ALL night). Total people there was 25-30. Very nice. I try to support them as best I can from all my "stuff" here ::) I have NEVER seen a more open and welcoming group of guys as the Smithing community throughout New England and the Mid-West I would assume it is true throughout the country as it seems it is the "norm". Many many guys are fanatics about this stuff and have dozens and dozens of smithing artifacts "stacked" up in corners of their shops/spaces.




Ironwood


Ps, this is a local guys partial collection that fills an entire 3 story house. Many of the stake anvils are Mouse Hole as I recall. He has  "parts" of anvils from Roman times, and other that are nearly centuries old, including those for armor. He has travelled around the world collecting. All of the collectables were well marked with country of origin and dates, very well researched. IT was truely amazing.......He hosted a PAABA meeting/luncheon last year.


  

  

 
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

Okrafarmer

That's awesome, Ironwood.  :)
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

Bill Gaiche

Great stories. When I was at the Wilson County Fair in Lebanon Tenn. they had a building where they done forging. Had several stations where people worked at doing metal works. bg

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