My Dad's old anvil

C

cwhittington

Joined
Sep 6, 2002
Messages
106
I just got a good look at my Dad's anvil that I knew was my grandfather's, but found out that it belonged to my great-grandfather as well and who knows how far back it goes. Anyway, since I am heir to it when dad leaves this world, and I always was facinated with it ever since I was a kid, I want to find out all I can about it. It's a 100 pounder according to my Dad, but the markings are almost all completely worn off. All I could make out were the letters ROSS...... (don't know how many letters there were). Is there a site on the web with any anvil ID/collecting info?
Also, I wondered if it would be a bad idea to resurface the face (it's surface is pretty banged up and rusted) and try to clean it up generally (as in wire wheel the rust off) or would that decrease it's value? And, if one were to resurface an anvil, what does one use to regrind the face? I've got a 3 x 18" belt sander.
It looks like it spent many years unprotectd but it comes from the Gulf Coast in Mississippi where even peoples teeth rust pretty quick. Thanks
 
The only thing I can tell you about anvils is that the weight was often marked on them with 3 sets of numbers starting from left to right were HUNDREDWIEGHT, quarts POUNDS

100 lb would be written 0 3 16

1 hundred weight is 112 lbs
1 quart 28 lb

100 Lb anvils were often a couple of pounds either side of the mark.
They were sold by the lb.

Sorry thats all I know.
 
Originally posted by B . Buxton
Ask the Guru over at www.anvilfire.com, he's pretty sharp at anything that has to do with blacksmithing equipment, new and old.

good luck

Bill
Click to expand...

Anvils top surfaces are usually hardened affairs so don't dig too deep, I brought in two anvils for my uncle to work and put them on a HUGE surface grinder to flaten the top plates out, came out nice!
But those things were heavy alright...

Buxton wanted to post to fix your link to AnvilFire.com

Anvil Fire

you had an extra comma in there ...
G2
 
Thanks for the good advice. If I want to have it resurfaced, a machine shop would be the place to go (duh). Any ideas what this would cost? The face is a plate about 3/4" thick welded to what looks like a cast iron body. Would the whole face plate be hardened or just the surface of it- cause when it got welded to the body it would have been annealed somewhat right? But perhaps this would only occur at the edges where it was welded, unless it were forge welded?
 
There is a great book out there called 'Anvils in America' by Richard Postman.

Somebody on Anvilfire used to sell it or a post there will probably turn up the place to order or try www.Keenjunk.com

This book has more info on Anvils than you ever thought existed. It was a terrific help in figuring out who made mine, weight and even when it was made, since part of the markings were worn off and I didn't know the significance of others.
 
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