My new anvil and dumb photos to go with it!

Nick, I think they look like pigs. Mine's cuter than yours but Porky II would be cool. I noticed one edge was rounded over on yours. If I had just the one anvil I'd do the same but since I've got 3 I left the edges sharp on the Titan. Enjoy your new toy!
 
Ray, Jaqua radiused the edgs on both sides about half the length of the main body's face. I would prefer they were dead sharp, as in just off the horizontal mill. For the way I forge knives, a sharp edge is a good thing. For most ornamental/artistic blacksmiths, one of the first things they do is round the edges.

Daniel- Anvils are really hard to come by on the secondary market. It pains me to hear folks my grandparents age talking about mills and shops just scrapping them as once machinists became more prevalent, blacksmiths and their "ancient/obsolete tools," just weren't needed anymore.

There was a 300lb. Hay Budden on Craig's list for $250 but it sold fast.

Ed Caffrey has what I remember to be about a 300 lb. Peter Wright that he got for the cost of busting his butt and loading it on a plane (while in the service). Ask him about it sometime, GREAT story!

A lot of people have asked me offline... this thing cost me $800. With tax, one directly from Jaqua is over $1200.

Now if I do like those Jaguar and Land Rover commercials do, then that will break down to pennies a day!!! :rolleyes: :D :p

-Nick-
 
Nice looking piece, one question for you... how are you planning on mounting that bad boy? I have always wondered what you need to do to mount an anvil, is there an accepted best method?
I see the chain in the previous picture, makes sense to me, any other methods?
What kind of base is best also...?
 
I have my other anvil mounted to a wooden base, made by laminating several layers of 11.5" squares of particle board.

Down the street there are several beams from my Great Grandfather's saw-mill. They were cross members from one of his buildings, and are 14" thick and 24" wide. I would really like to get a one of those, burry it about 6 feet in the ground and mount the anvil to the top of it.

I like a square or rectangular base as it allows you to get close to the anvil.

As far as actual mounting, I'll probably fabricate some sort of bracket/anchors to hold this to the base.

My other anvil has a 3/8" thick plate welded to the bottom of it that was welded to an old Model A axel for a stand.

I have the plate bolted to the top 5 layers of particle board. Then I have the top 5 layers of particle board lag bolted to the rest of the base.

Sounds kind of complicated, but it's dead-bolts simple.

I haven't ever seen one mounted on steel that seemed to perform like it should, but I am sure someone's got one out there that could prove me wrong. :)

-Nick-

edited because I should have been shot for all the typos! :D
 
I think the best way I've seen for mounting anvils, assuming you don't want to move it around..... is what they did at school. Theirs were all mounted onto poured concrete blocks, that had studs put in the top when they were poured. Same way they mount lightposts in parking lots. You'd have about 2 cubic feet of concrete (depending on height), which works out to around 300lbs IIRC, then whatever your anvils weighs on top of that. Didn't move a bit no matter how hard you were hammering and it lets you get right up next to the anvil. No worries about it splitting or rotting like a stump either.
 
Aside from the fact that he got a really cool anvil and cool pics to go with it, I think Nick shows (again) why he is doing well (and will continue to) at this bladesmithing gig.

What I mean is that he started with what he could get his hands on and did good work with it. From there he continues to reinvest/upgrade in both tools and skills.

Primitive is cool. High Tech is also cool. I'm not making a statement about tools making the smith. What I am saying is that it dismays me to see some people balk at paying good money for good tools. Especially when those very same people will try to convince customers to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a knife they have built.

We should all be able to do good work with whatever tools are available. But we should also be able to skin a deer with a butter knife--it will just take forever, be messy as hell, and require a few dozen resharpenings. I would rather spend the money on a good hunter from a good maker, just like I would spend the money on good tools.

Good score Nick,

John Frankl
 
Thanks John! :)

Guys, after talking with a friend today I realized there must have been some confusion about what I was doing in the pictures.

I was not lifting the anvil up for pictures to impress somebody, I was packing it into the shop when I was caught by Jerkey with the camera. And I certainly was not "posing"! as I was asked about.

I would have made a much uglier face if I was !!! :p

I've got even more appreciation for those strongmen that lift 400 lb. rocks... unreal.

-Nick-
 
NickWheeler said:
I've got even more appreciation for those strongmen that lift 400 lb. rocks... unreal.

-Nick-
Click to expand...
Nick I can do that
I'd just have to quarter them :)
 
NickWheeler said:
I've got even more appreciation for those strongmen that lift 400 lb. rocks... unreal.

-Nick-
Click to expand...

I've done 700 pound rocks in one piece...

with a 17 ton excavator of course

:)
 
Sweet anvil, Nick. Grats! I got one just like it. I picked mine up a few times, but once when I did - something rolled down the inside of my pant leg and across the floor. Never did find out what it was. :eek:

Yeah that sucker is heavy. Now I woudl have to say that you would be my hero if you could pick up the Gladiator model like that... :D
 
S. Shepherd what brand is that anvil? That looks just like mine. I have looked for marks but can't find any. :confused: It’s about 250# and a real bear to move around.
Joe Foster
 
oljoe said:
S. Shepherd what brand is that anvil? That looks just like mine. I have looked for marks but can't find any. :confused: It’s about 250# and a real bear to move around.
Joe Foster
Click to expand...

It's a H.B. anvil..405lbs
 
I don’t think mine is a Hay Budden (usually clearly marked) but the style is the same. Thanks for responding.

Joe Foster
 
405 lb.? Wow, that's a monster! :cool: If it had a barbell attached to it I'd be right over. But without handles I'd look like a monkey hump'n a football moving that thing.

J. yea, if I could pick up the Gladiator and walk around with it I'd be entering strongman competitions! :)


-Nick-
 
NickWheeler said:
405 lb.? Wow, that's a monster! :cool: If it had a barbell attached to it I'd be right over. But without handles I'd look like a monkey hump'n a football moving that thing.

J. yea, if I could pick up the Gladiator and walk around with it I'd be entering strongman competitions! :)


-Nick-
Click to expand...
I bought it off Ebay about 5 years ago..........and yep, I did look like a monkey humpin a football gettin it on the stump !!........funny how thats works isn't it :D
 
Nice anvil. I have been admiring that brand for some time. The anvil I have has a somewhat upswept horn and the tip does get in my way when I working longer stuff. That one looks very useful.
 
Hi Nick!

That sure is one sweeeeeet looking anvil!

By the way, nothing to feel bitter sweet about. I told you to get it and that you needed more than I did---meant it, too---and damned glad you got it!
So there, you can't feel bad about it any more!

I'm gonna have to come up to your place and pound on it some..........

Oh, what's that fuzzy shtuff on your face.............. :D

Mike
 
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