Got this thing at a local estate/going out of business sale. Needed a skidsteer to get it on and off the truck.
I can't find any markings on it. The back end appears to have fallen off some time ago.
Its sitting on top of a planetary gear from a truck (the base).
I'm not looking to do blacksmithing, but it seems like a nice thing to have around.
Anything I should do to it before I start to bang on it?
Probably a Vulcan. It has a thin hard faceplate (only about 3/16' thick) and a cast-iron body.
They're. adequate. Better than the all-cast-iron Harbor Freight anvils, but nothing to write home to mom about.
Doc.
Look down low on the sides, possibly covered by the welded-angle clamp that's holding it to the base, for three groups of numerals. These express the weight of the anvil in an archaic style.
First number is the number of Hundredweights (cwt.) which are 114 lbs avoirdupois.
Second number is in Stone, which are 14 lbs adv.
Third number is pounds.
If you see this weight marking, you can be sure the anvil is OLD.
Of course, your anvil will not weigh as much as it might be marked because it is missing a big chunk.
The base is cleverly designed. Does it swivel on the truck planetary?
JRR
Last edited by SouthBendModel34; 04-08-2009 at 07:56 PM. Reason: spelling avoirdupois
Been in rough company???
Yes, they broke an anvil
Ray
The hundredweight system is only marked on anvils imported from England.
An English anvil could be OLD, but it could be as recent as 1900.
But if this is a Vulcan, that is an american made anvil, and should have an arm and hammer logo on it, on the side.
If the weight is marked on american anvils, it will be in pounds, easy to understand, no code required.
Vulcan made anvils as late as 1970.
The hundredweight system is only marked on anvils imported from England.This is not correct. Many anvils made in the US were marked in this manner. It was the normal manner of marking weights on anvils.
An English anvil could be OLD, but it could be as recent as 1900.
I have an American made anvil marked in this manner and know from experience and research this is true.
That poor anvil certainly did not lead a pampered existence!
Alden
Cadzook,
Noting that is your Post #1, welcome to the PM community. Your screen name is good - I take it as a take-off on 'Gadzooks' with a CAD slant. (Having written that, I'll be embarrassed if my take on it is totally wrong.)
Timekiller,
'They broke an anvil' - oddly enough, this is the second anvil broken through the hardie hole that I've seen in my lifetime. The other was a small-ish one, probably originally a 100-pounder, used as a doorstop at an antique shop in Whitehall or Fort Ann, NY.
Just exactly how a non-flawed anvil could get broken in this fashion is unclear to me unless somebody pounded a wedge-shaped object into the hardie hole.
Have heard that during the Civil War, the two sides would vandalize any anvils they found in the opponent's territory on the basis that they could be used to make or mend war material or cavalry horseshoes. The preferred method was knocking the feet off the anvil off with a sledge. (Source: OLDTOOLS mailing list.)
[On Edit] This caused a demand for anvils after the unpleasantness was over. The Fisher & Norris works in Trenton made anvils without their eagle trademark to fufull this demand in the Southen states. The federal eagle was not a welcome sight below the Mason-Dixon line during the reconstruction period.
From the same source, I learned of another form of anvil abuse called 'firing the anvil' - using a powder charge to fling an anvil skyward during various celebrations. (I'm not kidding!)
JRR
Last edited by SouthBendModel34; 04-09-2009 at 02:57 PM. Reason: Added the [On Edit} paragraph
Just exactly how a non-flawed anvil could get broken in this fashion is unclear to me unless somebody pounded a wedge-shaped object into the hardie hole.I've read that working a very cold anvil can cause a break like this. General rule of thumb is 10 lbs of sledge per 100 weight of anvil.
Too much sledge on the heel.a cold winter morning.Anvil kaput.
As I said, this anvil is very probably cast iron. The top face plate is/was only about 3/16' thick.
Somebody beat too hard, too long, on the heel, and the cast iron cracked through the hardy.
Doc.
As a kid, I once saw an 850 lb. Fisher anvil with the tail broken off through the pritchell hole. The owner was at a craft show where Dad was blacksmithing and somehow we ended up going to his house to see it. This would have been in the northwestern Pennsylvania area.
Andy
We'll have to wait for the OP to weigh in again on the markings.there definitely looks to be some markings on the body of the anvil not shown in full.you can just see it from the backside if you look at the left body.
I was more making a point about striking a very cold anvil, causing it to break. Cast steel, wrought iron and cast iron would all be susceptible to breakage from cold. The OP is from Colorado.cold weather country.
That's an abused looking tool regardless, that looks like it suffered many a day at the hands of an unskilled 'smith'
Yup. I seen it on the TeeVee - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_c0B00Ax3w
From the same source, I learned of another form of anvil abuse called 'firing the anvil' - using a powder charge to fling an anvil skyward during various celebrations. (I'm not kidding!)
JRR
Southbendmodel34,
I see a number of damaged anvils down here. The horn was regularly broken off and some just the mid section survived.
Yes, they do 'shoot' anvils too. Stack two anvils base to base filling the void in the bases with black powder and light them off. OH! Watch Out for the Flying Anvil! Local city, band the practice, which was used to start the annual fiddlers convention
I've wanted a broken anvil so I could advertise could fix anything but a broken anvil or broken heart. Never found one with the broken part(s)
Ray
I have a book where the author says that many southern anvils had their horns and/or tails broken off by union troops during the 'War between the States'.
SouthBend34, thanks for the welcome. As for the name, your theory was good, a logical assumption amongst machinists. But, the Cad comes from my '49 Cadillac (that is it's name and license #). The rest is correct.
Thanks
Alden
Speaking of broken anvils, I have seen one broken horizontally across the 'waist'- the narrow part between the upper and lower parts.
The smith had then fixed it by putting a 1/2' steel (or iron) fish plate on either side, joined by 1/2' dia. solid rivets.
I asked the owner how the anvil could could possibly have been broken like that. His theory was that it had been caused by firing the anvil, as described above.
Unfortunately, I don't have a picture.
Rick W
Thanks for all the replys guys.
I'll try to fins some markings underneath the base holder. I couldn't find any on the side. Maybe it was marked on the part that fell off the backend?
Just saw this clever way to fix a broken anvil, thought I should post it here.
It'll never catch on, not with me. I wouldn't be able to lift and swing one of those buggers. Give me a hickory shaft any day.
Yup, it'd be a handy thing to have on hand if you were looking for something to drop on my hero.Wile E. Coyote.
It wouldn't happen to say 'Acme' on it by any chance would it??
Got this thing at a local estate/going out of business sale. Needed a skidsteer to get it on and off the truck.
I can't find any markings on it. The back end appears to have fallen off some time ago.
Its sitting on top of a planetary gear from a truck (the base).
I'm not looking to do blacksmithing, but it seems like a nice thing to have around.
Anything I should do to it before I start to bang on it?
Probably a Vulcan. It has a thin hard faceplate (only about 3/16' thick) and a cast-iron body.
They're. adequate. Better than the all-cast-iron Harbor Freight anvils, but nothing to write home to mom about.
Doc.
Look down low on the sides, possibly covered by the welded-angle clamp that's holding it to the base, for three groups of numerals. These express the weight of the anvil in an archaic style.
First number is the number of Hundredweights (cwt.) which are 114 lbs avoirdupois.
Second number is in Stone, which are 14 lbs adv.
Third number is pounds.
If you see this weight marking, you can be sure the anvil is OLD.
Of course, your anvil will not weigh as much as it might be marked because it is missing a big chunk.
The base is cleverly designed. Does it swivel on the truck planetary?
JRR
Last edited by SouthBendModel34; 04-08-2009 at 07:56 PM. Reason: spelling avoirdupois
Been in rough company???
Yes, they broke an anvil
Ray
The hundredweight system is only marked on anvils imported from England.
An English anvil could be OLD, but it could be as recent as 1900.
But if this is a Vulcan, that is an american made anvil, and should have an arm and hammer logo on it, on the side.
If the weight is marked on american anvils, it will be in pounds, easy to understand, no code required.
Vulcan made anvils as late as 1970.
The hundredweight system is only marked on anvils imported from England.This is not correct. Many anvils made in the US were marked in this manner. It was the normal manner of marking weights on anvils.
An English anvil could be OLD, but it could be as recent as 1900.
I have an American made anvil marked in this manner and know from experience and research this is true.
That poor anvil certainly did not lead a pampered existence!
Alden
Cadzook,
Noting that is your Post #1, welcome to the PM community. Your screen name is good - I take it as a take-off on 'Gadzooks' with a CAD slant. (Having written that, I'll be embarrassed if my take on it is totally wrong.)
Timekiller,
'They broke an anvil' - oddly enough, this is the second anvil broken through the hardie hole that I've seen in my lifetime. The other was a small-ish one, probably originally a 100-pounder, used as a doorstop at an antique shop in Whitehall or Fort Ann, NY.
Just exactly how a non-flawed anvil could get broken in this fashion is unclear to me unless somebody pounded a wedge-shaped object into the hardie hole.
Have heard that during the Civil War, the two sides would vandalize any anvils they found in the opponent's territory on the basis that they could be used to make or mend war material or cavalry horseshoes. The preferred method was knocking the feet off the anvil off with a sledge. (Source: OLDTOOLS mailing list.)
[On Edit] This caused a demand for anvils after the unpleasantness was over. The Fisher & Norris works in Trenton made anvils without their eagle trademark to fufull this demand in the Southen states. The federal eagle was not a welcome sight below the Mason-Dixon line during the reconstruction period.
From the same source, I learned of another form of anvil abuse called 'firing the anvil' - using a powder charge to fling an anvil skyward during various celebrations. (I'm not kidding!)
JRR
Last edited by SouthBendModel34; 04-09-2009 at 02:57 PM. Reason: Added the [On Edit} paragraph
Just exactly how a non-flawed anvil could get broken in this fashion is unclear to me unless somebody pounded a wedge-shaped object into the hardie hole.I've read that working a very cold anvil can cause a break like this. General rule of thumb is 10 lbs of sledge per 100 weight of anvil.
Too much sledge on the heel.a cold winter morning.Anvil kaput.
As I said, this anvil is very probably cast iron. The top face plate is/was only about 3/16' thick.
Somebody beat too hard, too long, on the heel, and the cast iron cracked through the hardy.
Doc.
As a kid, I once saw an 850 lb. Fisher anvil with the tail broken off through the pritchell hole. The owner was at a craft show where Dad was blacksmithing and somehow we ended up going to his house to see it. This would have been in the northwestern Pennsylvania area.
Andy
We'll have to wait for the OP to weigh in again on the markings.there definitely looks to be some markings on the body of the anvil not shown in full.you can just see it from the backside if you look at the left body.
I was more making a point about striking a very cold anvil, causing it to break. Cast steel, wrought iron and cast iron would all be susceptible to breakage from cold. The OP is from Colorado.cold weather country.
That's an abused looking tool regardless, that looks like it suffered many a day at the hands of an unskilled 'smith'
Yup. I seen it on the TeeVee - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_c0B00Ax3w
From the same source, I learned of another form of anvil abuse called 'firing the anvil' - using a powder charge to fling an anvil skyward during various celebrations. (I'm not kidding!)
JRR
Southbendmodel34,
I see a number of damaged anvils down here. The horn was regularly broken off and some just the mid section survived.
Yes, they do 'shoot' anvils too. Stack two anvils base to base filling the void in the bases with black powder and light them off. OH! Watch Out for the Flying Anvil! Local city, band the practice, which was used to start the annual fiddlers convention
I've wanted a broken anvil so I could advertise could fix anything but a broken anvil or broken heart. Never found one with the broken part(s)
Ray
I have a book where the author says that many southern anvils had their horns and/or tails broken off by union troops during the 'War between the States'.
SouthBend34, thanks for the welcome. As for the name, your theory was good, a logical assumption amongst machinists. But, the Cad comes from my '49 Cadillac (that is it's name and license #). The rest is correct.
Thanks
Alden
Speaking of broken anvils, I have seen one broken horizontally across the 'waist'- the narrow part between the upper and lower parts.
The smith had then fixed it by putting a 1/2' steel (or iron) fish plate on either side, joined by 1/2' dia. solid rivets.
I asked the owner how the anvil could could possibly have been broken like that. His theory was that it had been caused by firing the anvil, as described above.
Unfortunately, I don't have a picture.
Rick W
Thanks for all the replys guys.
I'll try to fins some markings underneath the base holder. I couldn't find any on the side. Maybe it was marked on the part that fell off the backend?
Just saw this clever way to fix a broken anvil, thought I should post it here.
It'll never catch on, not with me. I wouldn't be able to lift and swing one of those buggers. Give me a hickory shaft any day.
Yup, it'd be a handy thing to have on hand if you were looking for something to drop on my hero.Wile E. Coyote.
It wouldn't happen to say 'Acme' on it by any chance would it??