Anvil

Good scores!
Don't think 126 is the weight or my 1256 would be falling through the floor. Found a catalogue reprint on one of the black smith forums, it listed face sizes to corresponding weights, of course mine didn't line up. Thought mine was 250 pound but has a 1 1/4 hardy hole, that indicated 300# by the catalogue. If you compare yours to other anvils I think you'll find it doesn't ring that bad. From what I gather they forge welded a hardened plate for the face to the softer steel body. That reduces the ring which is a sought after attribute. I've used other anvils that were good but were deafening. As you've checked its the bounce test that indicates quality.
The edges on yours are a little worn but serviceable, the face looks pretty darn good in the photos. I'd leave it alone.

Greg
 
I'ed like to have at least 5" smooth on the top . Don't know what they were hitting but the top is dinged up , I couldn't find a serial # under horn , it looks like the base and the top are joined together above the number 126
Thanks
Derrick
 
Great find. That anvil will be fun. You don't really need a smooth surface unless you are doing non ferrous jewellery, and then you can get away with a smaller anvil. Just make sure that there are no sharp corners or cracks. That is a nice Hay Budden, and I'd be leery about getting an arc welder anywhere near that face. Welders are for homemade anvils. Now get a forge and some tongs.
 
The 126 is likely the weight in an old weighing system common to anvils: the first digit is hundredweights (112 lbs), second digit is quarter hundredweights, third digit is pounds.
Really nice anvil, congrats!


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The Biax scrapers are from an electric Biax scraper. Made in Switzerland. Sold by Dapra in the USA. I have one. A new electric one is over $3000.00. I guess you could use them with a made up hand handle. But,they won't cut well if you don't have a way of accurately grinding and fine lapping their cutting edges with diamond rotary lapping machines,which you can make.

The edges of the anvil need to be more square if you intend to do serious work on it. Fill them in with hard rod is the easiest way,I suppose. Grind them square after filling.

Try tying a tire innertube around the waist of the anvil if it rings too badly. I have mine tightly chained down to a wooden stump. It only goes clack. You can go deaf from a ringing anvil.

Definitely a nice buy!
 
dlane said:
I'ed like to have at least 5" smooth on the top . Don't know what they were hitting but the top is dinged up , I couldn't find a serial # under horn , it looks like the base and the top are joined together above the number 126
Thanks
Derrick
Click to expand...
I believe that later Hay Budden anvils may have been made by forge welding a steel top half to a wrought iron base. The old hundredweight calculation of 171 lbs. seems about right but, as stated before, Hay Budden was purported to give their weight in lbs. Final word, weigh it!
 
I really need to get out there and shop more... I am sure there are deals in my area I have not found (yet).
 
These finds were from an inheritance, a life long very good machinist passed away "bless his sole" and his son is trying to get rid of ' tons' of high end tooling , his son is not a machinist and doesn't know much about tooling.
Before his dad died he won a lottery and bought out GEs tool cribs when they closed the plant.
I came across this from a local Craig's list add
 
I'm going back and looking for the Biax electric scraper motor, next time I can.
Derrick
 
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