Anvil’s

Bearskinner

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Looking at the price of older quality anvil s is extremely expensive, as I won’t use one for daily work, just shaping projects once in a while.
So I’m looking at the HF heavy anvil. It’s very affordable, but what about the quality? Does anyone have one, or use one? What’s the quality like?(HF Harbor Freight)
 

Yomax4

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Not sure on the HF anvil but years back I bought the largest HF bench vise. One day I was beating on a U Joint and a good sized hunk of body putty broke off of the vise. I would hope that wouldn't happen to the Anvil.
 

California

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I read somewhere that anvil fanatics - folks who have a dozen classics - say that HF sells 'anvil-shaped objects'.

Partly because hammering doesn't ring, its more of a thud sound.

Hopefully that isn't Bondo on the side or underneath, dampening the sound. ?
 

Gary Fowler

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I would keep an eye out for a used anvil. I found mine at a local pawn shop for $25. It isnt that heavy, maybe 60#, but it works for all my needs.
 

Bearskinner

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Because of the amount of Ferriers around here, and folks with their own horses to shoe and projects at home, Anvils never go cheap. I have horsepower, not horses to feed. I would just like an anvil to shape metal projects on. Kinda a part timetool, not an everyday use item.
 

Gary Fowler

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Not a lot if any farriers around here, most folks have gas or diesel horsepower. I havent looked in pawnshops around me for an anvil. Might be interesting to see. A little flea market close by sure knows the inflated value though. She was asking $600 for around a 100# (just estimating on the size) and I dont know if she got it or not.
 

Bearskinner

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I think $600 would be pretty generous. Many times people have things for sale at a greater cost than you can replace it new. It’s that mine is gold, yours is manure attitude.
 

Gary Fowler

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I think $600 would be pretty generous. Many times people have things for sale at a greater cost than you can replace it new. It’s that mine is gold, yours is manure attitude.
I see that a lot on Craigslist. Sometimes the seller just doesnt know, but most times they are hoping that the buyer doesnt know the cost to buy new. Sometimes it is the value of the older stuff is much more than new because the old stuff is built better.
 

Old Irish

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I have the old 60 pound harbor freight anvil but it doesn't get much use and I honestly don't know if I have ever used the horn or not. it is chinesium cast so I don't think it would stand up to daily use but who knows, it may be fine for light shaping. I am jonesing to try the harbor freight shaper and ring rollers but it is to close to Christmas to be shopping for myself. I also have various peaces of rail and thick plate and a piece stainless round stock about 2" in diameter. at work we have a quarter sheet of 3/8ths plate we weld pipe, angle and or round stock to and bend around it to get what ever shape we are after. the grounds keepers wanted some shepherd hooks heavier than what they could buy and jigging them out with pipe and stops made pretty quick work of it.
if your budget allows nc tool may have something that you like.



 

Bearskinner

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Well with the 25% off coupon, and $5.99 shipping, I broke down and ordered the HF 55 pounder. The delivered cost was just over $50. Guess I’ll see how long it lasts.
 

Gary Fowler

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l guess if it has a 90 day guarantee , you could smack it with a 16# sledge when you get it. IF it doesnt break, call it good, if it does you can claim it was broken in transit. You know those UPS drivers can break an anvil with the way they handle packages.;)
 

Bearskinner

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Yeah, I’m sure if it had any wrapping on it, it will be destroyed. It pretty much doesn’t matter what happens to the packaging
 

California

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Yeah, I’m sure if it had any wrapping on it, it will be destroyed. It pretty much doesn’t matter what happens to the packaging
Just think what it does to everyone else's packages every step of the way. ?

After Y2K I sold surplussed electronics on Ebay. During Christmas rush I took a 60 lb tape drive library (8 backup drives in one cabinet), well packaged, to the UPS regional facility. The counter guy hefted it onto a cart and said with a grin "This will be great for breaking up logjams in the sorting chutes!" I hope it didn't wipe out any Christmas presents.
 

Gary Fowler

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Just think what it does to everyone else's packages every step of the way. ?

After Y2K I sold surplussed electronics on Ebay. During Christmas rush I took a 60 lb tape drive library (8 backup drives in one cabinet), well packaged, to the UPS regional facility. The counter guy hefted it onto a cart and said with a grin "This will be great for breaking up logjams in the sorting chutes!" I hope it didn't wipe out any Christmas presents.
YEP, anvil shippers (and other stuff more than 10 pounds) likely cause much of the damage to other folks goods. I had 2" of styrofoam around my welding machine and it still arrived broken on one corner. It could have been caused by the UPS folks tossing/dropping it onto a corner also since it weighed over 40 pounds.
 

California

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It's been a while since I read this but I think UPS Shipping minimum standard is your package has to accept 2 inch intrusion without damage. They must see anvils etc all the time.
 

Bearskinner

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I can’t imagine what kind of damage would incite if you dropped a 55 lb anvil even 12” onto a box!
 

Bearskinner

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Well it arrived in a nice box, with pictures I’ve the anvil on the outside, and Heavy on the box. If they didn’t ruin the box it came in, I don’t think it crushed anyone’s Christmas package
 

Gary Fowler

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Well it arrived in a nice box, with pictures I’ve the anvil on the outside, and Heavy on the box. If they didn’t ruin the box it came in, I don’t think it crushed anyone’s Christmas package
Got a photo of the anvil? Maybe a video of the quality of the anvil (ringing it with a hammer if it will even ring)
 

Bearskinner

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It does have a bit of a funny ring. All I’ve used it for so far is hardness testing of lead ( hammered between a sledge and a hard anvil) and hammering out brass and aluminum
 

PILOON

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Don't have a real anvil but at a sale once the guy had some big chunks of steel that have served me well.
3 X 6 X 12, and 4 X 4 x 8.
Just sitting on my bench I have pounded a lot on those chunks.
Anvils seem to run about $3.00/lb around here if U can find one.
A chunk of RR track would be nice to have.
 
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