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  • Vaquero

    Moving stuff to the gas prices thread.....
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    Ever tried to buy an anvil? Nothing big, but say around 75 lbs or so, just an old anvil...

    We got a small auction outfit here in our town of about 12,000 folks. Its all on line. I say one from a local estate sale out of the guys barn. I could use one out here on my place I do some welding n stuff. I got in at $20 bucks, next day I checked and popped for $80, next day I hit it for $190. Now I am getting interested, $200 bucks, you crazy, not going there, but I followed it, it sold at $375. I knew the guy that finally won it and saw him down at the Tractor supply the other day. I said man are crazy on that anvil. He no, he needed one out on his place and has looked for years. He then asked if I had ever done any research on anvils? No, not really, he said do it, they are like gold. I did, he was right, so I am still with out an anvil. Then we got to talking about how somethings are as good today as they were hundreds of years ago.

    I have owned a gun since age 5 and all my life have used iron sights. But as I approach 70, the ole eyeballs are not what they once were. So I have bought some scopes. Its taken a long time to get used to using a scope atop a gun. To me that is high tech. Do I need a scope that all I need to do is point my weapon in the general direction and pull the trigger when the thing beeps or the green light goes off?????? I will pass

    I aint sure how this fit in on the electronisc and guns thread, but, it caught my attention.
    I've got great grandpa's anvil. Only markings I found so far are , SVEDEN, and 125.
    I'm thinking the 125 refers to weight. I'll do a little (damn little) rubbing on it and see if I can find any markings that indicate a date. A good anvil is an awesome thing.

    Nope, no money will take it from me.
    Venture Surplus ad
     

    Southpaw

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    I seen the prices in the other thread. WOW!!! I've seen them in abandoned building as a kid and didn't think twice about them. I'll have to tell my brother in law, he's a real hoarder and is always coming across abandoned items or things people just don't want anymore.
     

    Glockster69

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    I'll do a little (damn little) rubbing on it and see if I can find any markings that indicate a date.
    Lay a flashlight on the floor (no ya BIG dummy, turn it ON 1st). See how all the dirt & imperfections jump out? Low angle light iz your friend.
     

    Flashcb

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    IF you can find a piece of Railroad Track. It will work in a pinch, but nothing replaces a good anvil, specially if it takes two boys and a mule to move it.

    ETA another use for them.
     
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    ROGER4314

    Been Called "Flash" Since I Was A Kid!
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    I used to work maintenance in high tech production manufacturing companies. We always used to joke about sending an anvil out to the production lines and having them send it back....broken. The saying was "Those guys could F up an anvil!"

    Not sure why that was important this morning.

    Flash
     

    ROGER4314

    Been Called "Flash" Since I Was A Kid!
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    In 1980, I was living with a lady named "R" who grew up on a farm In Iowa. Several family members passed away so the place was being sold. She wanted to go out there one more time to see the place. It was nice! It had the Blackest dirt I've ever seen and the land surrounded the house and several barns.

    Inside one of the barns, tucked in a corner was a huge "Simplex" vise on a rotating base. Proudly cast into the vise body was the name of the company, "Desmond Stevens MFG" and the location, Urbana, Ohio. The vise was rusty and looked pretty rough but I asked my lady if I could have it. She said "Yes" so I loaded the monster into her car and took it home!

    The rust was easily removed with a wire brush and I saw a heart of gold beneath the grunge. I didn't paint it and chose instead to see the years of honest toil that vise had seen. The lady is long gone but the vise has traveled with me from place to place for the last 33 years. It's attached to my work bench out in the garage as I type this.

    The moral of this tale is that women come and go. They waltz in and out of your life and disappear like a stinky fart, leaving only a memory of what was. Good tools, by contrast, stay the course and will outlive their owners if properly cared for. That vise always stands ready to help me, is low maintenance and doesn't talk back or create drama. "R" is gone and the "Simplex" remains.....Just as it should be.

    Flash
     
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    deemus

    my mama says I'm special
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    When my mom passed (dad was long gone by then) we cleared out the farm and barn. My dad had a GIANT anvil on an old pecan stump. I wanted to bring it home, but my wife threw such a fit we just left it for the buyers. I have wanted a do-over on that one for about a decade now. I remember that thing sitting around since I was a kid. Its funny the things you develop a connection to.

    That thing was the immovable object when I was a kid.
     

    shortround

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    My father in law was a welder and pipe fitter. He gave me an anvil he cut from old train rails. It has been a while since I used it, so it has gone lost in the clutter of my garage.
     

    vmax

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    I made an anvil of sorts out of a piece of train rail.

    the pic isn't mine, but it's close to how mine looks

    railroad-track-anvil.jpg
     

    GPtwins

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    Sachse, Tx
    I don't have an anvil but I do have about 8-12" piece of railroad track that I use on the rare occasions that I need an anvil like product. I don't know where he got it but my Dad give it to me. He had one for over 40 years and I was looking out for a piece of track when he offered up one to me.
     

    Sapper740

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    I picked up a short piece of very heavy I Beam for use as an anvil when I was working on the Fort Worth Convention center expansion project. It's served it's purpose well and it was free, though definitely not as cool as a real anvil.
     

    TreyG-20

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    6 year old thread? Why not bring it back from the dead?

    Long story made short. About a year ago an old neighbor of mine had to go out of town on emergency. He asked if I could watch his 2 dogs for a week. I agreed no problem without even considering any compensation. When he returned he insisted that he repay me somehow. I said a Sub sammich would do lol, but actually declined anything. A few months later he is moving out of his house when I notice this old looking anvil in his garage. I told him I thought that it was cool and mentioned "anvil shooting". We can save that for another discussion. Another week goes by and he is completely moved out. When I get home from work sitting in front of my garage is the anvil with a note that says, "Thanks for taking care of my dogs! P. S. Don't eat the anvil." Gave me a good chuckle.

    So now I have an Anvil. Best I can tell it a Columbian made in Ohio around the 1920's. I am no way an expert at identifying these, but that was the best I could find out in my limited research. Weights about 75-80 pounds I would guess. About 9 inches tall and 21 inches overall length.

    From a collectors perspective. Should I clean this thing up with a wire wheel or leave it alone?
    FB_IMG_1583089014505.jpg
     

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    Vaquero

    Moving stuff to the gas prices thread.....
    Staff member
    Moderator
    Rating - 100%
    11   0   0
    Apr 4, 2011
    44,207
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    Dixie Land
    6 year old thread? Why not bring it back from the dead?

    Long story made short. About a year ago an old neighbor of mine had to go out of town on emergency. He asked if I could watch his 2 dogs for a week. I agreed no problem without even considering any compensation. When he returned he insisted that he repay me somehow. I said a Sub sammich would do lol, but actually declined anything. A few months later he is moving out of his house when I notice this old looking anvil in his garage. I told him I thought that it was cool and mentioned "anvil shooting". We can save that for another discussion. Another week goes by and he is completely moved out. When I get home from work sitting in front of my garage is the anvil with a note that says, "Thanks for taking care of my dogs! P. S. Don't eat the anvil." Gave me a good chuckle.

    So now I have an Anvil. Best I can tell it a Columbian made in Ohio around the 1920's. I am no way an expert at identifying these, but that was the best I could find out in my limited research. Weights about 75-80 pounds I would guess. About 9 inches tall and 21 inches overall length.

    From a collectors perspective. Should I clean this thing up with a wire wheel or leave it alone? View attachment 203212
    Leave it alone. Just my opinion.
     

    kbaxter60

    "Gig 'Em!"
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    Pipe Creek
    I used to work with some engineers who were very into pyrotechnics of all sorts. One of their sports was "anvil launching". When you do your research, see if that comes up. I believe it involved black powder?

    Another favorite involved old vacuums and a pan of gasoline. I never witnessed, but the description was pretty hilarious.
     

    TreyG-20

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    I used to work with some engineers who were very into pyrotechnics of all sorts. One of their sports was "anvil launching". When you do your research, see if that comes up. I believe it involved black powder?

    Another favorite involved old vacuums and a pan of gasoline. I never witnessed, but the description was pretty hilarious.
    I referred to that as anvil shooting, but yes that is what I I mean't. Black power in a cavity of a large anvil with a smaller one on top. Fun to watch.
     
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