Just got a anvil

[sticshooter]

Well i found a anvil after missing out a a 125# for FREE! This one is 55# with stand and clamp. I don't know much about them. It's a LUDELL and I paid 40.00 for it. So did I get taken???<><  

[JEFF B]

any anvil at that price has got to be a steal brother down here you can pay anything from $100 to $400 for a second hand one if ya can get one. you done good bro.  

[tippit]

Looks pretty good!  Does it have a good ring and bounce of the hammer?  You might want to make sure the surface is smooth cause anything you pound on it wiill look like that surface.  Good going Stic....Doc

[sticshooter]

I pick it up after work tuesady.I can't find much about Ludell anvils. But heck for 40 bones I guess if I don't like hammering we can always put it in the yard for looks LOL. Not even sure how big it is being 55# can't be to big? <><

[Jack Denbow]

Frank you got a great deal. 25 years ago a 55# anvil would have cost about $75 in my area. I lucked out and found a 133# one at a yard sale for $50.
Jack

[Jeremy]

Ask about Ludell anvils on anvilfire.com... someone there will probably havethe answer.

It looks like a steel plate on a cast body.  Like Doc says, make sure that surface is smooth. Take a belt sander, even it out, then go up to a higher grit belt.  You'll want to round the edges a bit too.

Even if it's just cast iron you still got a good deal  

[dorris]

Hey Frank at least if it didnt work out for a anvil you could get your money back plus some at what scrap iron prices are now days  

[iacornfed]

That is a good price. For blacksmithing info go to Anvilfire.com . It is a great site with all the info you could want or need!

[kbaknife]

Here is some info you might find useful:
"If you will only be doing light-work with say a 2-pound hammer, one in the 80-140 pound range may be suitable.  If you are going to do typical blacksmithing work using no more than a 2 1/2-pound hammer, one in the 150-190 pound range may be suitable.  If you intend to do heavy work, such as using a 3-pound or larger hammer, working with a striker and/or working with steel stock larger then about 1", one in the 200-pound plus range may be better suited.  It is not unusual for a professional blacksmith shop to have several sizes of anvils available for use as needed." and
"Testing an anvil top for hardness - two popular methods:

- Drop a 1" steel ball from 10" and record rebound on several areas of the top.  A very knowledge friend provided the below criteria.  (I know of someone who did this with an imported cast iron anvil.  The concrete floor had a greater rebound than the anvil.)

   -- Measured from the bottom of the ball to the bottom of the ball at the peak of the first bounce at center of anvil over waist:

      --- Anything below 40% is generally junk and some ASO's test as low as 10%
      --- 50%  (5")  is OK but a relatively soft anvil
      --- 70%  (7")  is an average good anvil
      --- 80%  (8")  and up are top quality anvils.  

- Hit the top plate moderately hard with the ball end of a heavy ballpeen hammer.  Dimpling indicates a top too soft to stand up to significant usage.

If you cannot preform such tests yourself ask the seller to do at least the ballpeen hammer one and then to give you a money back guarantee for both the cost and return shipping if you do not get the same results.  (This also holds true for the ball bearing bounce test.)  If the seller declines to do so, then buyer beware."

And here is a good link:

 http://www.beautifuliron.com/gs_anvils.htm