Show me your anvil

[Daswulf]

Hey everyone, I'm Josh and I'm from Pittsburgh, PA.  Chemical Engineer by education, Controls/Mechanical/Electrical Engineer by career. Just starting out in putting together my own little set up and I happened upon a nice find today - a neighbor overheard my talking about looking for an Anvil and told me that I could have her old one for free. She bought herself a much smaller one, so she didn't need this one and it was just sitting.  Turns out it's a Peter Wright. She says it's about 100lbs but I'll have to get it on the scale to know for sure. Says "1   1   3" on the side along the Peter Wright Patent symbol. Any questions about it? I'm happy to take more pictures.

There does seem to be some minor damage to it, but honestly I'm just starting out and I'm sure it's nowhere near as bad as I think it is - since I'm only just starting anyways.

Here are some pictures!

I'll be looking into the safest way to clean her up tonight, as she's been outside for what seems like a while.

Edit#1: I'm told by  Dale Russell that "1 1 3" = 143 lb ... the first 1 = 112 lbs , second 1 = 28 lbs , 3 = 3 lbs.  I appreciate the information, Dale!

Looking forward to doing exactly what Dale suggested next, which was to "hit it with wire brush to get rid of some of the surface rust & get pounding hot iron on it."

Nice score for free!   where about in Pittsburgh are ya? 

[ThomasPowers]

Want to make that anvil face *gleam*?   Just start forging hot steel on it and the scale will polish it out nicely.  I have one anvil that was stored for 50 years in an unheated building next to a swampy area in OH.  The face had fine rust pitting from condensation.  All I did was to knock off the loose rust and start using it.  Now the sweet spot gleams and back by the heel you can see the original pitting with a transition in between.

[Josh Hoffman]

Nice score for free!   where about in Pittsburgh are ya? 

I remember reading on here that you're around Pittsburgh also. I'm almost downtown, I'm so close. Haha

I live in Beechview/Dormont. Just off of West Liberty on the south side of the Liberty tunnels.

[Daswulf]

Hey Josh, I'm about 45 minutes south of Pittsburgh. not a bad ride really. 

[Crazy Ivan]

I remember reading on here that you're around Pittsburgh also. I'm almost downtown, I'm so close. Haha

I live in Beechview/Dormont. Just off of West Liberty on the south side of the Liberty tunnels.

Im in Allentown on the south side. Not too far from you. Give me a shout if you want any help/ guidance. 

 

[Josh Hoffman]

Thanks guys, I'm definitely going to do that.  I could certainly use the guidance and example. I'll be doing some more research today on what I need for the forge so I can really get started. Outside of that, I just need to work on getting the tools together and I'll be set. I'll probably have questions, but I expect the kind folks on here will all be happy to answer them also.

[Daswulf]

Thanks guys, I'm definitely going to do that.  I could certainly use the guidance and example. I'll be doing some more research today on what I need for the forge so I can really get started. Outside of that, I just need to work on getting the tools together and I'll be set. I'll probably have questions, but I expect the kind folks on here will all be happy to answer them also.

What tools do you need? being not far can put you in a good position for that too as for help from us. knowing what ya need can help us help you get em.

[Frosty]

Josh: Don't make the all to common beginner's mistake of waiting till you get all the right tools to get started. Blacksmithing isn't about the tools, it's about the skills and those rest in the mind and hands of the blacksmith. Tools are just refined dirt, incapable of doing anything but laying there obeying gravity and slowly returning to dirt. Build a fire, use the (GASP) bag of charcoal briquettes out by the BBQ, heck use the BBQ. Use the blow drier your wife doesn't use anymore or won't miss. Find a smooth faced hammer, even a carpenter's finish hammer works just fine. If you can't find a chunk of steel to use, find a smooth fine grained boulder (A boulder is any rock greater than 12" in 2 dimensions, Re. ASTM) and make it an anvil.

Oh, keep shopping for better tools and equipment to be sure, tools accrete around Blacksmiths naturally, like planets from a dust cloud. Just get to It while the tools come to you. The best tools on earth won't make a person a blacksmith, beating hot steel till you  master it will.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Josh Hoffman]

What tools do you need? being not far can put you in a good position for that too as for help from us. knowing what ya need can help us help you get em.

I need to get myself a hammer that'll work for blacksmithing - currently I only have a standard nail hammer. I am have a friend picking me up a nice brake drum to build into a forge, and I'll be grabbing a few pipes to put together and make it work. I plan on grabbing a hairdryer (like Frosty said) and maybe work on picking up a decent hand blower after that, although I could use a bellow too I suppose.  At this point, all I have is an Anvil and my interest.  I'm an Engineer, so I probably have a number of tools that I have/can get for work that would work for this also. Looking into getting some kind of grinder also, I hear Harbor Freight has/had a deal recently to get one for under $20? Crazy, hope I didn't miss it.  Once I get the forge pieces, I'll be looking to build a stand for my Anvil, so I can start sighting in the necessary height for a solid hit - wrist rule seems fair to start.

Josh: Don't make the all to common beginner's mistake of waiting till you get all the right tools to get started. Blacksmithing isn't about the tools, it's about the skills and those rest in the mind and hands of the blacksmith.

Don't worry! I've read through this same advice on here a number of times! The only things holding me back are a worthy hammer, and a forge! Haha

I also need to decide what material I'm going to use in the forge. Charcoal seems like a fair start, but I was considering going for coke or some kind of blacksmithing coal - I mean this is Pennsylvania, right? Lol

What do you use, Daswulf?

[Daswulf]

 

What do you use, Daswulf?

I use coal. couldnt say what kind it is but i have a source...... maybe i'll ask him next time lol. only been there once with the guy that showed it to me. it works well tho, cokes well and heats up well. have a nice pile of it outside the garage. may get more soon as a friend is bringing me an old truck bed so i plan to use that to store it. right now it's under a tarp on roofing tin. I have some extra hammers, cross peins and ball peins so all ya gotta do is come check em out. maybe this weekend if all is good.

[Josh Hoffman]

Sounds good to me.

[Randy Bill]

Pexto 925 Blow horn stake anvil in situ. Now home with me; hand wire brushing and steel wool are revealing traces of original(?) green paint. Never in my wildest dreams did I envision finding this in the middle of the prairie. I'd appreciate any input from those familiar with these, thanks.

[Glenn]

Great for thin tin, not so much for heavier material. It will still work, but you must be careful how heavy handed you are.

[JHCC]

Pexto 925 Blow horn stake anvil in situ. Now home with me; hand wire brushing and steel wool are revealing traces of original(?) green paint. Never in my wildest dreams did I envision finding this in the middle of the prairie. 

Good find on the Griswold waffle iron, too -- collectors love those. 

Edited October 18, 2015 by JHCC

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

JHCC, I see I'm not the only one who spotted the waffle iron. The Griswold, and Wagner items I inherited from Mom get used all the time.

On the PEXTO stake, never put it in an anvil hardy hole. The taper can break the heel of the anvil like a splitting wedge.

[Randy Bill]

Thanks gents. Sorry, I didn't grab the cast iron stuff; it's still there (over a year now), a half-dozen of them and other like cast cooking irons on and around that particular pallet. Sheep are slowly rubbing this several acre site and it's treasures into the sod. A plumb 1425 shrinking hammer shows in the box and came home also, next trip i'll grab the coal scoop. An observation on the stake: it's consistently as dead as a doornail when checked with a 1" bearing ball whether hand-held, rested on an anvil, or clamped in a vise. I'd guess rebound at 15 to 20 percent, weight of stake is 17#. Imagine hardness isn't the same requirement here as we're used to with forging anvils? Indeed, I won't be tempted to use it for iron; just some informal tapping revealed the strangest feeling of working on a spring! Am working on a dedicated stand w/stake pocket and will be doing some head-scratching trying to figure out height...

[Frozenthunderbolt]

Edited October 18, 2015 by Frozenthunderbolt
Either forged or cast with a welded hard face - 60ish KG

[Frosty]

That stake isn't an anvil, it's a tin knockers tool intended to form sheet metal. It should be polished shiny and used with primarily, mallets: wood, leather, lead or plastic. This is the sort of tool the traveling tinsmith would use to make your great grandmother a funnel.

Other stakes in the tinker's wagon would be: creasers, snarling irons, seamer, dapping block ball or mushroom stake, etc. They were called tinkers because that's the sound their work made, tink tink tink.

Nice score.

Frosty The Lucky.

Edited October 19, 2015 by Frosty

[falsevacuum]

Bought this anvil this morning. 113# per a scale, $300.

I don't see any marks aside from the V shape on the side. It looks old though!

Now I just need to whip up a stand! I plan to use this anvil for striking, since I already have an anvil I use for 1 person forging.

Edited October 24, 2015 by falsevacuum

[ThomasPowers]

"V" looks like it was added later; does look old.  Does the pritchel look drilled rather than punched? I'm thinking it might be a retrofit and that's a pre-1820's anvil

[falsevacuum]

"V" looks like it was added later; does look old.  Does the pritchel look drilled rather than punched? I'm thinking it might be a retrofit and that's a pre-1820's anvil 

 

The pritchel hole is SO much cleaner than the hardy hole. The hardy hole is an uneven mess inside, the pritchel hole is quite straight and clean. So my guess is: yeah, it was drilled. 

[VaughnT]

I'd be hesitant to use that ol' gal as a striking anvil.  The top is in rather pristine condition and it wouldn't take but one slip with a sledge to take a sizable chunk off of it.  

[ThomasPowers]

Lovely pre 1820's anvil---good conformation for a heavy work anvil---thick waist; little overhang.  It's yours and you can use it as you like.

[falsevacuum]

I'd be hesitant to use that ol' gal as a striking anvil.  The top is in rather pristine condition and it wouldn't take but one slip with a sledge to take a sizable chunk off of it.  

I won't be using more than an 8lb sledge, and probably not too agressively either (swinging from the side, not over the head). If I end up going heavier, I'd go find myself a steel block to use. Hopefully nothing bad happens!

Lovely pre 1820's anvil---good conformation for a heavy work anvil---thick waist; little overhang.  It's yours and you can use it as you like.

Thanks for the info! That's pretty exciting and I'll do my best to take care of and put to work this piece of history. Yes, that was one of my first reactions seeing that: little need to worry about taking off the heel! I think I should still be careful around the horn though.

[Tim Kenney]

Just found this.  The horn is broken.  The only thing I can make out for sure is 1835 WV.  Maybe the name william? It's right at 110lbs without the horn.