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Thinking of buying this Peter Wright anvil...


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I need quick help on if this is a good price on this Peter Wright anvil and Post Leg vise.  

 

All I know about them so far without seeing it in person is the anvil is 120 lbs and I know

nothing about the vise pictured.  His lowest price on both is $225.  It sounds like a good deal.

 

What do you think just from the pictures?

 

 

 

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If you can test out rebound before purchase, I'd jump on it fast.

That's what I was thinking...he said it is "well used" but still has a lot of life in it.  It looks to be in good shape

from the pictures...but I guess I would only really know when I see it in person.  What is the best way to test

the rebound?

 

And is the vise worth anything?

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Greetings Tacuff,

 

The face is rough and it has a bit of sway but its a good deal...  I have many and I would by the pair for a beginning students.  

 

Good luck and forge on and make beautiful things

Jim

Thanks for the reply.  By sway do you mean the face not being completely flat?  

 

I guess the overall question I have is...how much life of working on it does it have left? Has it seen its days and been abused?

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Thanks for the reply.  By sway do you mean the face not being completely flat?  
 
I guess the overall question I have is...how much life of working on it does it have left? Has it seen its days and been abused?


Sway is the slightly curved downward middle. As far as life left in her, treated right she will outlast you and probably a few more future smiths.
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Sway is the slightly curved downward middle. As far as life left in her, treated right she will outlast you and probably a few more future smiths.

Cool!  I'm definitely going to pick it up tomorrow then.  Is that slightly curved middle normal?  I'm guessing that just means it's been beat on with a hammer a lot.  I'm new to the blacksmith work and have recently started to get into it.  This will be my first anvil so this is exciting!

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Oft times a bit of sway is a feature not a bug---especially good for straightening stuff when you get to know it

 

On the post vise: how wide are the jaws and what condition is the screw in?  Probably at at least US$75 and may be more---if the screw is ok.

Great to know!  

 

I'm not sure on the specs of the post vise.  I'm getting both the anvil and vise in the morning and will post up details when I get them.

 

Thanks for the advice everyone!  

 

The next help I will need is on the basic starting tools I will want/need in making basic things.  I have a good champion blower, and will

hopefully soon be building a forge.  

 

Any advice and tools I should look at first would be great help.

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Both look pretty good for the money to me. HOWEVER we don't have internet xray vision so a little hands on testing is called for. by the looks the anvil still has a generation or two of blacksmiths in her but you still need to check the rebound. A shop or barn fire could've tempered all the hard out of her and made her  more decorative than tool. The two most used methods are drop a ball bearing from a couple feet and eyeball how far it rebounds. You'll see folk online saying it has to be a 1" or whatever size bearing, but that's urban myth, I have a 3/8" bearing I carry in my watch pocket that works a treat. It's the hard steel on hard steel action you want to gauge, the bearing being the KNOWN or control. Lacking a bearing a small ball pein or other smallish smooth faced hammer works fine. You're doing the same thing, hold the hammer head a bit above the anvil, let it drop and eyeball the rebound. 80% or more is GOOD. Less than (what guys?) 60% is pretty poor to forget it.

 

Do a quick size estimate on the post vise, weight isn't that important unless you're going to be back packing it around. Lots of guys gauge them by weight but I think that's perceived transference from anvils and gaining in popularity if not validity. Of course I could be wrong though I haven't heard a good reason why. Anyway, jaw width is the more valid measure, 4" is good and maybe the most common size, 5" is happy DANDY and 8" is a gift from heaven. Unless you don't have room wider is better where post vises are concerned. See, post vises are designed and built to be brute strong, taking a sledge hammer to a piece in one is the norm. Do that to a bench vise and you'll more than likely be sweeping up the pieces. The post vise's screw should be reasonably smooth and travel full in and out. by reasonably smooth, don't expect it to be smooth as gravy, it'll likely be a little rough with some sticky spots. But if it doesn't seize up at one spot, grind too much it's okay. Expect it'll have wear.

 

If the anvil passes the rebound test and the vise's screw is good  I'd be taking them home.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

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sway is fine , nice for straightening blades and other things , grab em both quick , both pieces will serve you well for a long time !!

hopefully they are still there for you in the morning !!

 

nice find......

Thanks!  I am meeting the guy here in a couple of hours to get them both.  I can't wait to keep learning and get to work with them.

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  • Well I just picked them up.  One edge of one side of the face is chipped about 3 inches long...can't really tell in the picture but if you look really close you may can.  Other than that it's in decent shape.  The vise is in good shape and is still functional. 
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"basic starting tools to make basic things"  rather depends on what type of basic things you are making. Blacksmithing covers such a wide range of areas that "basic things" can differ quite a lot.

 

My first project for students requires: a forge, an anvil, a hammer, a hardy, a postvise and a set of tongs for holding 1/4" sq stock.  Two pairs of tongs can negate the need for a postvise and a chunk of wood to remove bends in twisted lengths can help too.

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"basic starting tools to make basic things"  rather depends on what type of basic things you are making. Blacksmithing covers such a wide range of areas that "basic things" can differ quite a lot.

 

My first project for students requires: a forge, an anvil, a hammer, a hardy, a postvise and a set of tongs for holding 1/4" sq stock.  Two pairs of tongs can negate the need for a postvise and a chunk of wood to remove bends in twisted lengths can help too.

 

By basic I mean smaller, easier things to heat and bend.  Hooks for certain decorations/possibly knives/blades/etc. 

 

So far I have the anvil, post vise, and champion blower.  I'm going to look for a good hammer, tongs, and hardy. 

 

My dad works for a trucking company and is getting me a few 18 wheeler brake drums...so hopefully I can build my own forge.

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Ah, there it is! Basic things do NOT include knives. Blades are involved, advanced blacksmithery, something to aspire to not learn on. Not saying it can't be done but it's a setup for failure on a regular basis.

 

Try learning the basics of blacksmithing till you've become competent, then move onto basic tool steel projects, say cold chisels, hacks and such till you're competent with them then maybe wood chisels, and such. Once you have it down so you can make virtually any chisel, steel or wood as needed without screwing them up it's time to start learning to made knives.

 

Like I say some folk do just jump in with reasonable success, it's just really uncommon. Learning to blacksmith is about failure analysis,mistakes is what teaches you the most valuable lessons and doing it with expensive and hard to work steel not only makes mistakes more likely but more expensive.

 

Good luck on that.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

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Ah, there it is! Basic things do NOT include knives. Blades are involved, advanced blacksmithery, something to aspire to not learn on. Not saying it can't be done but it's a setup for failure on a regular basis.

 

Try learning the basics of blacksmithing till you've become competent, then move onto basic tool steel projects, say cold chisels, hacks and such till you're competent with them then maybe wood chisels, and such. Once you have it down so you can make virtually any chisel, steel or wood as needed without screwing them up it's time to start learning to made knives.

 

Like I say some folk do just jump in with reasonable success, it's just really uncommon. Learning to blacksmith is about failure analysis,mistakes is what teaches you the most valuable lessons and doing it with expensive and hard to work steel not only makes mistakes more likely but more expensive.

 

Good luck on that.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

 

Thanks, I agree with you and that's why I'm here. 

 

I'll be on here a lot learning new things and getting ideas. 

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Everyone I know of who has tried to build a forge from an semi truck drum has abandoned them as being MUCH worst than a regular car/pickup drum.  Way too deep and so you have to cut large slots in the sides to get to the hot spot with a straight piece of stock and can't lay a strange shape on top of it and crank the fire up to heat it there.

 

They do make good bases for things though.

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Everyone I know of who has tried to build a forge from an semi truck drum has abandoned them as being MUCH worst than a regular car/pickup drum.  Way too deep and so you have to cut large slots in the sides to get to the hot spot with a straight piece of stock and can't lay a strange shape on top of it and crank the fire up to heat it there.

 

They do make good bases for things though.

 

True.  I may just make a smaller one then out of a regular car/truck drum.  Makes sense I would get more heat quicker and easier access to it.

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Ok guys I have taken a few of my own pictures.  Will get more detailed ones later.  I would like to know 

how old my anvil is and what information I can get from the markings on it.

 

It has the numbers 1 0 10 stamped on it.  Is there a way to find an exact year or range?

 

The vise is good condition as well and the pin and everything is good.  It opens 4-5 inches.  

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