Blacksmith Jim

No clue. Seems like an ok deal. Looks more like farriers anvil to me, but it looks totally functional.

My buddy picked up a chop wheel. So I got most of the angle cut for the top of the forge. Next Thursday I think I'm going to start welding it together :)

This one? Anvil Page 2

"OH! It Hurts!" I bet he was sore the next day! I just kept thinking about wanting to attach the rope to an offset peg on a wheel. Then drive the wheel with foot or motor power...

I'd probably try to make a damascus billet for fun.

I don't know. I don't think Postman new. A lot of marks like that were batch marks or makers marks or inspectors marks. They changed, and either they weren't documented, or more then likely, the documentation just never survived once the company changed or closed. If your at all curious about the background of anvils then I suggest getting your hands on Anvils in America by Richard Postman. I checked out a copy through intra-library loan. It is a really fun book to flip through.

Sqeez: If I recall from Anvils in America.. If a Peter Wright says 'England' on it, after the patent, then it is likely produced after 1915 or so. Some law was passed at the time that required certain exports to be labeled like that. Peter Wrights stopped being produced around 1925 or 1935 I think... Since yours doesn't say that, then it likely before 1915. I think the only other distinguishing mark is whether or not the face plate is sectional. Those can be hard to spot however. Earlier Peter Wrights have sectional faces, and later ones were made from a single piece.

Clark's probably right about the 4s. In Anvils in America the author didn't have much to say about the other random markings (like the 4s). He just cataloged some of the more common ones he saw. Looks like a great Peter Wright :)

Cool. Sounds like a an old Peter Wright to me. Post some pics If it was made back in 1880s (which it would seem like it was, or earlier) then the face is probably 3 or so different sections welded on to the body. You might be able to detect faint lines going across the face in a few spots. Sounds like a great anvil though My Peter Wright is newer and was made between 1915 and 1925-ish. I like it. I think it be neat if it was a bit older, but I figure in a few years it will hit 100+, so I'll just wait for it.

Welcome, from another Jim! You're down here in Oregon? Where abouts?

I think it sounds like a Peter Wright to me. Are the feet of the anvil flat on the top for about .5" on the edge? Is it an English pattern? I'm not an expert, but I have a Peter Wright and poured over Anvils in America for a few months reading up. Edit: Are there numbers to the left and right of the number in the center of the circle area? Those would be the hundred weights.

Frosty, A third way to deal with the freezing issue is to add another 20lber (or 2) into the setup. Parallel tanks should reduce the amount of gas leaving any one tank. Just gives you a few extra valves to watch..

When I first read this I was thinking of doing the same thing that Irnsrgn suggested. Seems like a good place to start for easy sharp bends.

Welcome Welcome! It's always good to see more fellow Oregonians on the site :)

Excellent Idea Marc. You're really thinking out side the box .. err.. bucket even...

What about pellets for a pellet stove? Will they coke up?

Get a pelican!! I hear they are starting to develop a taste for pigeons. In regards to the mice, an in-law was just telling me about his success warding of rats with moth balls. Seems like a decent idea.

Amen! Some of its out there, but it sure is hard to find. When every I look on eBay it's like 95% east coast...

Nice pics! Thanks for sharing :)

Is running a welder on 110 gonna be a huge pain in the ass? Is it gonna make it extra hard to get a decent bead? Is it gonna limit the thickness of rod I could use? What type of wiring needs to be done to install 220? We recently built a garage, and the inside walls are bare. Would it be relatively simple to have an electrician out to put in a 220 circuit in the garage? There isn't room in the garage for my shop, but there is space next to the garage, and I could weld there when I need to. Ed: I think an oxy set up would be incredibly beneficial. Although I haven't done any welding with one, just cutting. However, a decent welder seems more familiar and I would be more comfortable with it for now. An oxy set up seems more dangerous, and I would want to have a better idea of what I'm doing before getting that kind of set up.

Can one run a decent arc welder on 115v? My friend picked up a hobby arc welder from harbor frieght that runs on 115 or 225, but I think for 115 it recommends using thinner rod then I have been...

Hey guys, I got a question about scroll jigs. How do you get the first part of the scroll to stay on the jig? Do you use pliers that have a flat face so they don't mark the metal? Tongs? A curl on the end of the scroll?

One thing the instructor has mentioned that would support that is that if a weld fails it should be the metal next to the weld that rips or breaks, not the weld itself.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement. I am indeed learning from a community college. Here in Eugene we have Lane Community College (LCC) which is great. They really have some awesome programs. The instructor mentioned that most people who start out with arc welding have an easier time moving on to Mig, etc., later on. Where as when people start with Mig or some other kind, then they have a harder time picking it up. I'm not sure if I will take another welding class next quarter or not. This one has been fun, but it can be tough fitting things like this into my schedule. We did a little bit of Oxy cutting a few weeks ago, and that was pretty neat to learn as well. The class is going to be over soon, but I have access to a few different arc welders at friends places. Pretty soon its gonna be time to put it all to the test and get the forge built :)

Cool guys. Thanks for all the feedback. This definately helps in my justification of adding a welder to the 'shop tools I need' list The next purchase will be a drill press I think..