Furnace1

Thank you Thomas for clarifying that info. It does have England stamped on it and solid wrought in a circular shape. I guess I haven't seen a forge welded plate that good before on a anvil ( considering my old one) but I don't have any problem with it being there. I was curious as to it's age and not noticing what I thought was it not having a top plate, the mystery was on. Thank you for the comments, I think it's a pretty nice anvil too. I just wish I've had a chance to use it yet. This time of year is my busy season but pretty soon I'll be ringing that old anvil for hours...........thanks again, Scott

Thank you both for the information. I have posted a new picture of the other side of the anvil. This is why I thought there was no top plate because of it being so perfectly uniform. I did see the line that was mentioned in the last picture but I'm pretty sure they are marks made from the previous owner as there are several of the same on that side in other areas. That big chip is near that line and it goes down below that. I can see right into the metal and that plate is just invisible. I remember where I read that PW had started to make the top have half of steel and the bottom of wrought, not just a face lamination, it was after 1930. He quoted this out of the Anvils in America Book. I got this off of the Metalartistforum.com under a question about Peter Wright anvils. Thanks for any input............Scott

Just thought I'd show off my new anvil. It's a Peter Wright and weighs 220lbs even thought the numbers on the side say it should be 229lbs it's a little off. The whole thing with stump and chain is 345lbs. It has just one big chip on the top but otherwise it is in great shape. I have done a little reading on these at some point if I remember they stopped welding a plate on the top and just tempered the whole upper half? Does anyone know about this? I can't find a seam and the chip shows nothing as well but one solid mass. The pictures may not show it but the words solid wrough are in a circle and England is stamped on it as well. It has a great ring and the rebound is just as good. I did tone down the ring with that chain and some leather under the legs though. Thanks for any input...........Scott

Thanks to all of you for your responses and sorry for taking so long to respond myself. I have given each opinion much thought and came to the conclusion that I needed to experience other anvils to see where this would take me. So given I had been looking for a bigger anvil anyway, I put an ad in Craigslist for just that. Well before the day way over I had a call from a gentleman up north of me that sells all kinds of blacksmithing tools and claims he has over 40 anvils in his supply!!! and in the size I was looking for!!Well I had to see this so, off we went on Sunday for a two hour ride to find an anvil. He was not kiding..........lots of anvils and tons of other stuff crammed into a two car garage and everywhere else. First thing he did was hand me a hammer to tap on all those anvils. Check for rebound or any other thing you want to check he said........had the place ringing like a Church bell on Sunday.....ah, that's right is was Sunday, but you get my point. Anyway, the difference between these and my current anvil was incredible. Some of these anvils would bounce that hammer way back....... almost hit myself in the head on one when I did not expect it. The ring was rather painfull on most, not as I mentioned before, what I care much for but that's the way they are. Most were Peter Wrights and a few HB's. Well I walked away with a 230 lbs Peter Wright in great shape, big enough for what I do and much bigger than my other one. Have not had a chance to use it yet, it's sitting on my shop floor so I can look at it while I get a base ready. I could not be more pleased with this purchase and to have found such a gold mine with this person. I have his name and number if anyone wants it, email me at HawleysFW@aol.com I would be glad to pass it on. He is a rare find and a one of the nicest most honest people one will come across. I will post pictures soon as she's on her base and ready to go....... Thanks again for all the input, please keep it coming.......Scott

I have a question about the rebound factor of various anvils in general. I do a fair amount of reading regarding blacksmithing and it keeps coming up about this "rebound" factor of anvils, which ones do and which ones don't. Now I have mentioned in past postings about my Star 155lb anvil that is cast iron with a welded steel top plate, well over a hundred years old and still going. I know that the solid steel anvils, cast or wrought are supposed to have the best rebound and ringing when you hit them. What I don't get is just how important this factor is. I have read that if an anvil has a poor rebound you will be " working against yourself " that the hammer lifts more than with with an anvil that does not. I would say my anvil rebounds to a degree but I have never worked on any others before and have nothing to compare it to. I don't see how there can be much of the hammer rebounding anyway as it is hitting hot steel that is soft? Mine seems to works just fine for me and thankfully does not have much ring to speak of either. Thanks for any input..........Scott

Just wondering how many different ways of forging a spade point on flat stock there is out there. I have seen people fuller the bottom and then cut off the angles with a hot cut or from the top with a cold chisel and then shape it from there. I have tried to forge this shape on 1 1/2" x 3/16" flat stock after I fullered the base, and just can't get that point to work out. I use the cross pein to draw out and shape the rounded area but as soon as I try to make the point all it does is roll back on itself. I haven't done the cut the angle off method yet but if that's the best way???????? Thanks for any help, Scott

Thanks Steveh and Thomaspowers for the input. I think that heating the whole piece and forging the entire thing would wind up making it all look better. I did notice on my steel that I just picked up yesterday that there seems to be a film or coating of some kind on the surface. After heat is applied it becomes more noticeable but just on the 1/2" square stock, that's what I see at the transition area that looks like scale. I don't know, am I seeing things here:rolleyes: Thanks again Scott

Thanks for the input Divermike, It's a gas forge but I didn't know coal would not cause this problem. An old blacksmith friend of mine says that gas just does not heat the metal the same way as gas would......that's why he only burns coal. I don't have a coal forge set up yet, when the weather warms up maybe. Thanks again Scott

Thanks Frosty for the welcome. I'll fill in my info after writing this. I'm using a gas forge that I made from fire brick, nothing fancy but it works. When it's good and hot the iron is scaling up inside the forge. I guess I'm not following you on the flux, I'm not welding but will the flux clean off the transition area if I cover all of it thats in the forge? Thanks again Scott

I don't know if this is much of a problem for others but when I'm heating whatever steel is in my forge and it starts to scale when I have it at about orange color and after I've cleaned it off with my wire brush and hammered into the shape. I have this transitional area between the part of the steel that was heated and forged and the part that was not. It sort of looks like an old paint job that somebody scraped the loose stuff off and repainted over it. I guess I just don't care for the look and I'm thinking the only way to get rid of it would be to heat the whole piece to that temp and then the surface would be all the same? Thanks for any help, Scott

I Have a question about my Uniweld acetylene B tank regulator. I bought an adapter to convert it to use on a 20lbs propane tank that I plan on using for my gas forge. I know that my Harris cutting torch regulator can be used for both gases but I just wanted to make sure this one will work as well. The gauge is only 200lbs capacity and I don't know what amount of pressure a propane tank has when full. The regulator says for "compressed gases" not for just acetylene. I figured if they make an adapter to do this conversion I must be on the right track. The guy at the welding supply did not see any proplem with using it either. Thanks for any help...........Scott

It was just a little snow that day BUT..............we have a lot more now and we are expecting 24 below zero temps these next few days. I don't think I'll be out there pounding on my anvil until it warms up to at least 10 or so........yes I like the cold............Ice fishing Sunday!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks .........Scott

Thanks for the help. I knew it was old but I did'nt think it was that old........WOW...... it goes along well with our home here that's coming up on it's 160 year birthday. I wish both of them could tell all thier stories as well........wouldn't that be something. I am plan on using it to make more things that seem to just have to be made for as long as I'm able to. I thing if I ever do a show I'll buy a smaller one that makes more noise just because people like to hear that ring......personally, I like it quiet Thanks again Don A and Element and Thomas.........Scott

Just wondering if anyone knew any information on this anvil I own. Bought it from a old gentleman about ten years ago, he said it was used in a farriers shop right behind his house many years ago. It weighs 155lbs and it's not in bad shape for however old it is. It has one 5 point star on one side and no other markings except a few intials that must have been scratched into the other side.There is no ring whatsoever when hit but it rebounds just fine, if that helps any. He would only take twenty bucks for it and only if I would take the stand with it, just wanted to get rid of it he said to a good home. Not too bad a deal if you ask me. Thanks for any input...........Scott

Hello, just wanted to introduce myself to the forum. I found you all here when I started researching my anvil on Google. I have been doing a little iron work for several years and wanted to start incorporating some of it into my furniture business. I have gotten more ideas from here than you can imagine. It's hard to stay in the wood shop when I want to be out in the back shed pounding iron. Thanks for the opportunity to have all of this information available whenever I need it. I will try to post pictures as often as possible when I can fugure out how to do it. Scott