Yuppiejr

Powers technique really works... got a call today out of the blue from one of the various notes I'd dropped regarding anvils, and after a trip across town , turned $250 into a beautiful 128 pound Peter Wright anvil and a Dixon-3 blacksmith/silversmith hardy hole forming stake that seems to sell for somewhere between $120 and $250 on it's own. My wife gave me a strange look a I huffed the anvil into the garage and asked why my latest garage tool came equipped with a steel **** (phallus). The conversation went downhill from there. (picture is from an eBay auction, the one I got has a bit more patina but the same shape).

I wouldn't say you got hosed, the guys probably weren't clear on what you were after or the practical difference between the pallet jack and forklife tines either. Chalk it up to learning, we've all done things of the sort at some point or another and you'll be better prepared and know exactly what you are looking for next time you're out scrapping. Sounds like you did alright on some auto parts for free, call it a wash in the great cosmic balance.

I can't tell from your photo, is your anvil stand built around the base of your anvil (presumably floating on a sand base), or was the bottom of the anvil removed and the top half welded to a steel plate? I just saw an old Peter Wright anvil in a thrift shop that had been torched right through the "Wrought" logo and welded to two sections of angle steel that your photo reminded me of and it made me wonder if there's a local industry (iron mines up north perhaps?) that made these modifications to make the anvils more portable or easier to attach to a base of some sort? Nice setup, greetings from a fellow Minnesotan / newbie / garage blacksmith / honey-do list lackey.

What about using a 12-20 pound sledge hammer head until you find an anvil? Otherwise if the Discountsteel retail showroom down there is like the one here there are a ton of scrap/drop options you can walk in and pick from for a buck or two a pound.

+1 on this advice, it needs to be installed in the forge to work properly, and if you light it at the intake holes rather than the business end the pictured effect is exactly what you get. These come equipped with a Bayou Classic 0-30 PSI regulator hose assembly which should mean plenty of gas pressure if you open the valve far enough, I know mine took quite a few turns to get there. http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-Adjustible-Regulator-Assembely/dp/B007PS0938 It's possible you have the regulator on the Bayou Classic turned town too far, or that the check valve on your propane tank is engaged and limiting flow to the regulator as well. I've had a problem with low gas flow on my grill after swapping tanks and this was the fix: The first step in resetting the propane check valve is to turn the valve the shuts off the container. Twist the connection to unscrew it, which will detach the propane tank from the hook up site.Flip the valves to the highest setting possible if you are using a gas grill, which will get rid of residual pressure or gas that may remain in the lines. Turn off the grill. If you do not while resetting the valve, it could be dangerous.Twist the connection in the opposite direction you did to remove it to reconnect the container.Turn the tank valve switch to the "on" position. Move the lever very slowly, so the gas goes back into the lines and grill slowly. This will help put the tank back in check.

One thought, eBay prices on 10-12" railroad anvil sections are selling for $90 shipped in a USPS flat rate box. After expenses call it $60 in your pocket, possibly more if you sell them on Craigslist locally for cash. Assuming you have the means to cut the 8' rail you have into chunks you could easily raise $300-$400 cash to put toward an anvil with the track that is surplus to your immediate needs while keeping a 2' section of rail to learn on while you wait for the right deal. The Performax 14" chop saw is going for $89 (normally $130) at Menards (on sale + their %11 rebate deal) right now.. probably a nice tool to have around for processing your future material purchases into manageable chunks as well as this project.

Honestly as long as I had enough wire wrapped around the anvil the modern Schumacher charger worked fine for me, and I actually had better results running it at a 2 amp charge rate (the "snowflake" trickle charge mode) versus the fast charge mode which is 6a for a shorter period of time with 4 sections of rebar in the tank. What I'm not sure about is if the failure to detect a battery/load with the automated charger indicated a condition that would not have allowed the process to work correctly even if the charger just went ahead and fired up. Simply running a loop of wire through the hardie & pritchel holes and twisting up the ends did not provide enough contact with the anvil for the charger to think it was connected to a battery. I had the same issue with a Battery Tender wall-wart trickle charger that would not detect the "battery" tank load but followed the same pattern of behavior as the Schumacher and started to "charge" after I wrapped the anvil in more steel wire.

My wife became a lot more accepting of the investment to buy tongs up front after I showed her some of the project examples from Etsy and what people charged for the finished products. I told her I could either work on making/modifying/garage sale scrounging for my own tools for the first few weeks, or buy a few up front and get right to the list of starter projects she'd bookmarked including shelf brackets, hooks, drink holders, candelabras, bottle/wine openers and various garden stakes she was eyeballing. My full set of 6 v-bolt tongs, a 1/4" flat jaw and a set of scrolling tongs from Quick & Dirty arrived last week with her full blessing. Their beginner set would probably have been plenty at $165 plus shipping (6 tongs: 1/4" flat nose, 3/8 + 1/2 + 5/8" vbits, scrolling and pick-up tongs.. basically the pick-up tongs end up free with the bundle discount).

Easiest method: electrolysis before: after: Here's a Youtube video outlining the process, it's really easy and inexpensive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54ADeB6V1rQ I found the same Arm & Hammer laundry soda he used in the video at Menards for $3.25 a box locally and splurged for 4 rebar grounding straps which I used to wire the rebar sections together (I zip tied each section to the tank using the same hole locations he used in the video for his copper wire). I used a Schumacher XC6 battery charger from Wal mart I had lying around, the trick to getting it to "see" the electrolysis tank as a battery was to generously wrap the anvil in steel wire (NOT STAINLESS). I originally started by running a single wire through the hardie hole and out the pritchel hole before I twisted them together and attached it to the ground... but the charger didn't detect a load and would not start. I ended up making 3 larger loops around anvil which I twisted together and connected to the ground lead which then worked fine.

I decided to clean up some of the rust scale that had build up and continued to flake away while I waited for my gas forge but wanted to avoid hitting the anvil with a metal brush, so I went ahead and followed the electrolysis bath technique I'd seen suggested here. After doing some test runs on old railroad spikes and being satisfied with the results I gave it a couple of baths while I was at work the last two days. Last night I dried it off, wiped it down with some used motor oil and here's how it turned out: I'm presently working on a stand, planning to mount the anvil to a steel plate that floats on a stand made of AC2 treated 2x12's reinforforced with 2x6's and filled with mason sand so I can tweak the height up or down while I get used to it. Eventually I'll dress the outside with some metal straps that I forge.. one step at a time.

Thanks for the insights guys, the seller is a friend and not responsible for the damage in question so we worked out a price we could both live with and the anvil is mine. Should pair nicely with the rusty but serviceable leg vice I picked up locally on Craigslist. Now to figure out stands and get to work before my wife flips out over the growing stash of bar stock and scrap steel (railroad spikes, old mower blades, rebar, rusty files/crowbars, etc..) that's accumulating in the garage. Lots of plant hangars, coat hooks and door pulls in my future.

Hi, First off thanks to everyone who makes this forum what it is, including an invaluable resource to newbies like me preparing to dip their toe (body first) into the blacksmithing arts. I've been scrounging up equipment and came across an opportunity via a friend to acquire a Peter Wright (marked 0-3-21, 105 pounds - 103 on my bathroom scale) anvil that, at first blush, seems to have spent significant time in someone's garden or holding open a door after being assaulted repeatedly with a punch or pickaxe of some sort. I know there are a lot of threads on the topic but I've never seen one with a face in quite the condition this one is: I'm looking for an anvil in the 100-200 pound range for garage/shed blacksmithing that's an upgrade from a chunk of railroad track. While the face is in rough shape the rest of the anvil seems sound, and perhaps combined with a separate 4 x 4 post anvil, or some arc welding repair to the face could still be quite serviceable for my needs. Any thoughts on what a fair price for a fixer-upper job like this would be? It has extensive surface rust including some larger (quarter size) bits of scale and the significant damage to the face including the edge of the hardie hole... but it rings nicely, seems to bounce a 1" ball bearing decently (came back about 4/5 of the way from where I dropped it) and is otherwise fully intact. If I get it for the right price I figured on giving it an electrolysis bath to remove the rust and reveal any major structural problems I may have missed, then use it as-is for now. I want to offer a fair price and we'd discussed $2 a pound for an anvil that was in "good" condition.. based on how this one actually looks I was thinking somewhere between $100 and $125 was more in-line with how this one looks ... or is there greater collectible value than I'm giving this credit for in it's current condition? There aren't a lot of options available locally unless I buy new, which will set me back at least $500-$600 for a 100 pound TFS or Emerson from Centaur Forge. I'm looking at this purely as a fixer-upper/new guy anvil to use while I learn, and eventually move to something heavier and in better shape down the road. Appreciate any thoughts/opinions. -- J

To figure out if solar is viable you really need to work backwards and determine what your energy requirements are, and then size the batteries and solar charging array accordingly. If you are starting from scratch you can check the plates/specs on all of the regular use items (lights, blower for your forge, ventilation fans, etc..) and work from there. If you only weld and run higher draw devices occasionally it will make more financial sense to use a hybrid solution with a solar solution for low draw devices and a generator for the high draw/occasional needs. Solar + batteries are ill suited to this sort of application at small scale unless you are rich enough to use $20's when lighting your forge. Realistically for a smaller 100-120' sqft non commercial shop used a couple hours a day 4-5 times a week you can get by with a 200 watt solar kit (Renology, Amazon) tied to a pair of group 29 deep cycle battery (EverStart Max / Walmart) to run a few LED spotlights, a couple of ventilation fans and a 12v blower for a small forge (Attwood quiet blower). Should land right around the $600-700 range, all-in with wiring and some switches. If you're doing this on a budget, the Harbor Freight 80 amp / 115v inverter DC arc welder is $150 and should pair well with their Predator 4k generator for $300... plus $40 for a 25' 10 gauge extension cord and the materials to build an enclosure. I'd napkin budget $1000-$1200 to cover your power needs for solar + generator solution on the low end and then compare the cost to hard wire electrical to the shop (including the lighting, ventilation and blower options) to decide if it makes sense.