Tommytaptap

Good but expensive! There is another called AFO- take a look.

He's got to be English with that flat cap!! Well done. Is he fishing? He's got his casting arm in A1 position there!

No pictures here apart from the top two! Suddenly and mysteriously just all appeared! Some beautiful American anvils there. Particularly that custom F & N. The classic body lines on it remind me of a classic racing yacht hull-truly beautiful.

Thanks, Thomas and Frosty. Thomas, they are hard, dark brown brick-horrible things really, don't ask me why, they just are! Sure you will have some wisdoms of pearl like things now I've said that-please? Thomas, okay, arc weld it is.(Built a small boat trailer once many years ago with oa using 3" sq tubing. Bit of a bugger but it worked and is still being used now. Had to go slow to get good welds but did it-not again tho. Great tip on a shelf for bricks-will definitely include one. Good on grounding/welding continuity-thanks. Yes the brick being very brittle easily loses grit off it which can contaminate-blimey, you know your stuff mate. Wire brushes will abound in all their glory from 00 to Oh god! Air in all its forms will permeate the atmos! Ok that's bricks for no warps. no bricks for warp 9 Dingleberry-wasn't he in police academy or was that Dangleberry?

and there's me, messin' about with little vises. What a beautiful piece of work and to combine master metalworking with master woodworking-truly a triumphant piece. Superb and bravo boys. That is what you call bringing home the bacon. Only someone unsighted could criticise it and only then because they couldn't see it. Tom.

Yves-in my first year at technical college in the metalwork shop, which at age 11 and never having seen one before was somewhat mind blowing; I had the ignorant temerity to allow an engineering vise bar drop unassisted onto the vise and was immediately and violently rapped on my knuckle with a wooden ruler by the professor tutoring us, who then snorted at me, "Boy, do that once more and you will be barred-literally." It was some years later when I realised what he meant but, he meant it! Its only recently my grip has relaxed enough to allow it to fall with a clang but for my ears, the washers do it for me-and for anvil work, the earplugs do the same job. When I want to sing, I am glad I use earplugs-I can sing in tune. But yes, within limits, the anvil does play a song-not as good as my bluegrass tho' Tom.

Wow. That's a big one! I'm sure plenty of very knowledgeable smiths will assist you fully on it (i'm not one-i'm a total newbie mate) My tuppence worth is that; I use a mild steel Chinese wok for lots of cooking at home. I never, ever wash it in water. After use, it is wiped out with a damp, then dry cloth, oiled in a very thin coat of peanut oil and stored til next use. It was seasoned by burning oil onto it when new before first use. Good luck on that project, hope you will keep us informed of your progress. If stainless is the way you go, come back to me as I have a brilliant little stainless forging hammer you may want to know of. Tom.

Great knots and greater idea. I use two tiny silicon washers on each end. Hard for a hotshot to get in anywhere and heat resistant anyway to a degree(don't know exactly how many though!) The bar makes a comforting dull thud rather than an ear splitting clang -isn't it funny though how we can happily clang away on the anvil but hate the vise when it whispers back at us? Tom.

Thanks to you both. Thomas and Frosty. I agree Thomas and understand the dynamic behind trying to shift oneself from standing on a plate-not possible in the way it is to be used. Yet it still has a form where it can be moved if needed esp. if space is at a premium. Frosty, you are so right too in what you say. It wont be a real heavyweight but like most things in a 'smith 'shop they are heavy enough and anything we can do to make life easier for well seasoned bones has got to be good in my book! I don't want to over engineer this little project and I do like the idea of having the plate foot at the rear, giving me that bit more room to manoeuvre on the plate but it has just occurred to me that (bearing in mind this is only a tiddler vise-3 inch jaws and wont be holding large pieces or being smacked like i'm in a title fight)) and will be around 39" to top of jaws- that I could weld two fillets of steel to the plate, each side of the foot(square) and be able to slide the whole foot(containing the socket for the leg as well) back and forward some several inches and lock it in place with a couple of through bolts to the plate. That would work for me? i.e. back for using and forward for moving. Nut on leg sounds good too. What do you boys think? Tom.

Great! Thanks for all of that info. that has helped me a good deal into committing to the style and execution! That front on photo shows it perfectly for the top plate. The name I chose for the site came from my missus who refers to me as Tommy teapot due to my liking for English tea-seemed natural to follow it up. Thanks again. Hammer on man! Tom. I will post pics of my effort soon!

No pics yet but I am in the throes of deciding on my table-only a small one at first! 3' by 2'-- 1/2" two plate top and 1 and 1/2" box legs and supports which I can either arc or oa weld. I have been offered some electric heater firebricks for free and have thought to loose lay some on the table to absorb excess heat from any future welding ops. Is this a good/bad/indifferent idea please? These bricks are around 2" thick and about 8" by 6" with a groove running through them that carried the electric element wire. Any other suggestions for use etc. welcome. thanks for looking. Tom.

Hi stockmaker, thanks for showing that. Some weight there boy! Rounded plate for me means I will be able to move it around if needed. I like the top plate mounted to one side. Are you right handed? I am a lefty and may put it off to the right. Is the leg just a tight fit into the tube at the bottom? thanks, Tom.

Looks like some sort of punch. Could be for inserting tags into animals ears? Could be for pushing rivets through holes in metal? A view down the hole may help, as may a close up of the holes down the handles and a picture of its other side. Could the handle holes be for inserting a hook to hold the 'tongs' taut while in use? Split pins in the side may show its from the automotive industry? Is that green paint on it? Are there any markings on it? Where did you acquire them? The'adjustment' rings can obviously make the distance between the working ends smaller or larger so it is obviously for varying sizes of item to be 'worked.' Where in the world are you located?

Like this one here.....(the one on the left!) Hi KRS Thanks for your reply. Yes, I think that would be good. A strong piece of tube welded to the plate-just the right size for the leg to fit in without moving-don't think I would drill through the plate though. Just weld to the plate as it is so that the forces are striking the plate and not the concrete floor. I will stand on the plate while I work at the vise also-so it cannot move. I will also fill the upright square tube with sand and fit a small top plate to bolt the vise to. Are there any other suggestions which might help too please? thanks Tom.

Surprised? I haven't had one single reply about my question! Anybody there? Can it be given a bump up? Tom.

Sorry, I feel like I have mixed up the previous post to mine about a post vise base; with the one from another member about basketball hoops. My post and request is not part of that and it starts at the words, "Mine is in bits at the moment having a long soak in vinegar...." The best one I have seen so far that might fit my bill is on faq's on anvilfire under 'V'-its a red steel circular base with a circular steel pole welded to it. thanks Tom.

This is the mount I modified for school. It works nice. It originally held a basketball hoop that fell and smashed the ring flat. I saw it in the school's junk pile and knew just how to use it. It does not work real well for much leverage as it does spin. But for what the kids do with it, it works great. Mine is in bits at the moment having a long soak in vinegar. Its only a baby with 3" jaws.will be getting a bigger one too) I haven't fitted yet and I've looked on file here at various ways of doing it also on google. I have a 6" concrete floor to work with and I have this plate I would like to use as a base. Its 23" dia. 1/2" thick mild steel and weighs 24.5kgs. and am thinking of welding a suitable 4 or 5" square tube to the base and fix the vise to that and perhaps fix the bottom of the leg through the plate too. Are there any issues with doing it this way please? thanks. Tom.

There are definitely no more holes in the anvil. This is a shot of the handling hole under the bick and one of the hardy/pritchel from underneath. Looking more carefully at the whole base, it appears to be cast. My research has not got me any closer to an id on the make at all.

so it is a forged anvil for sure but, there is only the one hole that I can see(unless there is one hidden somehow) on the base which as yet remains uncleaned, not painted, just rusted. From what I have seen elsewhere it seems like it is a classic 'london' pattern. I would still very much like to know who made it and where it was made. On the other side of the waist, there are similar weight markings but, to the left of them there is what appears to me to be a very, very faint name stamp, B L A I and then indistinct letter or letters, the 'I' may even be a K. Could it be Blair or Blake. To the right of the weight marks there appears to be stamped 'GATESHEAD'

Don't have a ball bearing to hand but anything metallic even with a light tap on it makes it ring like a carriage clock chiming for a few seconds. The weight is right. A small planishing hammer bounces like a ball on it. Cant get any more photos til my batteries re-charge but, under the horn there is a large square hole (like the hardy on the face) but blanked and about an inch or so deep. Base is completely flat underneath-no other holes anywhere. It also has down both ends and along the base what looks like a casting mark but, as I understand it, that it could still be a forged anvil.

Hi New member just joined. Have bought an anvil in last few days (for a ridiculously low price) and would like to know exactly what it is if possible. Sold to me covered in no less than 8 layers of paint with no visible marks. Was told it was bought at an MoD sale in the Gloucestershire area 15 years ago. Having removed most of the paint and given it a wirewheel cleanup, there are marks on it. Hope they are visible here. Oh and here it is before paint removal. Its 24" long, 11" high, the face is 5" wide and appears to be a cast body with a plate on top. Rings loud and clear.

Thank you both Id and Medy, nice to meet you. Just about to post my first about ID for my anvil! Tom.

Hello everyone on I Forge Iron. I am Tom, ex of Liverpool, living near Carmarthen. I have recently started to re-kindle my interest in all aspects of forging metals which I unfortunately left behind when I left college in the 60's. I've done some research and have bought several items large and small to get me going and will be posting many questions I am sure. Looking at this site there is an absolute gold mine of knowledge and skill which I am sure will help me on my way. I'm looking forward to taking a full part with you all-thanks for having me. Tom.