CaptainSpaulding Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 I just got myself a pretty beat up 134 lb old anvil which may or may not be a mouse hole, and it's got a thick coat of grey paint on it. I have no idea about the history of the anvil or the paint so I'm not going to use an abrasive to remove it for fear that it could be lead paint. This is a backyard hobby so I'm not in an indistrial zoned area and I have a relatively small property so chemicals and toxic waste aren't really something I know anything about or want to deal with at this stage. I also have a 3 year old who loves playing in the backyard and I do a lot of gardening, reinforcing the 'no chemical' option. I've read a lot about cleaning up old anvils and there seems to be a split in opinion between those who recommend cleaning it up and others who say to just leave it alone or cover it in a more attractive layer of paint to make it look a little more appealing. The problem is that when I look at it with the chipped milky grey paint it looks bad. Not "character" or "heavily used" bad, I mean just plain bad. My first inclination is to just paint it black and move on but I'd like to try to figure out what kind of anvil it is and I can see that there are markings under the paint but it's so thick I can't make anything out besides the 1 1 1 weight across the waist. With all the research I've done all I seem to be able to find are references to either abrasives or chemicals. Nobody ever mentions a paint stripping heat gun. I know I can't be the first one to think about that so why doesn't anyone recommend it? It is as simple as the fact that the heat would damages the anvil? I'm lucky in that the paint has worn off down to about 3" below the edge of the face plate so I'm not worried about heat damaging it. Mine gun gets up to about 1,500F but I wouldn't be heating anything beyond the stage where the paint could be scraped off so I don't think the heat would go much deeper than an inch or two. Someone help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clinton Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 I doubt that a heat gun will get an anvil hot enough to do any harm, the problem is or the problems are 1- could be lead paint. 2- uneven surface is hard to scrape You may want to try a paint remover like Jasco. I bought a Trenton anvil 410 lbs that was used at a body shop and the owner wanted to leave it outside so to protect it he painted it with automotive paint, once with yellow then red. It took about two days to get most of it off. I used a wire brush on a 4 inch grinder, actually two different kinds a cupped wheel and also a stringer (both were the knotted type) I also used a paint stripper- put it on and it bubbles up then scrape it off. Use a dust mask while using the wire wheel, or a respirator for fumes for the heat gun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 With your constraints *any* method of removing paint could lead to issues. Can you have it done somewhere else? Perhaps as a side job of a place that sandblasts steel or an antique restorer that uses a chemical bath? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainSpaulding Posted December 14, 2012 Author Share Posted December 14, 2012 If I did choose to go with the wire wheel, I guess I could keep a spray bottle on hand and just spritz it with a little water as I went along to keep the dust to a minimum. Would that change the effectiveness of the wire wheel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainSpaulding Posted December 14, 2012 Author Share Posted December 14, 2012 With your constraints *any* method of removing paint could lead to issues. Can you have it done somewhere else? Perhaps as a side job of a place that sandblasts steel or an antique restorer that uses a chemical bath? Yes, those are definitely options but I'm just afraid that care won't be taken to try to preserve whatever remnants of identifiable markings are still there. Sometimes no matter what you say, the "experts" always know better and I can just picture someone taking a sander or grinder to it and proudly showing me a glass smooth finish when they're done. The antique/chemical bath idea is a good one though. I'll look into that. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 i think they have test kits to tell if paint is lead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 Generally anvils are a hundred years old and show the patina of age. If you remove the patina you can not replace it in YOUR lifetime. If the anvil has been painted with lead paint, grinding or wire brushing the lead paint will scatter lead dust everywhere. Spraying it with water will keep it a little closer home, but you still have lead dust that can scatter once the water evaporates. The rough surface of the casting will give you problems in getting all the old paint off the anvil. Once you have the anvil cleaned down to the bare metal what are you going to do, apply NEW PAINT? Why not just paint over it to begin with and encapsulate or seal the old paint? Either way if you paint, may I suggest the family tartan, plaid, or pin stripes. After all it is your anvil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatfudd Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 Try using a heat gun and scraper but as Clinton suggested plain old paint stripper will work fine, You'll need a hand powered wire brush too. It'll take a while but its the only way that will be totally safe, just really messy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 They make a paint stripper, orange something. It's an orange gel smells like oranges, safe, not toxic. If you use a paint stripper avoid any that contain Methylene Chloride, that is very toxic stuff, regulated in the workplace with about 37 pages of OSHA Regulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 Liquid laundry soap, straight up, applied thick. You can apply to paper towel then paper it on. Wrap well in paper like newspaper or paper towel. Wrap in plastic. Place in a WARM location for 2+ DAYS (the warmer the better, but at least room temperature). Glove up, unwrap on a sheet of plastic and attack with putty knives. Repeat if necessary. Many types of paint will soften considerably from this treatment. The soap will not etch the anvil since is is basic instead of acidic. If lead paint is involved then the materials are contaminated, but the lead is containable in the scraped off waste. If you read about using a crock pot to strip painted hardware, they use heat, time, and dillute laundry detergent. I am suggesting that you use straight laundry detergent and time without the added heat. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainSpaulding Posted December 16, 2012 Author Share Posted December 16, 2012 On 12/14/2012 at 4:11 PM, Glenn said: Either way if you paint, may I suggest the family tartan, plaid, or pin stripes. After all it is your anvil. Well, I really only wanted to remove the paint to try to see if there was anything that would help identify the brand/era, etc. but now that I've actually used it I don't care about that anymore. I made my first piece today and I'm beyond proud and I'm fully satisfied with it. From a distance I still don't like the grey paint so instead of removing it, yes, I am going to put another coat of paint on it. Even though I am a Robertson, I will not be painting my clan's tartan or pinstripes on it but I will be painting it a flat black since the ugly grey that's on it bothers me so much. Also, rather than start another thread, I'm just going to post pics of it here in the hopes someone can give me any idea what it is. Sorry for the external link, I can't figure out how to post pics here yet. I really don't have any use for the stand (which is a fully functioning hydraulic barber chair base which came "free" with the purchase of the anvil) so if anybody knows anything about that too, I'd love to know about it. http://imgur.com/a/L0Y2W#0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humphreymachine Posted December 16, 2012 Share Posted December 16, 2012 I don’t mind the paint. I was expecting an even coat of new grey which wouldn’t be pretty but this has a vintage time worn industrial look. I know a furniture restorer who uses a workbench mounted to a barber’s chair base. It gives him great flexibility. Lower it to work on the top of a chest or raise it to work on its feet. I think the oil can come out of these if not careful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted December 16, 2012 Share Posted December 16, 2012 That's an awesome little anvil, and I love the detailing around the bottom of the base! Very classy, that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revtor Posted December 16, 2012 Share Posted December 16, 2012 If you want to remove old paint, really the easiest way is with aerosol paint stripper. Wire brush it a bit first, spray it on thick, cover with a garbage bag let it sit for an hour or two and then go at it with a hand wire brush. You may need a second application. Wear full protective gear. Rinse with hot soapy water, dry with a heat gun/torch and you're good to go!!!! You can also just burn it off with a torch/wire brush. I really like that mounting bracketry at the foot, nice bit of work. ~Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clinton Posted December 16, 2012 Share Posted December 16, 2012 It does not look like a very thick coat of paint, it could be removed with a wire brush on a small grinder. I would use a cupped knotted wheel, 30 minutes would get most of it off. The barber chair base may be worth some good money to the right person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteH Posted December 16, 2012 Share Posted December 16, 2012 If you're worried about lead -- and you should be -- you can get home "lead-test" kits for a few dollars. I think they even sell them at Home Despot. The ones I'm familiar with look like a cigaret. One end has a fiberglass brush in it. You squeeze the middle of the tube to break a little vial in there, and then squeeze some more until you can see the yellow reagent on the fiberglass. Then rub that on the paint. If it turns pink, you have lead. You can safely -- well, fairly safely -- strip lead paint with the usual run of home paint-removers. Methylene chloride is indeed nasty stuff, and not to be used indoors, but if you do it outside, you should have no trouble from the solvent. Disposing of the lead-containing paint residue is another matter, and you may have to hold on to it until there's a "hazmat day" in your town. Or maybe the town dump can take it -- just be sure you let them know what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainSpaulding Posted December 16, 2012 Author Share Posted December 16, 2012 Thanks for all your input so far everyone. I like the home lead test idea so if it turns out to be lead paint I might just drive out to the back of my work which is in an industrial area and do the stripping there and then take the waste to the city dump. If it's not then I'll just wire brush it on my driveway. Any ideas on the maker from the pics or would I be better off just starting a new "Anvil ID" thread? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 I'm sticking with Mousehole, or similar. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainSpaulding Posted December 17, 2012 Author Share Posted December 17, 2012 It definitely looks most like a Mousehole and if not, then based on another thread in here it also looks like it could be a William Foster, and I've also read that there were a lot of makers who branched off of the "big name" brands and started their own anvil brands and used a similar thick waisted design so it could be one of those too. The only reason I think it might not be a Mousehole is because from what I've read they have very distinct punch marks between the hundred weight numbers and the numbers are on the wrong side based on all the Mouseholes I've seen online. I can clearly see the 1 1 1 but there is no sign of any markings anywhere between the numbers and nothing on the other side except a small depression in the bottom right corner, which does happen to be on both sides. It's about 1/2" deep and about the diameter of a golf ball right around where the foot meets the base. Anyway, the fact that my curiosity may never be satisfied and I'll never know what make this anvil is and I don't like the grey paint on it it's not going to change the fact that I really have already fallen in love this thing and I look forward to many years of putting it to work. I'd like to get a brand new anvil some day but I may have to wait to buy that for myself as a retirement gift...and that's a long ways away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clinton Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 According to Anvils in America Mouseholes did have the punch marks between the numbers. Your anvil may be a William Foster or a Wilkinson. How many handling holes are there? I see one on the bottom and one on the back side. Does it look like the pritchel was drilled in? There may be markings on either side that can help identify it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 I'm wondering if that pritchel hole is a more recent retrofit and was drilled rather than punched like the old ones. It's location (non-standard and harder to use as little flat around it to rest a piece to be punched) and the lack of any punch swelling on the bottom of the hole. Anybody else get the same feeling? My William Foster is Date stamped---1828; any sign of a date on that one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clinton Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Possible that the pritchel was knocked off with that part of the heel? Or perhaps it is an earlier anvil that did not have one and someone drilled it up front. I see no reference to a pritchel like that in Anvils in America. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainSpaulding Posted December 17, 2012 Author Share Posted December 17, 2012 My assumption was also that the original pritchel was lost with that section of heel that's gone. There is one more handling hole under the heel that lines up with the one under the horn as well so 3 total. If the current pritchel is drilled, it was used a LOT because it's as smooth/clean as the inside of the hardy hole and there's no sign of drill marks anywhere on the edges or that I can see on the inside. I can't find a date anywhere but the paint is a lot thicker at the bottom than it is at the top but I can still see the three 1's pretty clearly through the paint. The other side is completely bare except for the indentation just below the waist near the right foot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pulsepushthepopulace Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Pressure washer works well removing the paint after you strip it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadstone Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 I don't know how safe this is, and it will certainly mess up the antique appeal, but if you've gotta have bare metal, this looks like a possible solution: HOW TO: Strip paint using Oven Cleaner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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