Peter Wright 100 pound anvil - good starter or garden decoration?

[Yuppiejr]

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

[Ridgewayforge]

There is nothing, I repeat, nothing wrong with this anvil. The face is in top condition, minus 5% of it covered in pits. But, do you have a good edge and at least a 1/2" spot to forge on? if so, try to get it for $1/lb, using the "defects" as a bargaining chip. 

 

As to usability, it is a fine starter anvil. It does not have to be perfect. 

[the iron dwarf]

use will remove rust and shine it up, a 9 hand ) wire brush first will help.

things you think of as defects may prove to be features, sometimes a divot is good for putting the head of a rivet, do not weld it unless you are an expert at anvil repairs as you can easily make it much worse.

use it for a year before doing anything more extreme than using a wire brush to remove loose stuff

[arkie]

If you do get the anvil, don't try to fill the surface pits by welding...you'll ruin the heat treating and hardening.  Use it as is and work around them.

[Frosty]

Looks like torch pits to me from here but not large enough to damage the heat treat enough to matter. I'd use it and just avoid the damage. It's a good size and plenty useable as she sits.

I'd put her right to work but you'd better believe I'd drive the ABUSE DAMAGE home bargaining. I'd start out telling him it's a $75 anvil due to the torch damage and ask what else he has to throw in and sweeten the deal.

I bargain hard, it's more fun than dumping a barrel of porcupines on someone who'd do that to an anvil. Well. . . okay almost as much fun.

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

See if a local smithing group is going to host an anvil repair clinic.  That's how I got the air arc gouges fixed on my 400+# Trenton.  I forced the host to at least accept consumables from me as I was very happy to have the repairs done expertly by a professional welding instructor and blacksmith. (the anvil had had a very hard life at a copper mine. It was made in Columbus OH, then went to Arizona, then came back to the outskirts of Columbus where I traded a 125# PW, a vise screw and screwbox and US$100 boot for it and proceeded to carry it out to central NM.)

Edited August 5, 2015 by ThomasPowers

[ausfire]

You have plenty of good anvil to work on and learn on there. As you say, use it for a while as you learn and go from there. I think it's a bargain at the price you're likely to get it for. Grab it before someone else does.

[Everything Mac]

I agree with Frosty I'd be starting the offers at $50 - 75 and work up to $100 if needs be. 

It's now the best anvil I've ever seen but there's enough untouched face to make it perfectly useable. Those edges look in good shape and the surface rust is nothing to worry about. 

 

I'd buy it and use it for a year as it is and go from there. If you are tempted to weld up the face (and personally I would be)  at some point down the line, make sure you have it done properly. That could easily be a $3-400 anvil once cleaned up. 

 

Andy

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Where you do the majority of forging is clear, so I wouldn't worry about the damage. 

When I am bargaining with someone for an item like this I chat them up a bit first, before the offers start. It has been said that the first one to offer a price loses. After looking at it, explaining the damage, and cost/time to fix right, ask them what they need to get out of it. You may get a nice surprise, or an over the top price. You never know.

You mentioned that this is through a friend. Is that- they found it for you, or they are selling it to you? If it is your friend selling it, then you need to make sure you are both happy with the deal because you may need a striker someday 

If it is through a friend locating it for you, start with a $50 bill, and work up. Personally I wouldn't go over $100, but that is just me, others would be happy paying much more.

[Yuppiejr]

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.  

[Frosty]

Don't forget to make her garden tools, the crow bars and mower blades are just right, enough carbon to be tough and not get brittle. Our spousal units have to love anything we forge just for them, it's part of the deal or we wouldn't have to take out the garbage, pick up after the dog, carry  heavy stuff, etc.

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

I built my shop out back on the side of the house that doesn't have any windows my wife looks out of.  And the scrap pile is behind the shop.  "out of sight, out of mind"

[ausfire]

Make her some roses. Roses work wonders.

[Yuppiejr]

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.

Edited August 8, 2015 by Yuppiejr

[arftist]

Nice anvil and especially nice edges for a Peter Wright.