Peter Wright

[confederatemule]

I bought a Peter Wright Anvil. I am curious about what the absence of certain markings mean. I have a picture that I will try to post. When was the mfg era? It rings good and rebounds good. Thanks for any help.   Mule

 

[Frosty]

What did you expect to see that isn't there? If there is a serial # on the foot it could easily have been worn or beaten till it's illegible. If you must know you'll want to get someone to magna flux it. 

A stamped in mark causes changes to the parent steel/iron that runs a lot deeper than the visible mark. Folk trying to hide a stolen item will often file marks off, serial numbers on fire arms being really common. Using an AC magnetic yoke and powdered iron hidden marks will stand out vividly.

I'm sure there are more modern techniques but Magna Flux is the one I'm familiar and experienced with. I used to work for AMF Tuboscope and used the technique to find damage to drill tools on the North Slope oil fields. We ran stem and casing through the scanner but the tool joints and subs always spike the sensor so we had to magna flux them and we magna fluxed spots that showed spikes in the stem where there shouldn't be spikes. By spike, think lie detector spiking at a lie. Heck the scanner had more in common with a lie detector than most other sensor type machines I'd run into before.

Anyway, If you really need to know call around and find someone with a Magna Flux but be prepared to spend a few bucks.

In all honesty when and where something was made has nothing to do with it's quality as a tool. There's nothing wrong with wanting to know about your tools but don't let it waste a bunch of time you could be spending using it. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[confederatemule]

Looking at pictures of Peter Wright Anvils on the internet I see them with "solid wrought" stamped around the middle number. I also see some with "England"  stamped above the numbers. I see them with one or both of these markings. Just wondering why mine is as it is.

I know (I think) that it weighs 171 lbs.

The age is not important. I am just curious.

Mule

[Fatfudd]

Mule-

Peter Wright anvils did not have serial numbers  but you can get an approximate era that it was made in if you do a little research. At a point in the early 20th century England required that any exports be labeled with "England" . that isn't on your anvil that I can see.  Very early anvils, called colonial were of a specific design and yours dosen't look that early. Hope that helps?

[confederatemule]

I preciate the response. Any responses will help me.

[Marc1]

Nice PW, hope you will enjoy it and beat a lot of hot stuff on it.

I have a PW but it's a bit larger. Nice anvil, a bit loud, have to wrap a chain around it, and slide a luggage strap over the horn to keep it quiet. 

Magnaflux ... wow ... how long since I heard that term. We used to take crankshafts to the magnaflux to check for cracks. Big things 2 or 3 meters long. I wonder if they still do it or have invented another method. 

There is a way to do it yourself you know. Wrapping a welders lead around the shaft to create a magnetic field and applying the fluid with fine steel filings. Seen it done many times. For an anvil may be ... just might be ... you could try magnetic powder and a fixed powerful magnet bridging the area. 

[ThomasPowers]

So post 1820's and probably pre 1900

[confederatemule]

 

I found this on the internet.

" Peter wright anvils were made from about 1830 till at least around WWII,
these Anvils, at least the older ones were made with steel faces forge
welded on wrought iron bodies, never cast iron,[about the only quality Anvil
that has a cast iron body is the Fisher].Wright actually marked most of
their anvils "Solid Wrought" so that you wouldn't think they were made out
of Cast iron I guess. Peter Wrights are very popular anvils today and sell
for a premium, must have been popular when made too judging from how many
old ones I see, with out the doubt the most common English anvil.I used to
work on a Peter wright and personally I thought it was very noisy and I
think their faces are kind of soft, many that you see have a sway back to
them.I much prefer my old Fisher which sounds like a bag of wet cement and
has a hard face.Also the faces on the older PW's are made out of  several
pieces instead of just one plate like most anvils and I have seen them with
one piece of the table plate busted off.Toward the end of their
production,[1930's] they apparently made the anvils out of solid steel,
these were not marked "Solid Wrought" apparently.
 Dating PW's  involves a little guess work, earliest pre 1850 ones have a
thick blocky look about them, between 1852-60 they are marked with the word
"Patent",this was when they started the very distinctive "Lip" that runs
across the top of the feet. I think PW was the only anvil like this and you
can spot one from 20 feet away when you know to look for it. Between
1860-1885 [and later] they were marked solid wrought, between 1885-1910 they
finally got a one piece table plate, after 1910 they are marked
England.Probably most that you come across were made between 1880 and 1910
or so.....Most of this and more info can be found in the book Anvils in
America."

[ThomasPowers]

The boker trentons also had the foot ledge of the PW  and hourglass base of the HB IIRC.

Pretty much all the earlier anvils have the face welded up of several slabs---my Powell for instance shows it clearly as the heel failed at such a junction. One of the basic trends in anvils is that they went from more pieces forge welded up to fewer pieces.

[arftist]

Solid wrought refers to the body of the anvil.

It could hardly  be solid steel if it is solid wrought.

So, to  clarify ; solid wrought iron body, steel top plate.

Also, PWs have among the hardest top plates. An overly swayed version simply been worked long and hard.

 

[confederatemule]

Help please.

I have figgered out that "PW" means Peter Wright. Maybe HB means Hay-Budden. 

I can't figger out what IIRC means.

Thanks, Mule

[Tubalcain2]

If I recall correctly. not a anvil name, just internet slang.

[confederatemule]

I wish there was a way to acknowledge that I have read a post without typing a response. But, since they ain't no such option I say I sure do preciate the responses to my posts.

Mule

[JHCC]

3 minutes ago, confederatemule said:

I wish there was a way to acknowledge that I have read a post without typing a response. But, since they ain't no such option I say I sure do preciate the responses to my posts.

Mule

Welcome to IFI, where lots of helpful people hang out.

[confederatemule]

Well, it is very humid this mornin but here are some pictures here at my place. The other pictures were taken by the friend who found it and brought it to me. He also gave me the block of oak, well we actually did a little trading on the stand. He saturated the block of oak with polyurethane. The stump is taller (27in) than most folks would have it, but my lower back won't let me do much bending over. 

 

[JHCC]

Where does the height come to on you? Knuckles, wrist, etc?

Once you start using it regularly, the hot metal will really shine up the working surface. The condensation can make it rust pretty quickly, though (I've had this problem myself a number of times), so you should think about making a quick wipe with some rust protectant part of your shut-down routine. A lot of folks here recommend automatic transmission fluid (don't ask me why; I don't know), but almost any oil or wax should work fine.

Now, get to work bangin' on that thing!

[confederatemule]

Best I can tell it lacks 4 in. reachin my elbow. It is 37.5 in. from the ground to the top of the anvil. The stump is 24 in. tall. The pad is 2 in. tall. The anvil is 11.5 in. tall.

It will be inside a quonset building, on a concrete floor, eventually, but it will still be wet on days like today.  I am not too concerned about the surface rust.

I have a small gas forge, made from a propane bottle, but my next step is to build, or buy, a coal forge. The smoke hood and flue through the roof is my concern. I think I'll have to add a fan to be able to keep the start-up smoke from filling the building. But, this will be another post.

Mule

 

[JHCC]

That could be a bit high. Somewhere between the knuckles and the wrist is generally recommended.

Here's a simple test: take a board about the thickness of the stock you usually work, put it on the anvil, stand with nice upright posture, and hit it a bunch of times (not too hard; just enough to leave a mark). Look at the dents that it leaves.

If you have crescent-shaped divots with the points toward you, your anvil is too low.

If you have crescent-shaped divots with the points away from you, your anvil is too high.

If you have circular divots with the same depth all the way across, your anvil is just right.

[confederatemule]

Thanks fer the test instructions. I'll be checkin it out tomorrow.