Hairy_eyeball Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 Hello everyone, I joined this forum with the specific goal of getting some help in identifying this anvil I was able to pick up this past week. It has lived on the children's camp I work at for a long time and ive had my eyes on it for years. It has lived its life as a beating block and a farriers tool for horseshoes. No idea where it came from before it arrived on this property in upstate NY. Ive done some research and at first I was excited to see that it said P Wright, but after reading more I realized its probably not what it says, I think someone tried to falsify the stamp in order to sell it for more money, but I cant be sure. Its been sitting at the tack shed for 15 plus years as far as I know. you will see that it has heavy damage on the back end, where the heel is completely missing, its got lots of scars and marks from kids beating on it and almost looks like someone was shooting it with a BB gun. the strangest thing I can see is the crack/bad weld job looking thing on the base under the stamp (picture 3) and possibly someone was welding and dripped a little (picture 9). there is also a hairline crack on the face (picture 8). The bottom is in good shape, marked 1-0-2. (obviously it has lost some weight) The guy in charge of our horsemanship program wanted to get rid of it and I snatched it up, the only thing ive done to it was take the surface rust off, since it has been exposed to a lot of rain and snow. Any and all info or tips would be appreciated, id like to know more about it and take care of it. I will also entertain thoughts of passing it along since I already own a Vulcan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 Welcome aboard Hairy glad to have you. I don't see anything that shouts forgery to me anyone who could fake stamped letters that artistically wouldn't need to try scamming folk for a few bucks. The pitting is from rust not bbs, etc. nothing unusual with it's surface condition especially under the conditions you described for it. It's not unusual for face plates to be pretty thin and high carbon steel doesn't corrode the same way wrought iron does so seeing a little bit of a step or a sharp difference isn't too surprising. The piece under the name stamp is probably caused by an inclusion in the original forging and years of freeze that forcing the flake out. That's my take on it without being able to put hands on it. Having the heal or horn break off isn't unusual and I don't see anything in the break that says unusual. I most certainly could be wrong but I don't believe PW used Roman numerals so that would be a 1 0 11 rather than a 1 0 2. Not that 9 lbs would've meant much if it were more complete. What does scale say it weighs? I don't think that's a "crack" in pic. 8 I think it might MIGHT be a shallow chip out of the face IF it's anything. Somebody could've set a piece of copper pipe on it right there for a couple years and etched out a hairline. Have you don't a rebound test? Drop a small ball bearing, I like 1/2" dia though other guys like 1" monster bearings. Anyway drop it from distance and estimate how much it bounces back as a percentage. If you're not good at eyeballing this kind of thing do it from the 10" mark on a ruler. Do it over the entire face watching for a sudden change in rebound or sound. The mark in Pic 8 would get a couple drops just because. Using a small ball pein hammer in a similar manner is a good way to rebound test though it takes a little more experience to judge as it's not as straight forward in rebound. It is however a much better way to examine the whole face for dead spots, any sudden change is a flag and lower rebound and flatter ring go together. All in all I think being asked to rescue this proud old work horse is an honor and as a freebie makes it a SWEET DEAL. Congratulations. Are you going to put it to work? I hope if you're going to use it for a decoration, how about derusting it and coating it with a good preservative, LPS3 works well but boiled linseed oil or one of my favorites,Trewax applied to fresh coffee hot steel will see that old beauty around for another generation to work on. She has a lot of useful life in her. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 It's NOT marked 102 it's marked 1 0 11 in the old english hundredweight system: The left most number is hundredweights == 112 pounds, the middle is quarter hundred weights == 28 pounds and can only be 0-3 and the last number is the remainder and so can only be 0-27. Your used to weight (1 x 112) + (0 x 28) + (11); or 123 pounds. The face looks great DON'T TOUCH IT WITH A GRINDER OR MILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The name stamping predates the patina on the side so if anybody was scamming it was done over 100 years ago. I think it's an early PW and a great starter anvil! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judson Yaggy Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 Not a fake stamp. Right kind of spacing, serrifs on the letters, old damage on top of the older letters, etc. It's an older anvil but not unique or collectors item especially with the damage. Congrats, its a user! Now start using it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy_eyeball Posted July 17, 2017 Author Share Posted July 17, 2017 you guys are making me feel better by the minute, and Im seeing dollar signs. haha yes I made a mistake about the weight stamp, I was lazy and didnt give the roman numerals. but I didnt know that was eleven or two? I havnt done the scale test yet to see actual weight after damage. The rebound test was good, although I didnt have half inch bearings, I did have 1 Inch and 3/4 inch. went with the smaller and from a 10 inch drop the average rebound was 8 3/4" on the ruler. the "crack" area was the lowest at about 8 inches. The ring didnt change, and the hammer felt good through out the test. not shown were the straight edge pictures, the face is all marred up and bowl shaped in 2 places. its had a hard life. I have no plans to mill it down. I only lightly used a wire wheel to take out the surface rust. Should I really let the wire wheel dig in to get the rest of the rust out before I preserve it? I would like to use it a bit just to say I have before I get it to a new home or keep it on display. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 What size bearing you use isn't a rule I'm just lazy and I can carry a 1/2" ball in my pocket all the time just in case. The downside with smaller ones is they take wild bounces more often and can find smaller hidy holes. Tricksy they are, tricksy. Call it 80-88% are good numbers, high end of the curve. Wire brushing won't hurt it but if you'd prefer you can do electrolysis to convert the rust back into iron. Put it in a plastic tub with enough water to cover it, add a electrolyte washing soda is a good one but anything to conduct electricity. Hook a positive electrode to the anvil and the negative to a sacrificial plate in the solution. A 12v manual trickle charger works a treat. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave51B Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 Hey Frosty.....I think you have your polarity backwards. Red to rust (or sacrificial electrode) is the way I have done it for years. 1 tbls. per gallon on the washing soda ,works a treat. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 From several places on the internet: Attach battery charger - place NEGATIVE LEAD (this is critical!!) on the piece that is to be cleaned. Attach POSITIVE, or RED lead of charger, to electrode "grid" formed when you placed electrodes, or rods, into bucket and tied them all together. NEGATIVE to the part to be derusted. RED to sacrificial electrode. Safety You are dealing with electricity and water. Be very careful. Wear eye protection and skin protection at all times Work outside and up wind of the process. Do not use chrome plated materials in the set up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 You're right Dave, Glenn I got it backwards . . . AGAIN! Be careful around electricity and water, don't plug the charger in until after you have everything hooked up. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Olson Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 9 hours ago, Glenn said: Work outside and up wind of the process. It gives off hydrogen gas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 You do run into the occasional counterfeit anvil, from insufficient copyWright protection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thief_Of_Navarre Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 *rolls eyes and sighs* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 But a counterfeit anvil is just the thing for *forging* stuff! (it had to be said!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.