Hello,

Long time lurker, Finally managed to find an anvil locally for a good price in good condition to go with a gas forge i built last year.

Its not seen much work and its lived outside for many years.

All i know about this anvil is the guy said he got it from a blacksmith friend from the black country many years ago. So it might be from the dudley area of the west midlands making Peter Wright or Joshua Wilkinson & Sons likely makers or possibly just a copy. It looks to my untrained eye a wrought iron body with a steel face top.

I only got it yesterday so i haven't given it a proper wire brushing yet or weighed it.

it has a good ring all over and 60-70% rebound across the face tested with a ball bearing dropped from 10 inches.

The only markings i can see are 1 2 4 across the side. I can lift it quite easily so i assume this is 124lb's or 56kg and not the hundred weight system which would make it 172lb or 78kg which means it might be an arm and hammer maybe?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

size: 4 inches wide, 26 inches long and 12 inches tall

 

cheers

16 minutes ago, monkeh said:

Hello,

Long time lurker

Welcome! Thanks for coming out of the shadows and joining the party.

Others will be along to discuss your anvil soon, but in the mean time, if you haven't yet, please READ THIS FIRST!!!

Welcome to the active branches, glad you delurked. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the gang live within visiting distance. 

Sweet score on the anvil, no idea who made it or when but the condition looks to be very good. The heal and horn being that thin will reduce the rebound on them, don't let that worry you. Rebound will get better once you have the rust cleaned off the face. Wire brush ONLY, no grinding or sanding, a little hot steel and hammering will put a shine on her face in not time. Brush the whole thing and use a preservative on it if you like iron color rather than a rust patina. There are a number of good commercial treatments, I'm a real fan of LPS 3 spray, it leaves a tough wax film while the volatiles are very penetrating and contain rust reversing and preventative chemistry. Any polymerizing oil is a good though durability is variable. I'm also a fan of carnuba wax, applied warm it's very penetrating and when cool is really hard so it lasts a long time. It's the wax they use on bowling allies and they have to sand it off when they want to strip it. 

Frosty The Lucky.

Thanks guys, ive added my location. Yeah i wont be doing anything apart from a light wire brushing and then either a coating of boiled linseed oil or some beeswax.

I see dots between the numbers most likely making it hundred weight and 172lbs. 

Looks like an excellent anvil. Nice find, use it in good health. 

Bees wax stays soft and tacky so it will rub off leaving surfaces unprotected and your clothes stained. You wouldn't be the only one using it. It's just not my favorite preservative for iron work.

Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome out from the shadows monkeh.

I'll leave the anvil ID to those that know.

Northhants, definately fellow members around your area, got two of them at a forge in Kettering, good contact for tooling and they do lessons on weekends. I'm sure one of them will be along in due course.

Ah that's cool.  Kettering is 10 minutes from my house. 

Then you'll be familiar with Glendon Farm, if so you can visit the forge of the Iron Dwarf, I'm surprised he's not been along to say hi yet......he must be busy making something....

 

hi monkeh

yes you are welcome to visit glendon forge

am sending you am IM, look for an envelope at the top right of the screen to get the message

Hey man. Thanks for the invitation.