[TheForge] Anvil Repair

[Peter Fels and Phoebe Palmer]

At 10:48 AM 1/13/02, you wrote:


>Peter Fels and Phoebe Palmer wrote:
> >
> > At 07:56 PM 1/8/02, you wrote:
>
>
> > 3. Sometimes large chunks fly off the edge of a welded up anvil after a few
> > years. It's ugly.
>
>         What constitutes "Sometimes"?  Sometimes brand new anvils fail.
>         My 124# baby was the first anvil rebuilt by NJBA, about 6 years
>         ago.  It spent at least two years in the shop at Allaire Village
>         where it was routinely abused in a serious manner by the budding
>         new smiths whose hammer control left a lot to be desired.  I have
>         mercilessly pounded on it on a fairly regular basis for the past
>         four years.  So far, no failures.  I have one shear of the new
>         edge that occured when I slipped with a 5# sledge whilst striking
>         for a friend.  That was at least three years ago.  I have beaten
>         on that precise spot many times since then and there has been no
>         visible advance to failure in that time.

I've only seen 4 anvils ruined  by arc welding..2 were missing big chunks.


> > 4. Welding ruins whatever collector value it might have. If the anvil is
> > very old, this is important.
>
>         Fortunately for me, I have no interest in collector value.
>         I have keen interest in historical value and real utility
>         as a tool.

My qualifier was " very old" and I'll stick to that.


> > Most  flaws on anvil edges can be smoothed out  and rounded
> > up with some careful grinding...and sometimes a chipped spot can be worked
> > into a useful form.
>
>         Grinding removes material.  Hardfacing replaces it.  I am an
>         advocate of hardfacing, especially on edges that take the most
>         serious abuse.

Sure seems like a last resort to me.


> > 6. If your anvil face isn't "glass hard" it is possible to hammer out a lot
> > of the shallower dents and dings....using a hard, polished, gently crowned
> > hammer.  It takes a lot of moderate blows to herd the displaced steel
> > back  where it came from...but the hammer will just float on the rebound.
>
>         If you have 20 extra years with nothing better to do than chase
>         the hard steel face of an anvil, then go ahead.  If your face is
>         soft enough that you will not be into social security by the time
>         you are done, you may have another problem altogether.

It is quicker than you might imagine..especially if you think about the 
time involved in preheat,welding prep, welding , Post heat, grinding and 
polishing. And given the right hammer with a long handle  and a tall body 
with a smallish crowned face it moves metal pretty well..
I'd note here that I couldn't do that before I repaired  my anvil....and 
can not do it now on areas  of the face that didnt see any welding.

> >
>         I believe we speak here of practical means for working smiths.  I
>         don't see a collector as either needing or wanting to rebuild an
>         anvil for the reasons you cite above.  But for a smith that needs
>         a functioning anvil, leaving a shot one in shot condition makes no
>         sense whatever, and not rebuilding the face in the ways that have
>         been proven to work well also makes no sense.  I cannot recall a
>         single smith ever expressing to me concern about the collector value
>         of their working anvils.  NJBA has done, IIRC, four rebuilding
>         events.  I've been to all but one and have ground perhaps 45 anvils
>         back to better-than-new condition.  I've not heard a single complaint
>         about the quality of the work, and to my knowledge not a single one
>         has failed as yet.


Excellent, may they never fail. But if you think about the grain structure 
that results at the weld boundries...the next generation of smiths may 
curse us. On the other hand, i'll be safely dead by then.
RE " shot anvils"  redone well...sure, I agree with you. But  welding on a 
serviceable anvil is a mistake...IMHO.

>_______________________________________________
>http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
>theforge mail list group photo site is
>http://www.photoaccess.com
>Login:  blacksmithblacksmith@hotmail.com
>password:  anvil
>___________