[TheForge] Gas forges/anvil repair

[Howell Steve]

Hi Mike-
It doesn't sound like your anvil needs major repair but I'll use this as an
opportunity to report on my anvil repairing project just completed recently.
I had some pretty bad torch gouges on my big Trenton. After researching the
issue for days I wound up going with a 'wear facing' stick rod. Not glass
hard, nor too soft. If your gouges are bad enough to warrant repair you can
do a web search on Anvil repair and quite a bit of stuff will come up.
Several manufacturers of hard/wear facing electrodes are out there. I wound
up using Rankin Industries 'Rainite-A Blue Tip' that gives a high 40's
Rockwell hardness as welded and probably higher after work hardening.
A rough guide:
Prep anvil by grinding out damaged areas. (for me this was getting rid of
the burnt metal that surrounded the torch nicks)
Preheat with a rosebud or weedburner to 350-400 degrees. (Buy a tempil-stick
at your welding supplier to monitor temp)
Proceed with welding up damaged areas.  Copper plate or graphite chunks can
be held against the side of the anvil and welded up against to rebuild
edges. 
Clean stringer beads well between passes. Some mfgr's say you should use a
weave pattern. I used both with good success.
 
Grind, grind, grind to your heart's content.  I use a cup-wheel on a big 9"
grinder for the final leveling and polishing.
Good luck,
Steve

 >>>
 

Also looking for some ideas on partially resurfacing an anvil to clean up a
few gouges.  It's pretty good except for a few small dings.  Suggestions?

Mike Murphy