[TheForge] Refurbishing an Anvil

Sat Apr 24 12:46:33 EDT 2010

To some extent, if the face is soft enough to suffer deep 
hammer marks, it is probably soft enough that you can 
partly dress it using a hard hammer with a crowned face.
I use a farrier's rounding hammer for this.
Wear protective gear and avoiding the edges, strike 
moderate blows around each dent, working inwards to each 
center. You should be able to crowd the high spots into 
the low spots to some extent. It takes patience
This'll work better on the horn.
If the steel face doesn't move in response to hammering, 
forget it. If you see micro cracks or generate surface 
flaking from metal fatigue, forget it.
If you weld on an anvil with a proper " glass hard" face, 
you will unavoidably end up with softer areas in the HAZ 
around each weld. Welding is a last resort.

dan tull wrote:
> OK.
> 1/8" ridges and valleys in the face is critical problem. Each face mark will 
> be impressioned into hot metal. The MG750 rod is "highest IMPACT" rod so no 
> heatreat is req'd. Weld up grooves, pien w/ hammer, and grind flat. A 9"d. 
> angle grinder works great. Rocks and sandpaper avail. Find another smith to 
> split a box of rods as they are pricey but THE rod for this job and will 
> double for any tool to mild steel job( hardy tangs to tool plates).
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Garrick Peterson" <garrickp at gmail.com>
> To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Saturday, April 24, 2010 11:08 AM
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Refurbishing an Anvil
> 
> 
>> Sorry, still fairly new, so my terminology isn't very precise yet.
>> Substitute "Table" for "Face", and you'll have a more clear idea.
>>
>> The anvil is at least 60-70 years old, forged (based on sunk in markings, 
>> as
>> opposed to raised markings) with a separate piece of steel for the face.
>> Would that make it a good candidate for welding the face?
>>
>> Also, how would I heat treat something like this? I'm basically familiar
>> with the technique, but at a much smaller level.
>>
>> -Garrick
>>
>> On Sat, Apr 24, 2010 at 8:47 AM, dan tull <dantull at numail.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Whoa!
>>> Fisher (a good brand) were guaranteed NOT  to ring(shipyards& R.R.
>>> yards).Only if the top is loose or half gone would it be considered 
>>> "sunk".
>>> I read "table" as the shelf instead of the anvil face. Therefore not
>>> hardened (except Fisher), and repairable w/ mig wire. Free is good , but 
>>> if
>>> the face is destroyed, be patient till a good one comes along. Refinish
>>> anvil face w/ MG750 rod ,if required. No pre/post heat req'd, and great 
>>> for
>>> diss-similar carbon content steels.
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Peter Fels & Phoebe Palmer" <artgawk at thegrid.net>
>>> To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>>> Sent: Saturday, April 24, 2010 3:37 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Refurbishing an Anvil
>>>
>>>
>>>> Garrick;
>>>> If it thunks, then it's probably sunk.
>>>> My suggestion is to use it like it is until you can pick
>>>> up a good one.
>>>> Use a 4" belt sander to take off the high spots.
>>>> Refurbishing an anvil with a separated face plate is more
>>>> work than it's worth. To do it well is expensive and very
>>>> time consuming...Or you could forge weld the face back on
>>>> and quench it with a fire hose.
>>>>
>>>> Garrick Peterson wrote:
>>>>> I have access to an old anvil for a very reasonable price (i.e. free).
>>>>> However, the anvil has seen quite a few years, and it's showing the
>>>>> abuse.
>>>>> The table is beat all to hell (defined as hammer marks creating nearly
>>>>> 1/8"
>>>>> ridges and valleys), and it has a very dull "thunk" when tapped with a
>>>>> hammer.
>>>>>
>>>>> I'd like to make use of it, but I'm curious about what it would take 
>>>>> to
>>>>> refurbish the anvil, and whether it would be worth the time or cost.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks!
>>>>>
>>>>> -Garrick
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> 
> 
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