Subject: Re: Anvil question

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 1996 22:29:44 -0500

I have rebuilt or repaired several anvils, from corner repair to replacing
the whole top plate complete with new hardie and pritchel holes.  Some points
to consider:
1.  Get a 9" right angle grinder like a Black & Decker Wildcat with a sanding
backup pad and disc.  Grind the high spots with a reinforced wheel and then
smooth everything out with sanding discs.  Start with 24 grit, then go maybe
50 or 80.  There is no real need to go finer.
2.  If you decide to weld on the anvil, you need to do two things.  First,
try to find out what kind of material it is made from.  Most were wrought
iron bodies with high carbon plates, but there are exceptions.  Fisher anvils
are very high quality but were cast and don't ring.  This in no way detracts
from their utility but their weldability is different.  Second, you must
preheat the anvil before welding.  It is a big heat sink and will chill the
weld causing brittleness.  Use a torch and heat it to at least 400-600
degrees.  Don't weld it with common rods such as 7018 - spend the extra money
and buy rods made for the purpose from Eutectic, Certanium, etc.  Ask your
local welding shop.  Be aware you can draw the hardness out of surrounding
areas by heat application, so be judicious.  I think welding is a last
resort, so if your edges are rounded and you want them a little sharper, I
would probably either grind the sides of the anvil to bring the edge in
(there are limits to this) or make a sharp-edged block to fit in the hardie
hole.  Good luck...Hollis

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From: "Roger W. Schmitt" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 1996 22:21:55 -0500

At 10:33 PM 2/21/96 EST, you wrote:
>
>Patrick J. Retton writes:
>> 
>> After three months of searching for an anvil I was finally able to find
>> someone who would part with their's.  I have everything else needed to 
>> begin blacksmithing, but just starting out I didn't want to pay $420 for
>> a new 120 lbs anvil.  The anvil that I found weighs around 200 lbs, appears 
>> to be forged iron with a welded 5/8 inch steel face.  The face has some rough
>> spots from use and the last owner used it to spotweld on leaving pieces of
>> steel stuck on the face.  My question is, how do I smooth the face up?  I
>> used a grinding wheel to clean off the spotwelded places.  Or being a
>> beginner should I just work with what I got and then worry about the face
>> down the road?  I would like to eventually learn how to make knives.  Thanks
>> in advance.
>> 
>> Pat
>> [email-masked]
>
>> Pat...I started blacksmithing about four years ago and also started with
>a used anvil. You did the right thing by grinding the rough spots. You
>my want to finish with a fine grit sanding disc for the grinder. Forget
>filing...you will just wreck the file! I do not know anything about knife
>making but I do know that for my work the rough surface does not
>interfere. The only real drag about second hand anvils are the edges.
>Concerning these all you really can do is clean them up the best you can.
>
>Cheers Michael Kinghorn
>
>
>

Pat,

Unless the anvil is in really bad shape you can probably refurbish it will
little
trouble. I'll have to dig around in my files but I believe I have some
information
on welding up the edges and other bad spots. I had it done to my anvil and
have had
no problems. A good welder using the right rod can do it. If you need to
information
let me know and I will search for it.

Take care,

Roger W. Schmitt
Alliance, OH

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 96 17:05:07 PST

On Wed, 21 Feb 1996 21:33:49 -0500 (EST)  Patrick J. 
Retton wrote:
>The face has some rough spots from use and the last owner 
>used it to spotweld on leaving pieces of
>steel stuck on the face.  My question is, how do I smooth 
the face up? 
>[email-masked]

A cup stone (available from most welding suppliers) 
mounted on a right angle grinder does a decent job.  You 
work carefully, keeping the stone flat to the surface and 
working it lightly.  You can really smoothout, without 
gougeing out, a lot of anvil top sins.

-----------------------------------------------------
Name: Franklyn D. Garland        A Hobby Is Hard work
E-mail: [email-masked]          You wouldn't Do For
Date: 02/23/96                     A Living.
Time: 17:05:08

http://www.mcs.net/~frnklyn/homepage/
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