True_Grit

WOW....AWESOME!

19 hours ago, Glenn said:

If you clean up the surface(s), what are you then going to use to protect them from rusting again? Why not a good metal primer and paint which should last several years. May I suggest plaid, or at least the family tartan. (grin). 

Keep the protective coating off the top surface of the horn and face as the hot metal will remove it rather quickly.

As a professional pipeline painter, I may be able to pull off the tartan with some creative masking.....GRIN....I suppose when I do get around to cleaning her up, I could paint the body, but think I may just go with an oil. Not sure if I can oil and season the sides like a cast iron pan. Down the road in anycase, right now I am banging on some obligatory railroad spikes. Maybe a hook or something later in the day.....

Thanks guys. It's easy to get caught up into making it look prettier, when really I just want to use it...So until it warms up outside, it'll stay rusty...But I am using it...Not doing much, but still banging on MY OWN anvil...Looking around to see what I should try first. My forge is still out in the barn, so I am heating up metal in our woodstove coals. It is slow and I am not as hot as I'd like, but I'm doing something. I'll grab the forge this week so I can get metal to proper temp.

Again thanks.

Well mostly I just want to get to practicing with the hammer, so I'll get right to it. Should I wire wheel the surface before hammering or just pound over the rust? Also would sandblasting (light brush blast) with fine media be a no no as opposed to using a wire wheel? I have very fine or even soda I can use.

I will do no modifications. I do want to clean her up just for fun, but more the priority is digging out my few hammers and tongs and banging...Going to look up some beginner projects. Thanks you all for your guidance.

Seriously, I thought (hack newbie here) the pitting was so bad it was ruined. It looks like this was in a field for 50 years. It has rebound as far as I can tell with a hammer, although the pitting throws it off.

I am THRILLED milling is not the answer. Was really down about the prospect of that.

Was intending to hitting it today with the wire wheel and linseed oil.

Thanks for the replies!

Hello. I had a borrowed farriers anvil a few years back, since returned. Been wanting to get something to start messing around again with and came by this. It is in VERY rough shape, but I am hoping I can salvage it, at least for my very amateurish efforts. It will beat the railroad plates we had been banging on since returning the farriers anvil.

I would like to do right by the anvil if at all possible, but realize it may be to far gone. I'm pretty sure I could(sacrilege) take it to a machine shop and mill off 1/16-1/8th and have something usable.

Looking for recommendations. I am just really happy to be finally circling back to playing with metal. I don't need beautiful, just functional.

The anvil weighs 344# on a non certified scale. I've been looking through threads here and so far it looks to be the worst shape of any I have seen. Oh well.

Hope the pics and information are enough to enlist your help.

Thanks for any ideas.

Scott