mattinker

Hi, for the moment, I'm not in a position to be able to reforge the anvil, I would be reluctant to have to heat treat it! I am tending towards the cut it off square and use it as it is solution! Regards, Matthew

Hi, interesting idea, I could go bigger than that, I have big size taps available. I may just cut it off straight and us it as it is with a small home made Anvil like I describe in my reply to Bentiron1946. Regards, Matt

Hi, I wouldn't describe myself as being "hot and bothered" to weld it up! My original project was to leave it as it is and build a small square and round horn anvil using RR track, but vertically with a stubby "T" with the two "horns on it along the lines of http://www.anvilfire.com/21centbs/anvils/making/RR-rail_anvils.php This would allow me to make what I couldn't without the points. Then I read the "Rob Gunther" article, and checked out the Castolin equivalents of the rods he uses I haven't got the same resources you have in the US!. I thought that I would give it a go! Now I'm coming back round to my original idea, but I still have to get some 7018 rods to weld the RR track. It could be use full to have a blunt ended anvil! Regards, Matt

I'm sorry not to have replied sooner, I've been working away from home. The Hardie is curved, coming out of the side. I don't think I'd risk driving it in to form it, the inside is quite rough and I wouldn't like to get it stuck. I don't think it will be too hard to forge the curve and taper. I went back and had another look at my anvil and compared it with another that "rings" cast, I'm sure now that mine is wrought with a welded hard face. I'm waiting for the Castolin rep to show up to get some hard facing rods to repair the "horns". Regards, Matthew

When looking into my Anvil, see thread precedent (Old French Anvil), I did a spark test, on the side of the horn, then, I realised that if it had a plate welded on the top, it would spark differently. What I had thought was a work created bulge spreading out around the whole of the upper face was in fact a steel plate. the top sparked differently from the side! regards, Matthew

Thanks for the pointer, I'm going to have to find an equivalent rod, as I can't find the same ones here. I'm seeing the Castolin rep soon and I've found the Eutectic equivalent. It may be a while away, but I'll keep you posted! Regards, Matthew

Rob, Hulot and Harmel is the make, A in this context is "at", et is "and",so Sedan et Doncherry is where they were made in the French Ardennes. there are still foudries there, but non under the name Hulot Harmel 25600 would appear to be the serial number. There a few on ebay.fr at the moment! I'm sorry, I cant tell you more than that A very nice looking anvil! Everything points towards the story as being true! Regards, Matthew

I'll lookit straight up! Thanks, Matthew

I thought about that but they would be kinda stubby. Regards, Matthew

Thanks, I used a description that I found, I was struck by the difference in colour, the body sparks being much more red. If it's wrought, I should be able to weld it! How about 7018 rods? Regards, Matthew

Hi, Yes I live in France (although I am not French!). My Anvil is typically French in that like yours, it has no pritchle hole, no step and two "horns". I have a second, smaller one that has better "horns", but the shoulders are more damaged. Whilst thinking about your Anvil, I realised that my spark test was incomplete so I went back an tried the grinding the top and the side, I've answered my own question, a cast iron body wit a steel plate welded on top. As the body is cast by the spark, I won't be able to do much to it that I can see! To be able to see your Anvil, I changed the colour"levels" I hope you don't mind! They are exactly the same shape! Regards, Matthew

Hi, I've posted pictures of my old French Anvil, I broke my old weighing scales trying to weigh it. Rough calculations put it at about 115 Kgs. It rings well. I have started cleaning up the corners which were not broken, but slightly mushroomed. As you can see, both point are broken off, I'm afraid that if I weld new points on they will just break off! I just did a spark test on the work formed ridge on the horn. Long orange sparks that explode at the end. Like cast but an exploding end I would be grateful for your comments particularly on what it's made of and is it weld-able! Regards, Matthew

Thank you everyone, now I need to get some practice! I would like to learn to forge weld not only for myself, but so that I can show my grandsons, they're only little for the moment, but I want them to see as much as they can. I'd love to be able to show them how to make a hammer from scrap! Thanks again, Matthew

Thank! I found a bag full of roller blade bearings that I was given not too long ago! I'll be doing some more RR track cutting soon, so maybe that and the ball bearings could work out OK! Thanks again, Matthew

Hi everybody, I need to understand about how to go about forge welding dissimilar steels. My long term project include hammer making. I have a lot of 40mm (1"1/2) square bar and some old leaf springs. I would like to weld hard faces to the hammers. How does one heat the carbon steel to welding heat without driving off the carbon? I could ark weld around the joint with 7018 rods and heat the mild end so that the welding heat arrives from the mild steel, but I need to understand how it would be done traditionally to learn the process! Regards, Matthew