confederatemule

The man who gave mine to me [in 1977] said that the heel or horn will break off fairly easy if they recieve a blow from the under side. For instance, if it falls from a stand to a hard surface. I am only repeating what I was told.

Does amnyone know anything about the "3" stamped on the base under the horn?

Thanks, folks, for all of the answers and suggestions.

I have access to a solid piece of metal that I can have cut to correct size and shape. I can then have it welded to the anvil, as Tom did. The only cost will be the welding rods. The cracks are something to consider and, as mentioned earlier, the horn attachment does not look good. If the horn breaks, at a later date, I guess I can have it welded back on. Although, repair can equal the price of another [good] anvil, very fast.
???????????

Thomas, In picture 25/25 is that a crack where the horn joins the main body of the anvil?

the first 1 is hundredweights=112 lbs
the second 1 is quarter hundredweights=28 lbs
the eight is pounds=8
total=148 lbs

Another question. What do the numbers, "1 1 8", on the side oposite from the maker's name mean?
What does the number, "3" on the horn end of the base mean?

Thanks to all for your rsponses.

Mule

traditionally made *old* anvils were forge welded up from chunks of wrought iron. The faces were composed of pieces of higher carbon plate forge welded to the wrought iron. If the face line lines up with the weld line of a piece of the body and that weld was not quite as good as it could have been then they sometimes failed at that point.
Now to repair it old school you need to clean and dress the break, forge a chunk of real wrought iron into the proper shape and forge weld it on and then forge weld a new face section and punch the hardy hole, (or pre-drill it cold and then drift it *hot*) and then re-heat treat the entire anvil.
This is a major undertaking! As most smiths have not worked with real wrought iron or in teams---necessary to do large heavy time critical smithing tasks. As a demo at Quad-State on year they refaced an anvil by forge welding a new high carbon plate to it. Using a team of experienced smiths they took 4 attempts IIRC to get the face welded on properly.
If it's in as nice a condition as the one shown it's still a great anvil just not one with a hardy or heel---I have a Powell like that and it works great---especially with new students whose hammer weight seems to exceed their IQ at times....
However if you are really wanting to do it old school and don't have to have it usable any time soon GO FOR IT!
Perhaps see if the SouthFork smithing group wants to try it sometime---*heavy* *bragging* *rights* if you succeed!
(And this was done historically, there are even adds in 19th century blacksmithing journals offering such repairs!)
Now if you want to go modern a full penetration arc weld of a suitable piece of steel is called for (and you know that welding wrought iron with arc can be done but is a bit trickier than modern steels due to the slag content).
As the heel doesn't get much pounding on I'd go with a low to medium carbon steel and not worry about hardening it.
I have an old anvil missing the face and the heel, so if you get a team together I'd like to be part of it and we can practice on both of them! (and am probably moving back to NW AR next year...)

How many pictures can I send here?

I am very new here, and I am not any part of a Black Smith. I used to shoe horses as a part time job, so that is as close as I ever got to being a Black Smith.
Years ago I accumilated a Wilkenson & Son Queens Dudley anvil that is missing the rear body. I never needed it cause I had an excellent farrier's anvil. Now I have a naging desire to repair this old anvil.
The picture is not of my anvil, but, it is broken at the same place as mine. I do not have the part that is broken off.
Does anyone have any suggestions or can anyone point me to information about repairing it?

Thanks for any help.
Mule