I'm currently in the process of building my own anvil. I just bought some 4"x4" blocks and a 3.375" dia round from work, all 1018 steel. I would eventually like to put a toolsteel face on it, I was thinking O1 .750"x4"x12", but I have a couple of concerns. If I heat treat the toolsteel first, then welding it on will likely soften it up, but if I attach it first, then its just too big to to heat. If anyone has a better idea I could sure use the help. My second question is how well will 1018 perform "as is", if i were to not attach a hard plate on top could I somehow just harden the edges with say a hardfacing welding rod? Finished weight will be somewhere between 120-140 lbs.