rhoggman

I assure you the edges are still shaped There are marking where I bent some flat bar, but it is just from the paint burning. Also the Mark's on the surface are superficial from beating tool steel. If I look close they are only black and brown Mark's imparted from the object I was hammering. They are not actual indentations. Even when running a finger or a nail over the surface, it is still 100% flat. Additionally, my forge is inadequate. I don't think I am heating objects to the ideal temperature. Work in progress.... the round bar you see is a trailer hitch cross bar. Super hard... been beating the crap out of it for learning purposes. Taking a class on Saturday. Hopefully I will learn more.

As requested.... too late for caulk, but ringing is no more. I Believe screwing it down killed the ringing, but harbor freight chain may have helped too.

I am new, and know virtually nothing about anvils. I did buy one of the Chinese anvils discussed here (30kg version). I purchased mine from Ebay as the Amazon price was approximately $60 USD more. The Anvil arrived in a box with no protective packaging. Actually, it looked like someone threw it off of the truck... Surprisingly, it did not appear to be damaged. The anvil is covered in a sticky blue paint. It really should be removed if at all possible. If for no other reason, it puts off noxious fumes when hot metal touched the horn. While I cannot speak from a position of vast experience I can say without a doubt it is steel. I have been beating on mine for a couple of weeks and there is no visible sign of damage/ dents to the surface. Your mileage may vary, but considering the prices of other new anvils I consider this to be a great deal at $120 USD. There is a 70kg version available for a little more than double the price. I took a chance considering local options all appear to be way over-priced based on an antique or collector value, and the nearest new price competitor was around $300 higher with consistently bad reviews. At the very least I feel lucky that I did not spend $400 USD on a piece of junk. One thing that is a absolute must.. this thing needs to be screwed down otherwise it rings obnoxiously.