orange peel top...

[heyyou910]

just picked up a 200# fisher/norris in good shape. Edges sharp, only a couple gouges in oddball spots...only thing is, the face has an orange peel texture to it. Not too bad but not purdy and flat either. Is this something that'll level out over time with use or do I need to do some work on the face before use?

No pics as camera is down..sorry

thanks folks

[Glenn]

Have you tried the anvil out in their shop. What is the size of the texture? Does it impart (duplicate) the texture to the metal? Is that texture objectionable or something you can use? Any idea what caused the texture, such as age, rust, intentional modification?

My suggestion would be to spend 10 hours hammer time on the top of the anvil. This should be enough to brighten the face where the work was being done so you can see what is actually contacting the metal, if it imparts a pattern to the metal.

Try to figure out what caused the *beauty marks* on that particular anvil, how it was used by the former owner(s), and how you can put it to use to do what you want. Use the anvil for a year or so and then decide if you want to modify YOUR anvil for YOUR type of work. The weight difference, the size, shape, etc between two anvils can made a difference to some blacksmiths or to some projects.

To me new flat bar from the steel supplier has an orange peel surface texture, and the old metal has an orange peel surface texture due to several years of rust and weather.
We can offer several suggestions, but without photos we are taking our best guess.

[Bob JS]

I wonder if the anvil has become very rusted and pitted at some point, and what you are seeing is the surface after it has been wire brushed? That or maybe it has been used for lots of sheet metal work and is coved in small dimples and dents?

I have worked on an anvil that was used to make a lot of flowers, and when I looked carefully it had many dimples from ball peins.

Edited May 11, 2009 by Bob JS
one hand types quicker than the other

[heyyou910]

The texture is due to rust. It's a solid anvil, just the face is pitted from corrosion. If it won't make much of a difference as far as transfer to slick stock, I'll leave it. Hopefully the hammer will take care of it eventually. Guess I could always do some polishing if needed. Camera is down at the moment...otherwise I'd post some pics

[Avadon]

just picked up a 200# fisher/norris in good shape. Edges sharp, only a couple gouges in oddball spots...only thing is, the face has an orange peel texture to it. Not too bad but not purdy and flat either. Is this something that'll level out over time with use or do I need to do some work on the face before use?

No pics as camera is down..sorry

thanks folks

Do you mean orange skin texture where as it is just slightly rusty and dimpled inward into the face, or do you mean it has a lifted texture like when steel is left outside for ages and ages and has a really rough and raised texture from steel deposits accumulating?

Use will break that all off, but you could also take a small wire wheel or wire brush to it, that certainly won't hurt it.

[Charlotte]

Avadon raises an intesting point. Raise or depressed? If it is weld spatter then most of it will knock off with a strong scraper like the square end of file.

If it is small depressions in the surface you might want to try this. When I bought a anvil with that texture I used a cheap discount store flat grind stone and water to smooth the surface of the anvil. That way I didn't remove much metal and I could readily see where the high and low spots were. I chose that method rather than flap grinding or a belt sander because it was gentle and slow enough that I didn't over do it.

[unkle spike]

If you must, and think about it, and try the anvil first as others have suggested.

Use a belt sander to grind and polish, it will keep you from getting "dips" from grinding with a hard wheel or flap disc. It takes longer, but the result is a flatter surface. Or as Charlotte has said, a flat stone and water. Either way, go slow, checking often that you are not taking off more than needed.

A picture would help, as with most anvils they have some wear etc. Unless it unusable, and you have tried and established that, leave it alone if you can. A worked over anvil will never be the same....

[ThomasPowers]

I have an anvil that sat in an unheated leanto in a swampy area of Ohio for 50+ years.

It had a fine even pitting on the face from rusting from condensation. I'm slowly polishing out the face by using it and letting the scale do the work!

[DKForge]

I found a 450# Fisher with the same condition. It has a case of dimples in the top from sitting outside in the rain prior to my finding it. If you look at the picture below when wire brushed those dark spots are dimpled depressions from rust. I would say it depends on how deep your dimples are and whether what you are making is affected by the marks they leave. But as I always point out and has already been said by others use it first and then decide.

[heyyou910]

Yep...Same condition as the one I have. Tiny dimples. I'll give it a whirl and see how she does. If it does end up needing some work, I'll make of the suggestions...Thanks folks :-)

[Avadon]

I found a 450# Fisher with the same condition. It has a case of dimples in the top from sitting outside in the rain prior to my finding it. If you look at the picture below when wire brushed those dark spots are dimpled depressions from rust. I would say it depends on how deep your dimples are and whether what you are making is affected by the marks they leave. But as I always point out and has already been said by others use it first and then decide.

How difficult is it to take to welding/fabricator and have the surface milled off a 1/16'th or so. Do people ever do this?

[Glenn]

Yes it is done. In some anvil construction, the face is a plate attached to the anvil. Removal of 1/16 inch reduces the thickness of the plate which can not be undone. If the center is low or worn from use, (the anvil swaybacked, etc) then you will have to take much more off the ends to get them level with the lowest point of the face plus the 1/16 inch you want to remove.

The feet of the anvil are not always parallel to the face. If the fellow operating the mill does not realize this, he can remove the face at an angle.

[Avadon]

That would be catastrophic to realize that you just milled a guys anvil to a nice angle. He or she would probably want to drop it on you after making that mistake. :o

[unkle spike]

My mouse hole has a slant, the bottom and top are not parallel so machining is out of the question, unless I wanted to square the bottom first, then the top. That aint gonna happen...

[Dodge]

IF one was to mill the top surface, and the top and bottom aren't parallel, the bottom could be shimmed until the top IS level, but I wouldn't mill unless it was very VERY bad. If it's that bad, its probably sway backed as Glenn described, and even if leveled, you still aren't going to get a flat top without sacrificing the integrity of the hard plate. Just MHO

[Iron Falcon 72]

I had a Soldefors milled that was very pitted and swaybacked with pretty heavy chipping on the edges. It turned out very nicely and is much more useful.

The key to a good job is finding a shop that really has the proper equipment and a good reputation. Mine had a lubricant-cooled mill they used on racing motor heads and blocks. The lube is necessary to keep from overheating and losing the temper.

Then you have to communicate exactly what you want done. I don't think that perfectly parallel top to bottom is not necessary although I'd want the step to be as close to square as possible. Take the minimum necessary to get the kind of face you need. It's probably not necessary to get all of the pits out. They can stop milling at any point.

It cost $55 USD 3 years ago to get mine done and I still have only $2 per pound in it.