resurfacing an anvil

[klickitat]

I picked up a 55# anvil that was abused badly. I was thinking about resurfacing so that my younger sons could use it. The thought was to have a piece of AR500 3/8" thick lazer cut with the appropriate holes and then either weld it to the top or sweat in on or even braze it on. What is your guys opinion? For those that do not know what AR steel is; it is an abrasion resistant plate that stands up to impact extremely well. I use it on targets. It will take a .308 round at 100 yrds with out even so much as putting a dent into it.

[HWooldridge]

It can be done but is a bit of work - I think I wrote a note here a while back on how I refaced a couple of anvils. The AR500 will probably work but you may draw some of the hardness when you weld it. It would be advisable to weld and let the plate cool so the whole thing stays below 300-400 degrees. I welded mine from the center out to the edge so I set the plate on 3/8 round rod that went around the hardy and pritchel and down the middle of the face. The material around the holes prevents weld metal from enterign and causing interference later. This also allows getting an electrode into the root and welding more or less homogenously all the way across so there are no dead spots.

We use AR500 for armor on architectural elements such as doors and window frames - it is tough stuff and pretty hard, I think around 50 Rc.

[frogvalley]

I rarely recommend any repairs other than a belt sander. Remember, you only need a smooth flat spot the size of the hammer you are using. Most old anvils have a sway back and chipped edges. Several of mine do and I don't seem to find a problem with them.

Welding a new face on is tricky at best. Brazed on will be very soft and I wouldn't try it. The idea of an anvil is to have a contiguous piece of metal that has a hard face and softer body that will take the pounding. Nothing short of original will work in my mind, repairs are somehow almost always less than original.

Use the abused one.

HW- please take no offense. Your method seems quite good and would, if I were to repair one, be a method of choice for me.

Your mileage may vary.

[HWooldridge]

Mark,

None taken - using the abused one is less work and I would seldom recommend a full reface unless someone really knows what they are doing due to the potential for failure. Quite often, welding with build-up rods is better, although I don't care for that method in most cases. However, "klilckitat" asked about refacing so I answered.

Another option if someone has a few friends to help and a BIG forge would be to redress the face without any buildup. Heat it to yellow, redress with sledges and a big flatter, drift hardy and pritchel with pre-made punches, then reharden the face in the same heat. Again, not for everyone but entirely feasible. A 55# anvil is not so big that a redress could not be done in a single day. I think Bruce W has done this - maybe he'll chime in.

[ThomasPowers]

Ahh 55# sends warning bells---could it be one of the imported cast iron anvils?

If so welding or trying to reforge will be *not* be possible. you might try "sweat brazing" the tougher face on.

Thomas

[bruce wilcock]

to re forge a anvil to take sway out and to get the edges back into shape ,isnt as big a job as you might think, most of the time is spent sitting around telling stories ,and as you need 3-4 handy lads with the hammers the stories bigger and less belivable as the job soaks ,make a big deep fire in the yard on the floor ,we called them floor fires, get it near to welding heat ,hook the hardy hole and drag it out of the fire and set about it with men and if you have your wits about you get the flatter and let the others use the hammers, then use a 2 ins water pump , years back old anvils were at scrap price ,so we had nothing to lose if we hashed it up ,though we allways got away with it ,and if you think the small anvil is cast iron you will soon find out i nearly forgot when you get it back onto the fire to take the quenching heat throw all the old casenit casehardening powder you have into the fire ,we used a lot for the brick yards so there was always plenty of bashed up tins around,

[klickitat]

Thanks guys for your replies. Just a little more information. The anvil is quite old and is steel, not cast iron. The edges have been severely chipped away. The top does not show that much sway to it as the edges took most of the abuse. As for the welding on of a plate; well guys before my injuries I was a Millwright fabricator. I mostly built saw mill equipment and installed it. The idea I had was to have the AR plate cut with a lazer and welding the perimeter, but then I got to thinking about what you guys were saying about dead spaces. So then I got to thinking I would plug weld the pizz out of it. Now after reading everything I think that it will be best just to leave it and let the boys use it until they get better and then maybe find another anvil in better shape. I might even reshape the top for doing tin work with it. I do appriciate all the help though and some day I might even try to build a floor fire and redo it. that actualloy sounds like a fun challenge.