Refacing anvil with arc welder, suggestions?

[bodgerman]

I tried building up the broken edges of a beater 150# anvil I've got. I used 7018 to build the most wasted area, planning to top off with hard facing rod. The 7018 didn't really bond, and I'm thinking the base metal was absorbing too much heat, and not allowing the rod metal to flow into it.
I quit when I saw what I was trying wasn't going to work, and didn't want to make a bad situation worse. I have a 200a ac buzz box. I'm not really thrilled with the design of this anvil anyway, the horn's not round enough, but it's twice the weight of my Wright anvil, which I really don't want to abuse.
Do I need to use better technique, or different rod, or just live with it as it is until I can find a better anvil.

[pkrankow]

Did you preheat?
Phil

[David Einhorn]

By using the search feature at the top of this page, I found these discussions of repairing and resurfacing anvils:

- http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f83/rusty-anvil-13995/
- http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f83/saltwater-anvil-14072/
- http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f56/hard-facing-rods-tig-13052/
- http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f83/so-i-bought-anvil-13528/
- http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f83/anvil-dressing-13314/

[Bentiron1946]

Got pictures of this 'beater anvil' that needed fixed? It helps to see the problem.

[ThomasPowers]

Yes, please give us more details!---Unless we know if it's cast iron, cast steel or steel over wrought iron (or cast iron) it's pretty hard to make suggestions---sort of like asking us how to fix your vehicle's engine without telling us if it's diesel or gas...

[arftist]

I don't know if it is still available, but there was a blueprint by Irsgn that completely covered rebuilding anvils with arcwelders. What he said made sense to me at the time, and I have been doing repair welding for a little while.

[njanvilman]

When our local chapter did a bunch of anvils, we preheated them in a wood fire to around 450 d F, judged by Tempil temperature sticks. Then a quick regrind and welding. Then back into the fire for post heating, then a slow cool down under insulating blankets overnight. Grinding and dressing the next day. I do not know what welding stuff was used, I only watched.

[Dragons lair]

Horn not round enough,7018 didn,t stick. Sounds like a cast iron vulcan. Try a good preheat and nickelrod for buildup.
Ken