Anvil Care

[Julius]

I am curently using a Cliff Carol 70lbs ferriers anvil as that I all I have to work with for now. I bought it as a used anvil but it was in fact brand new. It still had the shipping labels on it and had not seen any work on it.
May anvil and forge are curently outside.My anvil is mounted to a Heavy wood stump so I cant move it around to much.
Here is my question. Should I treat the anvil face with anything to prevent rust. I only get to do any work on it on the weekends and between uses it gets a layer of orange rust on the face. I live on the west coast very near the ocean. Even covering with a tarp and wrapping the anvil in plastic it still develops the layer of rust. Just an FYI even during the summer every thing is wet in the morning with condensation.
After about ten minutes of pounding iron the rust is gone.
I tried a thin coat of Balistol on it and still got the rust. Is there anything I can do to prevent this?

[zampilot]

I have one that I leave outside under a tarp. I sprayed it down with penetrating oil then I rubbed it with marine-grade bearing grease and it seems to prevent rust. I'll rub the table and horn with a rag dampened with a degreaser before using it, doesnt seem to affect whatever I pound on the table, and I spray it again after use. Nuttin' like a pretty anvil!

[Thomas Dean]

Try rubbing some hot floor wax on it after you use it each time. You can rub the entire anvil down with it and probably be good for some time, that is on the sides and such. The face just rub it down each time you use it. I'm in Deep East TEXAS and have some of the same problem but not quite as bad as you.

[CurlyGeorge]

Take a towel or just a large rag and soak it with oil. When not using the anvil, just wrap it with the oily rag. When you're ready to use it again, wipe the anvil face and go to work. :D

[pkrankow]

wrapping in plastic will encourage condensation since the anvil will stay cool. Cover with a loose fitting wooden box so there is airflow around it
Phil

[edge9001]

I';m not sure iof this will work but has anyone considerd using the linseed oil/beeswax mixture that has been used for iron work coating. my thoughts are use that on the anvil body and then just set an oil dampend rag on the face of the anvil when not in used. then cover that with a towel to help guard against condesation.

like i said not sure if that will work ort not but I figure its worth mentioning

[Glenn]

May anvil and forge are curently outside.My anvil is mounted to a Heavy wood stump so I cant move it around to much. Should I treat the anvil face with anything to prevent rust.

Best thing is to change the mounting arrangement between the anvil and stump. You want the anvil not to move, but it can be lifted vertically and taken inside. This not only prevents rust but also the theft of the anvil. Works well for anvils of 150# or less in weight, unless your a big fellow with a big anvil.

Put some ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) in a squirt bottle, and spritz the anvil after use. The ATF crawls into the places you missed. A quick wipe across the face and your ready to go. As previously suggested, a oil soaked rag works in addition to the ATF Spritz. You only need to look at the underside of a car that has a oil leak, oil down the middle and nice metal, on either side you can see the rust.

You put paint on your car (metal) and expect it to keep the rust away for several years, why not the anvil. I suggest a nice plaid color. Maybe add some pin stripping. (grin).

[philip in china]

On anvil care I made a cover that goes over my Brooks anvil. It padlocks in place and stops any students messing around and damaging the face! It is just a piece of channel iron with a ring underneath to fit over the horn. I then forged a pin to go through the channel and the hardy hole. There is a hole punched in this to take a padlock.

It is such a success that I have bolted my bar shear to it and so use the Brooks as a base for my shear.

What made me do this was when one of the locals had actually arc welded on the face of one of my anvils!! Fortunately it was only a Chinese cast iron one. Otherwise blood would have flowed.

[pkrankow]

I';m not sure iof this will work but has anyone considerd using the linseed oil/beeswax mixture that has been used for iron work coating. my thoughts are use that on the anvil body and then just set an oil dampend rag on the face of the anvil when not in used. then cover that with a towel to help guard against condesation.

like i said not sure if that will work ort not but I figure its worth mentioning

I am using that wax/linseed oil recipe it seems to work nice, but the anvil will still darken under the coating. I freely admit to not using the anvil enough. It will be weeks between forge sessions. My anvil is in an unheated attached garage. This comes off under hot iron with no obvious smell or smoke, but I work outside.

Parts are by weight or volume (density of ingredients are very similar)
1 part wax (I used paraffin, beeswax is recommended,)
Melt wax completely in a double boiler. Take double boiler outside for next steps.
add to melted wax
1 part turpentine
1/2 to 1 part linseed oil (paraffin wax is harder so I used 1 part)

Mix well and put into a seal-able container like a paint can or cookie tin to cool.

If you use 200 grams of each it fits in a 1 qt paint can neatly. You can use the can as the inner pot and save transferring the batch.

This recipe can also be used as a metal finish, and a wood finish, and many many other purposes too. While the smell is not bad with this, the exposure limit for turpentine is about the threshold of smell, so use in a well ventilated area till the smell dissipates. Product is highly flammable till dried and somewhat flammable after dry. Look up the MSDS for the ingredients to answer any other safety questions.

Phil

[pkrankow]

On anvil care I made a cover that goes over my Brooks anvil. It padlocks in place and stops any students messing around and damaging the face! It is just a piece of channel iron with a ring underneath to fit over the horn. I then forged a pin to go through the channel and the hardy hole. There is a hole punched in this to take a padlock.

It is such a success that I have bolted my bar shear to it and so use the Brooks as a base for my shear.

What made me do this was when one of the locals had actually arc welded on the face of one of my anvils!! Fortunately it was only a Chinese cast iron one. Otherwise blood would have flowed.

When I get a shear I may have to do this same bit! Glad it worked nicely.
Phil