VaughnT Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Considering the cost of a new anvil, I'm thinking I'll have to make due with the small anvil that I have for the time being. Sadly, the anvil has seen better days and the face needs some serious repair if I want to work on a reasonably flat surface. There doesn't appear to be much of the face plate left (in terms of thickness), and all of the edges are chipped, so I'm curious to know if anyone in the SC area has repaired an anvil with the hard-facing technique. I'm willing to travel a good bit to learn/help/watch/photograph the process, and will provide the materials for the project. Question is, is anyone experienced at this? How much would it cost, round about, for a small anvil with a 4"x14" face? How long would it take? Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironsmith Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 well, i know a guy in the guild down here near clemson that repaired the anvil i used , did a great job too!, post some pics and ill see if he is interested in helping you out, and get you his info! good luck with it! jody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted April 18, 2011 Author Share Posted April 18, 2011 PIcs posted tomorrow! Hope this guy is a helpful soul... ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted April 19, 2011 Author Share Posted April 19, 2011 Here she is. She's a beaut, but I'll admit to being partial. The markings seem to indicate that it's a Wilkonson from Dubley, England. From what I've been able to read, it's a Wrought Iron body with a steel face. The horn and step are in very good condition, though you can tell someone was working that step pretty well. I'm honestly surprised the horn isn't sliced to ribbons or mushroomed over. The top is flat from fore to aft, but it rounds off over the main body to act something like a bottom fuller. I can't see anything to indicate how much of the actual steel plate is left, if any, but it does have decent ring and rebound. The only other problem is that there is a huge chunk taken out of the one edge. If I'm reading right, this means it weighs 120lb in the American style. Not bad for a hobby anvil, but I'm still on the look out for a biggin'!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 You are in for a task since that has been welded at least once before. There is signs of the old bead left in the large crack. All that loose and damaged material needs removed before you start. I would get a wire cup for the angle grinder and get that paint off and see what is what. The whole kit will need preheat and that paint will (probably) burn so it all has to go before you weld anyways. There is a thread on using Stoody rod http://www.iforgeiro...epair-approach/ While it is rough you can use it the way it is, or with a little dressing, and probably get good results. This kind of damage may be from working cold metal on the anvil, specifically horseshoes.http://anvilfire.com...nvil_radius.phphttp://anvilfire.com...vils%20Hardness good luck. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted April 19, 2011 Author Share Posted April 19, 2011 Thanks for the links, Phil. I have read about radii on the edges and I wouldn't have a problem with doing that, but I really need/want to get the face flat enough to work all over it. I'm mainly looking to do light work up to .500" Ø and blades, so I don't need much of an anvil. Still, I would like to fix this one up if for no other reason than to say I did. If it doesn't work out, though, I really can't say anything as I only paid $30 for the anvil!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 GREAT PRICE! even in that condition. I agree it looks like it's been a shoeing anvil due to the slope on both sides. Remember that if you are making knives you want a smooth face but not necessarily a flat one! Easier to true up a blade if the face has a bit of a swale to it as you want the steel to go just past straight and then bounce back to straight rather than go to straight and bounce back to slightly non straight. I keep an anvil with a worn face just for that in my shop! If you have a section that's a positive arc that will work for more efficient drawing too. (and over the sweet spot it will work better than drawing on the horn...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted April 22, 2011 Author Share Posted April 22, 2011 Good points, Thomas. I hope to get this lass cleaned up and mounted over the weekend, so I'll know more about the condition soon. As far as repairs go, I'm still keen to try fixing her if only for the welding practice and story to tell. Any modifications to the face after welding would certainly be better than trying to find a good spot on the existing face. Further examination seems to show that the top plate is well under a quarter inch, so repair might be the best option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted May 25, 2011 Author Share Posted May 25, 2011 Couldn't find any Stoody rod locally, so the guy at the store talked me into Stulz (?) Manganese XL rods. $100 for ten pounds! But, at least it's a start. I'm hearing that manganese can work-harden and that worries me a bit, but I don't see me doing a lot of pounding on this anvil as I will be doing very small stuff in the beginning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Couldn't find any Stoody rod locally, so the guy at the store talked me into Stulz (?) Manganese XL rods. $100 for ten pounds! But, at least it's a start. I'm hearing that manganese can work-harden and that worries me a bit, but I don't see me doing a lot of pounding on this anvil as I will be doing very small stuff in the beginning. Work harden is OK and somewhat desirable. Crazing (fine cracking all over) on cooling is not, and is very bad. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Here is my suggestion. Take a grinder, and smooth out the chunked section to help eliminate anymore cracking. Then ,,,use it BEFORE doing any repairs. Then you will see if it is actually in a condition that won't work for you. How can you say it isn't, if you haven't even used it yet??? That top plate is thicker than one on a 150# anvil I have as a loaner. An anvil doesn't have to be pretty to do the work required, only functional. It is only another tool in your collection. $10 a pound isn't that bad. I have bought cast iron repair rods that were $57 a pound. Welding will be a loooooong laborious process, and needs to be done correctly, or you will end up with a lawn ornament. The thing with welding will be to get total filling of the beads, so that you don't end up with cavities, pits, cracks, etc. That is why I suggest just using it first to see what really needs to be fixed, if anything at all. A big trend in hot rods now is Rat Rods, ugly, but very functional. Just think of your anvil as a Rat Anvil, and being able to show friends that you can do great work with a less than perfect anvil. It is all just a matter of perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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