Everything Mac Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Hi guys I got myself a 2.25cwt Peter wright anvil last week. It has a wrought body and appears to have a very thick face plate. Over all it's in good condition (I paid £150) but the face has a few dings which I'd say are about 1mm or so deep. A buddy of my is a pro blacksmith and he reckons we can fill these with stainless steel weld rods and then just grind the surface flat. I always though stainless was soft and would be better using a hard facing rod? That said my knowledge of welding is poor at best. No pics for a while I'm afraid as I work offshore and I am currently at work. ;) Opinions much appreciated. Cheers Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Don't do anything to it until you've forged on it for a few months. A ding that a mil deep is trivial and will probably be completely removed with you take a flap disc to the top. Welding isn't recommended unless there is some serious damage that's having a negative impact on the work you're doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted September 8, 2012 Author Share Posted September 8, 2012 Well it's not just one ding, there's a good dozen or so. All in the "sweet spot" I have no idea what the hell they were doing to it because I couldn't dent the face when I tried on a corner. Like you say they would probably come out after a good session with the grinder. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironwolfforgeca Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 look @ THE MANY note's on anvil repair here --- for dings & sm bad spots if you can find a Tig welder & some tool steel tig rod done deal -- stainless Or Hard face rods ARE NOT the way to fix any anvil RIGHT !!!! Steve's welding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 At a millimeter deep, I would sand the face evenly with a 120-grit flap wheel and then use the anvil for serious forging. The scale produced with forging is an abrasive and will soon have that face looking really nice. I really don't believe that dings so shallow will imprint on your work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VolcanoForge Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 I guess I don't really understand the reason to fret over dings. I have pretty soft Arm & Hammer that has quite a few and it has no effect on the work. I would definitely consider repairing large gouges or missing face but dings don't matter. It will just get another the first time you miss your work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted September 8, 2012 Author Share Posted September 8, 2012 Cheers guys. I think I'll take the grinder to it when I get home. I'll get some pictures up too as it isn't just one or two. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r smith Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 No grinder, sanding disk only, like said above 120 grit and then use the anvil, dont try to remove the pits. Hold the sanding disk as flat to the anvil as possible , do not tip it up and let the edge dig in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted September 8, 2012 Author Share Posted September 8, 2012 Sorry that's what I meant. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Menard Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Be careful with welding an anvil with any hard facing rod. I do repair anvils for mostly edge damage. A high mangenese build up rod would work but maybe better to use a 11018 instead. Hard facing rod is used to re-enforce a surface against abrasion, IE earthmoving bucket. That type of rod is easier to put on that it is to grind, (abraid), off. It most likely is harder than any grinding pad you could ever bring to bear. I am cautious to not weld anything in the face that would be harder than the original plate. I would rather fix a bad spot more than once than have a super hard repair that the rest of the anvil wears around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOblacksmith0530 Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 One other thing to consider before you grind/flap wheel the face is to look closely at the dings. Tf they have raised metal around them which they should unless they have been hammered down, take a small hammer and using the flattest face hammer around the dings to bring the metal down and then take a flap wheel or whatever to it gently without trying to grind them out and then use it. It sounds like your damage is minor in size if not volume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted October 22, 2012 Author Share Posted October 22, 2012 Hi guys, managed to get some pictures of the anvil. As you can see these "dings" are numerous and deep. As far as I can tell these aren't your average hammer dings. I can cope with those. The best way to describe them would be mini craters on the surface of the anvil. They cover the entire sweet spot in the anvil. As I said earlier I have no idea what caused these. I couldn't dent the surface of the anvil when I tried with my hammer. Is the best cause of action still to take a flap disc to it? There is a lot of material to remove... any advice would be appreciated. Outside of these craters the anvil seems to be in pretty good nick. There is one chip on the egde but other than that the edges are in pretty good condition and the ring/ rebound are very good. It is stamped Peter Wright patent - wrought (circular) 2-1-10 near the bottom there is a stamp 35 34 and a "U" - is this a code to the year of manufacture or something else? Cheers guys Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Ignore them. I think they are from corrosion from being left outside as a decoration for a few decades. If after a few months you find they are transferring undersireable marks to your work THEN consider repairing. Most work is done near the edge where there are no marks, and the center of the anvil is used more for flattening and straightening. Just rub that beautiful anvil down with some oil or wax and let work clean up the face. The oil or wax is just to stop the rust from transferring to your clothing. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted October 22, 2012 Author Share Posted October 22, 2012 Cheers Phil, I rubbed it over with oil before I left, as it's stored at my folks place. All the best Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted January 1, 2013 Author Share Posted January 1, 2013 Any more thoughts as to what the 35 34 U stamps mean? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip in china Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 I have just looked at the pictures. Just use it and see how you get on. Any fool can grind metal away. I have used anvils worse than that one! BTW on your original post you mentioned that you thought stainless is soft. Stainless is a generic term. Some is soft. Some is very hard. It depends on the grade, work hardening and heat treatment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptree Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 I have a little Demo anvil that spent about 40 years laying in the ashes and ruble of a burnt down farm blacksmith shop and the face looked just like the photos. Looked like deep rust pits. I used a flap wheel in a 4" grinder and gently polished the surface. The pits are still there but over the years have polished out from use somewhat. They in no way affect the work. At 70 #s this is my demo anvil and gets little use compared to my shop anvil, but still has smoothed from use. By the way, the fire seems to have not affected the hardness of this "Vanadium Steel" brand anvil. Great rebound and it will make you bleed from your ears due to it's almost bellergent ring! I wear hearing protection and as a demo anvil that ring really calls in the folks from afar at a demo:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteH Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 X2 on rust pits. Sand it, use it, wait and see if they matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted January 7, 2013 Author Share Posted January 7, 2013 Cheers guys I'm going down to the folks place this week. I'll clean it up and spend a day using it. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluidsteel Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 Cheers guys I'm going down to the folks place this week. I'll clean it up and spend a day using it. Andy Yes!!! Use it! That's the best way to clean it up. I fretted over the best way to clean up my 300# Fisher but forging on it ultimately was the best way to get the stop silky smooth. Hot steel and scale are excellent polishing medium. Good luck n have fun. She's a beauty!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 Cheers fluidsteel, she is an absolute beauty. I went over the face with a flap disc just to clean off the rust which helped a lot. Sadly I was called away to work before I could do any smithing on her. Would some one with a copy of Anvils in America please be kind enough to check and see if the 35 34 "U" stamp means anything. I've had a quiet evening here at work and my Google fu is very weak on this one. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted October 12, 2013 Author Share Posted October 12, 2013 Hi guys, last year I bought this Peter wright, It has some nasty pock marks left from what I can only assume is bad rusting from being outside for goodness knows how long. Well you guys suggested to use it for a while before I did anything about it: I've used it for about a year now and 95% of the time these marks do not bother me. But they do leave annoying marks on smaller forged items and they can be quite irritating. I've found a chap that is an hours drive from me with a surface grinder who can take off a millimetre with relative easy. I don't think this amount if material would affect the face in any way but I'd like to check with you guys. So question one: will removing 1mm from the face have a detrimental effect on the anvil? 2: will removing this material effect the hardness of the face? Cheers Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 If it were mine I'd have it ground, just make sure the face of the anvil is level to the table of the grinder and not the base or it will be removing high spots instead of removing material from the whole face equally as it should be. Removing two MM won't affect the hardness or the integrity of the face plate imo but it could be said it won't do it any good either.....If you could be on hand when it's being ground that would be nice, then you could tell the operator when to stop................ :ph34r: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatfudd Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 I agree with Macbruce- Make sure that the machinist surface grinds the base first so that the top plate is completely level with the base. I have an old Hay Budden that had 4mm removed from the surface and it works just fine, I've been using it for years and the rebound is still excellent, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 Good advice all around. Have the guy mill the base first, or shim it up so the faceplate is parallel to the ground/table so you don't grind off-angle and bite through the hardened top. Then take off as little as possible to satisfy your wants. If you can be there to watch it, great. If not, make sure you explain to the guy what you want to accomplish rather than give him a goal to reach. If you tell him to take off a mil, that's a work order and that's what he'll do. If you tell him to smooth the face and take out the dings, he might only have to take off a half-mil to do that. Post lots of pics when you're done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.