Razzputin Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 Hello every one. My name is Sheldon and I am new to this site. I am 20 years old and am learning to work with metal as it is a passion of mine. I have almost finished setting up my smithy and the last things i need to do are mount my blower and fix my anvil. My problem with the anvil that I have acquired (for free I might add just so that I don't get told off for getting a kak anvil) is that it has been broken off at the hardy hole leaving about 1cm of the hole on the anvil itself. The rest of the butt has become lost in time as this anvil was part of the Boer war. Back then the English use to break off the butts of the Afrikaners anvils so that they became less useful as you can all imagine. My question to you all is how (if at all) would I be able to make a repair of this? I had an idea of setting up a square tube (10ml walls) the same dimensions as the original hole sunk into my anvil base and then welded to the broken off edge of the anvil. I can do the same next to it for a pritchel hole. My worry is will this rig be strong enough to withstand the beating a normal hardy hole gets? Or will it just sink deeper and deeper into my base eventually breaking off the anvil again. Many thanks and may the metal we forge be of the best. ps. If photos are needed I will post them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip in china Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 The story of us breaking Boer anvils I think is apochryphal but let that pass. Do some forging on what is left and see how you get on. You can fix it up if you feel you want to go further. Photos of the anvil would help us to identify it and thereby advise you better. I have heard stories about "This anvil is 120 years old" before. In my experience such stories are rarely accurate. "Uncle Pieter died aged 99, this was his anvil therefore it is at least 99 years old" is not always an accurate way of ageing an anvil or anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 Some pictures would be welcome. The heel of the anvil, and the hardy hole are not as necessary as some want to believe. There is no arguing the handy nature of having a good anvil with all the features a London Pattern anvil has to offer though.There are many ways to substitute for a hardy hole, such as thick wall square tubing mounted upright to accept the tool, or making a bolster plate out of some plate steel.Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 Weld on a prosthetic hardy hole and then when you make your hardy tooling make the ones that take a lot of downward beating offset so that they sit on the anvil face. Just make a bolster plate for punching so you don't need the pritchel. I've got a number of anvils and still use one that's missing the heel totally a LOT I even paid for it when I had other "perfect" anvils---always handy to have one you can do heavy hammering on without worrying about a misstrike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 News flash!! The apocryphal tale of evil, arrogant anvil-abusers has gone world-wide!! In under 15 years, it has become an internet folk legend. Isn't it amazing that no-one's Uncle Bud ever made a mistake and ruined an anvil, it is always "those guys". Mark Twain was right. "A lie can travel half way around the world before the truth gets its shoes tied." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judson Yaggy Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I had no idea up until this moment that Sherman marched across South Africa! Probably soon to be a History Channel expose! More seriously your idea and Thomas' advise is good, weld on a piece of tube and make your hardie tool shanks with an offset so hammer force is above something solid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razzputin Posted January 9, 2013 Author Share Posted January 9, 2013 Ha ha ha the anvil came with he story as it came without the heel. Here are the photos of the anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip in china Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Do you have the bit that is broken off? That should weld up OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razzputin Posted January 10, 2013 Author Share Posted January 10, 2013 I unfortunately do not have the broken piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K. Bryan Morgan Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Use it and enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLMartin Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 You can always just weld on a new mild steel tail end. I would still pre heat the anvil before welding. But the anvil is not in good shape now. A solid mild steel heal would be much better than no heal at all.I think welding tubing on would be poor at best. I think a better option would be to cut / grind the end flush and clean. Then weld on a nice thick chunk with a hardy hole cut into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razzputin Posted January 11, 2013 Author Share Posted January 11, 2013 You can always just weld on a new mild steel tail end. I would still pre heat the anvil before welding. But the anvil is not in good shape now. A solid mild steel heal would be much better than no heal at all.I think welding tubing on would be poor at best. I think a better option would be to cut / grind the end flush and clean. Then weld on a nice thick chunk with a hardy hole cut into it. I second this idea and this is what I will do. Thank you MLMartin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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