BOB T Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 I need to repair a couple of Anvils; the repair area is on the horn of the anvil.. I've had these anvils for a while, the horns of each one has a V notch (not real deep )that's been put in there for some type of previous projects. The notches are too deep to grind out and need to be welded up. I have done some research on repairing them and the information I come up with that no preheating heating is necessary and that a standard 6010 or 7018 welding rods should work fine on welding them up. Would more than likely use of 7018 Rod.. Do you agree with repaired the horns in this matter. I am familiar with arc welding being in skilled trades(millwright) for 45 years. Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Do you know what type of anvils you are repairing? Forged like a PW or HB or cast with steel top like a Fisher? The depth of the repair 'might' be a consideration based on the type of anvil. Typically, the horn on Fisher anvils was not hardened, so the type of welding rod you named should be OK. If it is a FIsher or other type of cast anvil, you might have to deal with welding onto the iron with a nickel based rod first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 The horn of your anvil if not a " new anvil" or Fisher should be only wrought iron. There is no steel plate (high carbon) material there. So no preheat required. Use as low a carbon content as possible to try and match an equivalent to the wrought iron. What kind of anvil is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOB T Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 I know for sure one is a Peter Wright.. Has a stone weight marked on it too.. I forget what the other one is thinking Peter Wright or Hay-Budden but definitely an old anvil and not a Fisher, I have too much steel piled around it now to check the identity of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 I never had any problem welding wrought iron with 7018 but I have been wrong before. I would use 7018 because it is a fast fill wire. Meaning the repair will not take as long. It's not like you need to worry about making part of your horn slightly harder, but if someone has a good reason to use 6010 I am all ears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judson Yaggy Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Doc and all, Most Hay Buddens have steel horns, as do the cast steel Swedish anvils. Probably others as well. I owned a big Peter Wright for about 10 years that had an obvious forge weld line continuing out along the horn at the elevation of the top plate weld on the body. The horn would barely let a file bite it. Will try and remember to dig up photos of that anvil. I would repair weld a horn like I would a face, if it's higher quality steel then that's what is required, if the horn is only wrought iron then taking precautions for it being higher carbon (pre heat, better rods, etc) won't make it worse from a functional viewpoint. Better safe than sorry. Just don't mess up the heat treat on the face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Judson, Would like to see photos of that PW have never seen that before ! Your correct about the swedish anvils but on the HB's I think until the made the later anvils with weld in waist they were iron also. I've worked on a few of the early HB's and those were iron. Or very much seemed to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweany Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Horns are not usually hard, check it with a file though. anything over an inch at least a 100 f. preheat I like 200 f. preheat to prevent ( hydrogen embrittlement) Google it. 6010 is not that great for something that will be pounded on. 7018 was produced for a more flexible weld than 6010 Use 7018. I just got a new box of 7018, the Mfg recommended drying the rods @ 750 f. for one hour. My toaster oven only goes as high as 500 f. so I opted for 2 hours @ 450 f. Drying the rods before use prevents those annoying little bug holes on the starts. Another good trick is to use run off tabs on the weld, your stops and starts will be outside the repair and will be ground away, any bad starts are gone. That's how I'd do it if it was mine, I'm working on one right now using this procedure. I was a boilermaker Bob. . my .02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOB T Posted January 23, 2014 Author Share Posted January 23, 2014 Thanks guys on the information on welding up the horn.Sweany.. I agree with you about putting some heat on the horn before welding it.. Very true about keeping the 7018 welding rod hot a lot of the critical welds I did as a certified welder were required to have a portable rod heater/oven with us to keep the rod hot all during the welding procedures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Old weldor I knew, used to keep his stored on the exhaust manifold of his welder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweany Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 I loved those rod heaters specially in the winter time. Great way to warm lunch. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbillysmith Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Personally, I would spark-test a near by spot on the horn for closer identification of the material used on the horn. Then, I would use slight localized preheat in the groove to be welded even if it was just wrought iron simply because of the sheer mass of the material and to drive off any moisture. I doubt there would be any oil or grease to speak of. -Hillbilly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Yates Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I would Search IFI for "Anvil Repair" as there is a ton of Info that would More then answer your Inquire on how to repair your anvil However that is just my .02 cent worth . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweany Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 slight localized heat won't be enough. The mass of the horn will nulify any slight localized heat. You leave yourself open to hydrogen embrittlement again. 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.