I committed sight unseen to a 105lb Hay Budden anvil for $150, got it and found that about 2/3 of the tool steel face was mussing. There are some pitts but otherwise the iron wasn't beaten on too bad. The hardee holes are good too. I am now looking into how to repair the face as this is my first anvil. So how did I do? Pics to come

Ouch. I would ask for my money back.

Robb Gunter anvil repair method has been used many times and most people are very happy with it. But to use this method you will end up spending another 300 hundred or more on welding rods and grinding

The money spent to repair it would far exceed the value of and anvil

You maybe should have put your money back in your pocket and walked away.

 

You got an anvil and a lesson in making deals. You are the owner of the anvil so use the thing. There is still enough anvil left to use it and make your money back and then some. Use that money to buy another anvil. 

Putting your location in your personal data might help you find someone who could help you do a repair on the anvil.  And will lead you to others that share a passion for beating metals.

So it's missing over the sweet spot where most of the hammering takes place and you spent around US$1.50 a pound.

 

Very Bad deal

 

I once paid $40 for a 130# anvil with a great face and a missing heel and have bought other damaged anvils at around scrap rate---20 cents a pound.

Check out an old thread.  I can't figure out how to post an image or a link.  Whenever I try the page just freezes.  Anyway, there is an older thread that explains a process to add a new anvil face.  I have seen three others done in this manner and just completed one of my own.  I have pics in the gallery (remember, I am not smart enough to get them here).  I am very pleased with the results.  Good luck, Jerry

>www.iforgeiron.com/topic/16214-signs/

Maybe just use it for a striking anvil and try to find a better one for your regular blacksmithing work.

If that was the one off CL in southern MI, ouch. The steel face was left over the heel only IIRC...

Learning experience I suppose, guess its time to get some filler rod and hard face

I've only repaired a few, but would be glad to help you. Shoot me a PM if interested.

Here is a picture of the offending surface, I'll gladly accept any help anyone is willing to offer.

That is one of a handful of HB anvil I have ever seen with that kind of damage.  Ouch!

Guess I'm a lucky guy to make this my first purchase...

If you are really interested in forging metal I would simply set this one aside for now. You will spend a huge amount of time trying to fix it. If you are not a great welder then your attempt to fix would only end up with very poor results.

I would recommend just looking for another one. And what you find does not have to be a London pattern anvil like you have now. A hard block of steel will work great. Something like a old fork lift fork would be good. Many people can find old brokn ones. Cut off a foot or two and mount it standing up. Something with a face like 2" by 4" would be great. Or bigger. Fork lift forks are very hard steel. There are many post on this web site about using block anvils

Good luck

I wouldn't waste any time or money trying to repair or fix the anvil.  I wouldn't lose any sleep over it being a bad deal.  I would just use it until I found a better one at a decent price.  I've used far worse.   

I would do the same thing Jerry did with his anvil. 

 

I mean heck your not gonna hurt it any, if you do succeed with the new top and it works well for you then not a bad deal. 

 

Thats just me though. 

Here is my 99 lb HB before facing. Similar damage. It cost me about $300 to face it, but I learned a lot. And would do it again.

Quit over thinking it. Get a chunk of good steel, or a piece of forklift tine that will cover the broken section. Mount it to the top by drilling and tapping through the new plate, and into the anvil, torque it down, and get to forging. Simple, easy, and inexpensive.

I repaired one once that was like that, but not as bad. I bought a piece of armor plate steel (I can't remember the alloy). Drilled through the body in three places in a line down the center. Tack welded the new steel on the face and use a long punch to mark it. Then drill and tap the new steel. counter sink the holes in the anvil body at the under side. Use long bolts to hold it together and weld the new face on. The trick was heat treating it. Did all that make sense?

Speedy Metals has A-2 and D-2 tool steel flats 1/2 x 4 x 12 inches for around $60. I'd weld up that big gouge and go with BIGGUN's idea.

Why not use it as a swage block? Get another block of steel for an anvil, and then cut some rounds and V depressions into it, saving the horn and hardy hole. That way, its not a waste of money!

Chestnut Forge, I wouldn't suggest either of those steels for an anvil face since they get brittle hard. For an anvil face you need toughness to take the hammer blows.

How does this happen to an anvil... Since i have never experienced this, other than the obvious; what kind of forces and misuse would cause this separation?