I have a Hay Budden anvil in need of some refacing. Is it a good idea to weld on the anvil? If it is what are the steps and what electrode should i use? If not how can I repair it because if I don't it will be very hard to make anything flat. Also needs repairing on horn. 

Greetings 17,

 

Welcome to IFI... Please fill in your profile data so the folks can see where you live and such...  If you use the search function in the anvil category you will find tons of data on anvil welding..  Spend some time and you will get answers to your questions... Again welcome

 

Forge on and make beautiful things

Jim

post photos, wait on any "repairs,"  most are not needed. and can riun an otherwise functional anvil

Search on the Robb Gunther anvil repair method

Read the in the "Anvils" section here in the main forums page and you will find answers to your questions multiple times.

Use the anvil as is for a year.  During that time study and research welding on anvils. 

 

If after a year you should not do the work, and the local welder should not do the work. Seek out someone that has welded on and successfully repaired many anvils and ask his advice as to the anvil even needing to be repaired and if he would do it for you. Pay what he asks. 

I would say "most local welders"  have not had experience welding on or repairing an anvil properly - use first as Glenn has said and talk with many other blacksmiths first, before you potentially damage your anvil.

I can try to get you some pictures tomorrow. The face has a couple of big dents in it where it looks like someone just kept hitting their hammer in the same place and your steel would be curved if you tried to forge in those spots. On the heel it looks like someone used a chisel on it and there are a bunch of hashes in it .

you will learn that a lot of faults are features when you find out how to use them, if you need a flat surface you can make one to fit in your hardy hole, the area of an anvil in use at one time is about the same as the face of your hammer.

you may want to read the thread 'never give up' to find how small a flat face you need is.

 

use for a year

talk to others

learn

then decide

 

The face has a couple of big dents in it where it looks like someone just kept hitting their hammer in the same place and your steel would be curved if you tried to forge in those spots

Anvil has a built-in swage block - Awesome!

Also look at the thread here called "Anvil Torture"  where a machinist destroys an anvil because they DON'T KNOW HOW ITS MADE!

 

Machinists and welders destroy more anvils making assumptions they don't bother to check

 

You can see the two big trenches

everything is kinda beat up

I think it is a 100 pounds definitely not heaver.

 

 So should I just use the thing and let it flatten out over time or attempt at repairing it?

No repair necessary. Go ahead and use the thing as is. It's a good one.

George

I'd run a ball bearing test on it.  My HB is one of the harder anvils in my harem and that does appear to be a bit excessive.

I suggest working over with a coarse grinding wheel or sanding disk. I think most of those dings will polish out without welding. You'd have to do that anyway to dress the welds so skip the welding and use if for a while. Even if it is soft, you likely will not put that much wear on it for a long, long time.

Dropped a ball bearing at 10" and it rebounds back up to 9"-8"

I'd use it as is. That's what I decided couple of years ago. As I've learned hammer control I've added a few dings of my own.

Interesting on the rebound, In my limited anvil experience I have found that when the face is that beat up it usually is a bit on the softer side around 50% to 60% rebound. Is this the result of alot of cold working or just missed hammer blows. I wouldnt weld on it though, put it to use.

Greetings again 17,

 

Looks like a good anvil... If it was mine I would use a hand held belt sander and lightly sand the face..  You will never get out all the deep groves but it looks like you have a sweet spot in the center...  As for the horn a flap sanding disc on a 41/2 grinder will fix that right up ... I have done several that way and they are in service..  Don't go over board with the sanders ...  Use it this way and it will serve you well..  Just my 2c

 

Forge on and make beautiful things

Jim

Cool beans.

Thanks for the tips.

I wonder if it is worth a shot using a small ball pein  hammer around the edges of the worst of the dents and dings.   May make for a lot less material loss with a flapwheel / belt sander

I wonder if it is worth a shot using a small ball pein  hammer around the edges of the worst of the dents and dings.   May make for a lot less material loss with a flapwheel / belt sander

Definitely. Leaves more of the work hardened surface behind. That anvil was outright abused. but it is still in very good condition. Definitely no welding. 

If you need a smooth flat face it's easy to make a bottom tool for the purpose. Just a piece of flat stock at least an inch thick to lay over the anvil face and held in place with a shank that fits your hardy.

 

Put her to work and she'll give you good service as long as you want to work at the anvil. Try to remove as little from it as possible, whatever you grind/sand off is gone, bye, BYE.

 

Frosty The Lucky.