I just purchased my first anvil. It is a Trenton 200lb. The top needs some work. I have heard that weld can be added to pits and dents but I have not been able to find any information on how it is done or which welding rod to use. Any help would appreciated.

Please post a picture.....unless it's really bad you shouldn't do anything other than sanding any sharp spots off. Degree of damage will dictate what and how repairs can be made

An option, should the damage be extensive, would be hardsurfacing rods such as used for padding bucket trucks. Go to the local weld supply shop and explain what you need.
Whatever you do, err on the side of caution, especially if you do not have alot of experience with welding and heat treating.

home page search engine type in anvil repair highlight (exact words), click search = bp0101-anvil-repair

also use the search button at top of the forum page type in anvil repair, then click search = 43 threads

can you use that rod in the lincoln buzz box or do you need the AC/DC welder?

its AC or DC

did you see the light blub go on?

i lik to preheat the metal when i hardface, it help keep the beads from cracking. i would think martensitic rod is what you should use, it air hardens. ive only used it dcep though, i dont know about ac.

hello, you are a lucky fellow , a 200 lb trenton is one of my favorite anvils , i have two of them set up in my shop and they are really good anvils. now to the anvil repair , first you need to determine what you have . the early trentons had forged wrought iron or mild steelbodies they used both based on cost and supply , these bodies were then topped with a steel face plate. most of the time when these anvils are damaged peices of the top plate are broken off and you can see the mating line easily . the later trentons used tool steel for the whole top half of the anvil and there was no need for a top plate .when these anvils are damaged there are chips broken off the edges and there is no mating line present . next you must decide how to repair it . alot of people will tell you to use a hard surface rod . but it has been my experience with this type of rod that although it is hard it will chip out because it will not take the pounding of the hammer . it is so hard that it does not have any flexibility and it seperates from the base metal . I like to use LH12018 and run stringer beads to fill up the voids this rod is harder and tougher than LH7018 but still has enough flexability to stay adhered to the base metal which is soft and will move under a lot of use . that is the reason a lot of the older anvils that have seen a lot of use are swaybacked. another concern is to heat the anvil a little bit before welding but not let it get to hot and ruin the temper in the rest of the top plate . I have repaired several anvils this way ,including my 200 lb trenton , and the repairs are holding up really well under some serious forging . this is just my opinion on anvil repair maybe some of the other guys have a better way. good luck Forgeman