a while ago < got a damaged anvil from a scrapyard which had the horn missing, I have been looking for a suitable piece to replace it with and today I found this....

it is 79mm ( 3 1/4" ) diameter and is part of a large concrete breaker so should be tough and impact resistant, am getting the end turned to a cone which I will cut off at an angle, I will add a block to form the shelf and weld both parts on.

tomorrow I will clean up and examine the anvil and get some pictures of it.

It may take weeks to get the turning done as I will be waiting for a friend to do it

Might be really tough to machine - what's the approximate hardness in its existing condition?

waiting to hear if it can be done, my friend machines hard stuff but can be a bit slow to get round to it

 

A fun project.  I'd anneal it before trying to turn it conical.  Even in its softest state, that alloy is sure to be plenty hard enough for an anvil's horn.  And it will be easier to machine.

the anvil

weight as is 63kg ( about 138 lbs )

top is pitted but not too badly, some edge damage but not bad, good rebound

some markings but cant make much out

1" hardy, 3 handling holes, bottom one starts round then is square further in

will try ti get better pictures another time

will offer to anneal tool in first post next time I see my friend

 

more news as it happens

The faded lettering might be "Stourbridge" - which as you Brits know was a well known iron/steel-making area...or it might say "Platypus"...hard to say (LOL).

cleaned it up some more and there is a faint mark like an anchor at the top with the name EVESON below it and STOURBRIDGE at the bottom.

anyone know anything about EVESON?

Will do a search later but have just got in from work and have other stuff to do first

Edited March 26, 201511 yr by the iron dwarf
adding pic

now have the horn, it was very hard but did machine and has a fine finish.

from another anvil by the same maker this had a rather long horn and no shelf between the horn and table so at a guess the new horn is about 7.5 to 8 inches long

The new horn looks fantastic.  How are you planning to attach it?  Gonna drill a hole and use a pin between the two, then a perimeter weld?  

Jock over at anvil fire proposes a method where on grinds deap filets on 3 sides (yea I know its round and a thin one on top, so the top gets a thin weld wile the rest gets deap wide ones, ending in a full penitration weld. If the cone isn't of set then inreality it has one large filet from the bottom, a pain in the butt to weld up, but little grinding. May want to set the anvil face and the heal of the horn on a plate to shim it up so as the weld cools one dosn't end up with a drooping horn. 

 

Are you going to angle the horn so the top is parallel to the faceplate? I think it would look pretty odd otherwise.

Also, I would say to anneal the cone before welding, also pre-heat and use 8018 for fill. 

it was annealed  before machining, estimated to be about 58 rockwell at the moment.

yes it is already cut at an angle, better pix being added now, the piece measures about 4 1/4" diameter and just under 9" long, just guessed yesterday.

intend to weld on a piece of 3/8 (10mm ) square  vertical on it and then weld both sides alternately to fill the gap with 7018 ar maybe some of the 9000 series rods I have, it should end up level on top

Edited May 8, 201511 yr by the iron dwarf
adding missing bit

Looks good to me.

I recently picked up an old Hill anvil in a similar condition, no horn. I can't figure out why anyone would cut the horn off but they did. And I got a good deal because of the condition. 

Anyway, I was thinking of doing pretty much the same thing that you're doing here. This gives me inspiration to give it a shot. Just need to get access to a large lathe.... 

mine had been broken off not cut

Never seen one cut off; seen a lot broken off as traditionally they were forge welded on and so the possibility of an iffy forge weld could occur.

I have a little cast (with 3/8 steel plate) anvil that was broken off there the hardy hole, as I have two farriers anvils i went a head and had TJ clean yo the heal and cut of the horn. Looks like a sawers anvil now.

Did you make the horn into a hardy tool?

 

Cast iron, with a real "spongy" casting, particularly on the underside. I have a 2" cone and several bicks already( 3 sizes of sucker rod and a 2" bale spike) So it went in to the scrap bin.