Hi, I got this hay budden as a throw in on a package deal because of the horn damage, the face is nice, has really strong rebound i really like it I'm using now and plan on keeping it as my user but the horn is really dinged up bad and caved in like someone used a air powered chisel on it,  I've been reading for the past two weeks on repairs searching this forum but most of the pictures won't open so it's hard to get a reference point, and from what I gathered my choices are to leave it alone and use something else as a horn I do have a spare anvil, take a flap disk to it or weld and as far as welding I've seen using 6010, 6013, 7014, 7018 I'm not a professional welder so that would be my last option. Please share your opinions, maybe pictures of anvils that had this problem and were repaired

the concave shelf is a pretty standard feature. It has been the rised it was to assist in straitening bent stock (works darn good to) others may have a different opinion but i do not think I would worry about the scared up horn. Looks like some one was cold adjusting shoes. But with a few hundred hours of forging it should smooth out... 

You can grind the horn all you want. Don't try to remove the concave section though, just give yourself some nice smooth curves to use. 

I wouldn't do anything to it until you've worked on it for a year.  Horns are good for making curves, but most of that work actually takes place off the side of the horn.  The only time I'm hammering directly on top of the horn is when I'm trying got stretch some metal, like opening the eye of a bottle opener.  The chisel marks probably won't cause a bit of distress.

OK I'll stick with just using it for now, has anyone tried hammering it smooth, with a little heat I believe I read if the metal is still there it could be pushed back in place, if I do any grinding it will be light just to smooth it out. 

as you use it it will get better

 

Yep a small ball pein taken to the edges of the chisel marks will smooth them out to an amazing degree,   A few minutes before each forging session while things are warming up and I bet you'd be surprised at where it ends up.

Look at the positives - HB quality and what a fine face!

Look at the positives - HB quality and what a fine face!

and it was basically free, depending how you look at it, I went to look at a Trenton and he threw it in to sweeten the deal. 

and it was basically free, depending how you look at it, I went to look at a Trenton and he threw it in to sweeten the deal. 

Don't rub it in new guy!

I love a good score and a great one is better.

Frosty The Lucky.

the square section you have pointed out as concaved is the cutting face, marks from hot cut tools here is normal wear and tear no need to touch this area. As others have pointed out the top of the horn is not used much for curving so you would only be repairing that section for looks.

All in all it is a perfect working anvil. Congrats!

No heat please you would run the risk of messing up the temper of the face; as many if not most horns were low carbon and not hardened you don't mess it up by grinding on it.  I would go ahead and smooth it out now so during that year you don't have unwanted texture on all the pieces you hot work on that horn.

No heat please you would run the risk of messing up the temper of the face; as many if not most horns were low carbon and not hardened you don't mess it up by grinding on it.  I would go ahead and smooth it out now so during that year you don't have unwanted texture on all the pieces you hot work on that horn.

Yup, no reason at all to not clean up the horn a little. 

Thanks for the advice I'll stick to using it, and touch it up here and there not go crazy with it.

As to turning curves on the horn, you dont hit over the horn anyway so little or no "texture" will tranfer to the stock. Using it as a drawing die you will hit over the horn (squezing the stock between the hammer and horn) this will leave texture. 

wow that's rough it will be a great anvil after you get it fixed up

It's my stripper anvil, has a pretty face, some deeps scars but sure is fun. 

I would try hammering it smooth before grinding the gouges out.many times the marks are just raised metal from chisels hits. Knock that metal down instead of removing it. That is what we did with screw heads in guns if they were buggered. Many times a couple of hits with a flat punch would move the metal back in place.

As to horns being soft, Fisher anvils have tool steel plates on their horns.

Yes Fishers are an exception and the reason why I said "many if not most" rather than All.  His anvil is an HB.