Wrought Iron Anvil

[Ridgewayforge]

I've been thinking a lot about some of the widely dispersed knowledge of anvils, both london and other shaped anvils, and there are two things commonly said: #1: It doesn't need to be shaped like a London Pattern Anvil and #2; Any lump of metal will work. 

To that end: Many times I have seen folks discourage new blacksmiths from picking up beaten up london pattern anvils if the damage is too far. For example, if the faceplate is gone or if there is not a workable surface. I understand that sometimes folks are trying to sell anvils at a price that is outrageous, such as $1200 for a small 100lb anvil without a faceplate. 

My question is whether or not the wrought iron base of many anvils would make a good anvil, if all else were lacking and the price was right. So, if I found a 200lbs anvil without a top plate for $150 or so, wouldn't it make a good enough anvil? On the other hand, was the wrought iron too low quality to be used effectively over any period of forging? 

 

By the same token, if a beat-up anvil were to be purchased on the cheap, and then to be welded on to created corners or to fill the face, wouldn't the tempered steel be at least as hard as the striking anvils I have seen used by scores of others, who claim that these anvils, being only mild steel, are fine for use? 

 

I hope this doesn't muddy the waters, but enquiring minds want to know! 

 

Thank you for all the help! 

[Frosty]

A wrought base CAN be used as an anvil but it's not nearly as good as one with a hard face. The more the anvil deforms the more energy it absorbs rather than returns to the work.

Can work and good are differences in quantity not kind. However sometimes that's the only game in town. A nice hard smooth boulder actually makes a pretty darned good anvil.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Dogsoldat]

From what I have read,  it's a bit of a juggling act in getting an old anvil to fix.  The welding rod and time to do it right can far exceed the cost of another anvil.  As for just using a wrought anvil without a steel face.  It will have little rebound and deform being close to dead soft.  There have been many pictures posted here of missing face plates and the damage done to the softer body from continued use.  Lots of information on what has been done and what works acceptably well,  just takes a bit of digging to go through it all...

[John McPherson]

The problems that one encounters with repairing old anvils are both varied and complex, because repairing tools from several countries across several centuries manufactured in various ways is a complex issue. Search "Gunter anvil repair" for a tried and true method synopsis.

Wrought iron is not easy to weld on, unless you have some experience with it. Cast iron is worse: you have to put down a buttering layer of pure nickel rod before you can begin to add the build-up and hard facing layers. If the cast iron body has chunks missing, you have to use cast iron SMAW rods to rebuild those areas first. None of these items are cheap, neither is a qualified weldor's time, or an industrial quality welding power supply.

We have not even spoken of the necessity of a pre-heat and post heat, or the rigging that goes along with manipulating a big hunk of hot metal while welding is still going on. And hey, you keep graphite blocks and 1/2" thick copper chill plates laying around anyway, right?

But out in the third world, where tools are hard to get, and modern repairs impossible, some folks soldier on.

[Bo T]

I have read that there are differences in 'wrought' iron. I am not sure what those are. I do know the difference between mild steel (ie 1006) and wrought. If the body is indeed wrought iron then a smith might be able to cut it up for salvage and use it for whatever smiths use true wrought iron for these days. As true wrought iron seems difficult to come by.

[ThomasPowers]

A major difference between wrought iron and mild steel is that wrought iron is a composite material composed of iron (not cast iron, iron!) and ferrous silicate stringers/spicules.  Mild steel is an alloy of steel..  Considering that I buy steel at my scrap yard for 20 US cents a pound; paying 75 cents a pound for wrought iron which would not make as good a "block anvil" as a chunk of plain steel would not make economic sense to me.  I pay 20 cents a pound for wrought iron too save when I find it for free.

[Ridgewayforge]

Gotcha. So, as I am understanding it, wrought iron block (london pattern sans top plate) is just over cast iron in terms of effecitveness and just below mild steel? 

 

Its more of a theoretical than a practical question, really, and all that has been said makes good sense. Perhaps it will be helpful in case I can ever pick up a faceless anvil for free! 

[ThomasPowers]

I have the base of a Peter Wright that was used as an anvil after the top broke off at the waist, it has mushroomed  quite a bit.  I also have a William Foster missing 90% of it's face that I picked up for under US$20 and hope to try refacing it the traditional method someday---Postman advised me to weld the face to a wrought iron plate and do a wrought iron to wrought iron weld as WF used low grade WI in their anvils.  Note too that real wrought iron was worked at very high temps and so was very soft and so worked well even on a soft wrought iron anvil.