My anvil

[RobinD69]

OK I picked this anvil up at the scrap yard for $10. The horn is broke off but I do have it. The markings on the side say HAY-BADDEN MANUFACTURING BROOKLYN.NY, of course much of it is faded away but I punched in what I could read and came up with the rest online. Now is has what looks like the letter I 0 8 stamped below the rest the "I" looks like a roman numeral. Its dimensions are 23 1/4 long 9 7/8 tall 3 1/2 wide.

Ok here are my questions;

What is the weight?

Can I weld the horn back on?

And any information will help.

Thanks;

Robin 

[ThomasPowers]

What is the weight---put it on a bathroom scale and see.  HB's are weight stamped in pounds so that should be 108 pounds - missing horn.

Welding the horn back on is more likely to damage the anvil than help---haven't we answered this question lately?   Do you know the proper preheat temperature?  The proper rods? How to do a full penetration weld on thick material?  How to keep from overheating the face?  Check the front foot for a serial number and we may be able to tell you the date it was made.

[RobinD69]

Ok thanks, I will clean up the front foot tomorrow when I get off work. As for welding I guess I will ask a local welder.

 

[ThomasPowers]

I've seen more anvil ruined by welders who were great welders but didn't know squat about anvils!  I have always had any repairs done at anvil repair days held by various ABANA Affiliates over the years to be sure I was getting folks who knew anvils.  Usually getting a professional welder to do a repair that large will only cost more than buying another anvil in better shape.

[arkie]

I think Thomas addressed the welding issue very well.  As a word of caution, I doubt that a local welder would have the experience welding and heat treating an anvil. (we posted at the same time...)

[Quench.]

I'm not a welder.  I have a welder.

If you decide not to try to fix it professionally, you could practice, sort of, on the horn.  You could try to weld a hardie shaft onto the broken side of the horn, to use vertically on your anvil.

If you fail, not much lost.  If you win, you get a useable horn.  Either way, you are going to learn something, and not test your skills on your new anvil.

Great find, by the way. 

-Q

[Charles R. Stevens]

For most of the history of black smithing anvils had no horns (or hardy and pritchel holes either). 

Two issues welding anvils, old ones are wrought, and tho it can be arc welded it's messy and can easily lead to a puddle on the flore. Second the tool steel plate is hardened to about R55, the heat of welding the horn on can ruin the heat treat. 

Their are a few folks that can do a workmans job of it, either preserving or reheat treating the face (a whole nother hurculian task). 

My advice is to use her as she is, in a few years if you feel the need do the research and have it fixed right, otherwise don't worry about it, you can forge curves on the face, just takes a different technich 

[RobinD69]

Thank you all you have been very helpful. I will just clean it up and use it as is. I will also keep an eye out for a whole anvil but this one will be a good start.

[Mark Ling]

or instead of putting it in the hardy hole you could weld on a piece of steel on to were it broke of and use it in a vice.

                                                                                                             Littleblacksmith

[RobinD69]

Ok I cleaned up the foot and found the number, 118522.

[Hammerfall]

Just clean it up a bit and use it as is for a while.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Surprised that you have the broken horn with it, as many times they are separated and gone forever. As to welding the horn on, yes it can be done, but the horn is over rated many times. I rarely use mine, and when I do it is mainly as a large diameter fuller. I do all of my scrolling on the top of the anvil face. 

I like the idea of welding a square shank into it so it can be used in the vise, or make a mount like a trailer hitch to slide it into.

[Bud in PA]

You are one lucky fellow to have bought a Hay-Budden for $10.  I bought a whole one that weighs 93 lbs. for $350. Congratulations .

[matto]

Pics would be nice we all like to look at pics.