Anvil care

[The Hess]

Thanks frosty I was just wondering because grease does keep brings from rusting and it's used to keep guns good for extended periods I also have used it by rubbing it into a rag then heating the rag up and wiping down splitting mals that seemed to keep all through the winter when wrapped in the rag. I don't have much options at the moment being new to a foreign country and not knowing any Spanish it's hard to find anything here let alone anyone who knows anything about smiting yet.

[Frosty]

32 minutes ago, Juc said:

Any of you folks try using a sacrificial anode to protect your anvil? like you would a boat or the frame of a car you're particularly fond of?

Now that's something I hadn't thought of, interesting idea thank you.

"Zincs" zinc sacrificial anodes are common, you can find them in any marine supply.  I see two issues: First, how to attach one, it MUST be in good conductive contact with the metal being protected. Steel boat zincs can be bolted or welded on, welding is preferred where possible for the better conductive contact. attachiing a zinc to an anvil shouldn't be a real problem, I'll bet just laying a thin strip of zinc under it will work fine. Sand any rust off the anvil's foot first but that should do the trick for conductive contact.

The other issue I see is to work a sacrificial anode needs an electrolyte to work, is there going to be enough moisture between the zinc and anvil to work? I realize the rust is mostly caused by moisture but is i enough to cause electrolytic activity to make the metal transfer?

Hmmmm, how about just painting the anvil with galvy paint? I bet that'd do it better than zincs,

Do you have other sacrificial anodes in mine?

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

Wax with a bit of solvent would work, For that matter vaseline should work and be available---think of it as a low grade cosmoline....

 I'd try to use something you like the smell of when you put hot iron on it.  For longer term storage boiled linseed oil comes to mind.  when I soak the ends of hammers in it I use the rag to wipe down the heads, anvils, postvises, etc---and then burn the rag in the forge so no unintended fires...

[Juc]

3 minutes ago, Frosty said:

Do you have other sacrificial anodes in mine?

For steel you should be able to use zinc, magnesium or aluminium for some degree of success. (I think)
I think magnesium would work better than zinc but I'm not sure how wet the air would need to really be to work at all.
I did see some anvils with aluminium bases the other day, future I think. If anything would work I'd figure it'd be them, can't get in much better contact than having part of the anvil made from a sacrificial anode

[WL smith]

If you are not going to use it often. Wire brush by hand wipe the loose rust off with a drying solvent and brush on some ospho conversion coating what remains. Lasts a long time