Callmecrazy Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 I recently acquired an 1890 300lb fisher anvil which I got for a great price due to a heavy chip (1/2 inch deep by 3-4 inches long) on the far side. The horn has some damage as well, but that's something I can clean up easy enough with the angle grinder. What I'm trying to figure out is what to do with the edge. My first thought was to grind a radius onto that edge but it would end up being a rather large radius and would need to be 5 or 6 inches long to safely get past the crack beside the chip. My second thought was to replace the face entirely, but that was a fleeting thought because as much as I need it to be a working anvil, I want to preserve it's history. My last thought was to try to fill in the crack a little with some 7018 welding rods and grind a smaller radius into it. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. Also I will try to post a picture soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Just work around that area. Fishers have cast iron bodies with tool steel top plates on the body and horn making repairs more difficult than one with an iron body. It can be done, but if it is not done correctly it will result in more damage than what you have now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-1ToolSteel Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Yeah, a picture is a must. A lot of people post stuff like this, when there is NOTHING that needs to be fixed at all. (Except the fact that is isn't being used) From what you said, I think replacing the face is totally unnecessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatfudd Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 Rob Gunter has repaired a few fishers but he admits it is difficult. If you weld into the cast iron you'll need a special nickel welding rod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callmecrazy Posted December 22, 2016 Author Share Posted December 22, 2016 5 hours ago, C-1ToolSteel said: Yeah, a picture is a must. A lot of people post stuff like this, when there is NOTHING that needs to be fixed at all. (Except the fact that is isn't being used) From what you said, I think replacing the face is totally unnecessary. Been working my other job all day but I will have a picture up in the morning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 The horn on Fisher anvils has it's own tool steel top plate, so be careful with grinding on it. As others have said, a picture is worth a thousand words. Post some photos and we'll see what the best option is. Welding to cast iron.... I wouldn't do it, but maybe you're better at welding. It wouldn't take much to be better at welding than me, so.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callmecrazy Posted December 22, 2016 Author Share Posted December 22, 2016 16 hours ago, C-1ToolSteel said: Yeah, a picture is a must. A lot of people post stuff like this, when there is NOTHING that needs to be fixed at all. (Except the fact that is isn't being used) From what you said, I think replacing the face is totally unnecessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy k Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 Leave the chip and dress the opposite edge to a slight radius and use as is working around the bad area( lots of useable surfaces besides the bad chip area). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 I wouldn't mess with it other then smoothing it out to reduce any further chipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 Yes that is through the steel face and down to the cast iron. So you would need some special rods (nickel on the cast iron, build up and then face rod, preheat and slow cool. Or you could make it a *great* built in swage and go forward The rest of the face looks so good you needn't worry about that bit. It does show the true thickness of the steel face vs the overhang that many confuse with the face thickness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-1ToolSteel Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 Not bad at all. Heat up some steel and happy forging! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcusb Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Looks like it has some saddle in the middle? Doing that on a cast fisher would have taken some work! Lots of history in that anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1 Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 That anvil looks like it has done a lot of heavy work. That is not just a chip, the steel face is coming off the base and using it like that may actually make the damage worst. Sure it is not an easy fix, but in this case I think it is warranted to weld the plate back and make a proper repair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judson Yaggy Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Not often you see a Fisher with sway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 if that the remaining faced areas are sound then just use it, as mentioned above, dress the damaged area a little and use it as an extra feature. As for the horn tip, if you need the smaller end, make yourself a small horn stake or a cone to mount in the hardy hole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjaman Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 55% nickel rods, PREHEAT POSTHEAT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 There are a lot more rods out today for cast iron, and I find that most are far better than the old nickel rods, but they cost upwards of $50 a pound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callmecrazy Posted December 24, 2016 Author Share Posted December 24, 2016 15 hours ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said: There are a lot more rods out today for cast iron, and I find that most are far better than the old nickel rods, but they cost upwards of $50 a pound. I really hate the idea of a shiny nickel spot on a cast iron anvil. Any suggestions on which rod may work other than that? My thought was the 7018 rods but I truthfully am a novice and I really would hate to damage it further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 The best thing you can do is just STOP where you are now. Welding on an anvil is far more than just running a bead. The top plate is tool steel and any welding on it will create a heat affected zone. Some parts may end up too soft while others may end up far too hard and very brittle leading to further damage. Cast iron welding is far different than welding on steel, and is somewhat counterproductive to what you need to do to weld the top plate. The joys of owning a Fisher ;). Just use that anvil as is for now, it will be fine. Look at the scars as indicators of a life of use. What stories could that anvil tell? It is kind of like the old military rifles I have. I leave the dents and dings in the stocks even though they could easily be ironed out. Why? Because they help tell the story of that rifle. When I look at them I wonder, where has this rifle been. Who held it? Stuff like that. If you want a pristine anvil, buy a new one. That anvil has earned its scars, just work around them, it isn't that difficult to do. Do not risk further damaging it by doing a hasty repair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 Not to turn this into a TLDR dissertation on welding, but: Conventional steel filler rods are worse than useless directly on cast iron. They absorb too much carbon from the cast base metal, so will become brittle and break again in the same place. You need a "buttering" layer between the cast iron and the steel face, nickel will not absorb carbon and will remain soft. You then put a higher strength rod on top, E11018 would work if you have access. The lower down the numbers, the softer the repaired face will be. The Vulcan that we repaired at school has a 7018 face that dings easily, but also cleans up easily with a flap wheel. Students hammer like lightning, they never hit the same place twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 There are far better cast rods then the old E99 but they run in the $50 a pound range, which is worth it for certain projects. I would still strongly suggest not messing with this anvil at this point in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayakersteve Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 Man, You're Crazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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