Anvil dressing - to do's, and not to do's.

[Origins of Iron]

First off I'll l apologize if im starting a discussion thats been beaten to death already. I did some "site research" and didn't find what I had expected to find on this subject. So moderators; please feel free to nuke this if im out of order. 

That subject being: what is the preferred/standard dressing for a new anvil (as most, like my JHM Legend, arrive to "crisp"), and what's an acceptable clean-up for a vintage anvil? Namely - how much "grinding" do/should I do to those sharp face edges, and or, just how much cleanup is too much for this rust bucket I just acquired? 

Knowing that sharp edges are the devil - hence the need to dress new; and rotten/chipped/worn edges are the devils sidekick. I'd really like to generate some solid discussion as to proper or correct (or the assumption of) ways to get that spanking new investment ready for prime time, and or, taking the old crusty barn find and doing the same. 

I personally have my ideas as to what to do, buy id like to hear form the mob. 

[Charles R. Stevens]

Grinding on old anvils is most generally discoraged. Unless one s familiar with how to use on anvil one can do more harm than good. An experienced smith may dress serious damage. 

A new anvil generally be if it’s from a 1/8-1/4” radius. My anvils are acualy graduated, from 1/8”at the front to 1/2” at the heel

An 1/8”-1/4” on the hardy hole and pritchel are my recomandations as well.

[MotoMike]

Glad you asked this questions.  I'm sure there is plenty of discussion on this topic here, but the glitch system makes it hard to search.  

Charles, my anvil has the very tip of the bick hammered in to a bit of a mushroom.  so if I drift out a hole that I intend to work on the horn, I have to make it at least 3/4 inch to get past the mushroom.  Do you think it acceptable to recontour the point?

 

[Charles R. Stevens]

As the tip of an anvil is awfully close to a man’s thinking aperraris many have been blunted. I my self prefer my point, but tend to turn small circles freehand on the anvil  face. I personal thaight would not to heat the horn but to simply file the mushroom smooth. You maintain the safety of a blunt tip (I saw a horse flip over in to an anvil and peal a note book page size avulsian of skin. Nasty wound.) wile having a smaller profile at the tip.

[Exo313]

I had it pounded into my head by an instructor that dressing mushroomed tools is always a good idea. More of a concern with striking/ struck tools than in the case of a blunted bick, but still. 

[MotoMike]

Thank you Charles.  you are the preacher and I am the choir.  I don't want it pointy, but wonder who in my family, since it has been a family anvil since give or take 1929 or so, abused the anvil in this way.  

where is that file

 

[Marc1]

It's not too hard to imagine someone running the pointy horn into his thigh and take to it with a hammer with gusto. Your was just a bit overdone. Grind the excess mushroom off and leave the round point untouched. 

As for the dressing of the edge, without knowing what you do on the anvil it is a bit of a moot question. There is no such thing as the ideal or standard radius or the manufacturer would supply the anvil dressed. On the other hand, a lot of chips you see on anvils are bits that came off from sharp edges and likely from missed blows or working cold stock. It would be difficult to break a bit off an anvil with a round edge and beating hot stock. 

But ... if you need to ask the question i wouldn't grind any radius at all and work your anvil as it is until it will become obvious what you need for that particular work you do. 

[George Geist]

It was often done deliberately. I don't think there was any need to overdo but perhaps from stabbing themselves, or tearing their pants or whatever reason, smiths of yesteryear often blunted their horns.

George

[Tubalcain2]

10 hours ago, Origions of Iron said:

what is the preferred/standard dressing for a new anvil

When on a G-rated forum, all anvils should be fully dressed.

[Origins of Iron]

11 hours ago, Charles R. Stevens said:

 My anvils are acualy graduated, from 1/8”at the front to 1/2” at the heel

An 1/8”-1/4” on the hardy hole and pritchel are my recomandations as well.

I do believe this was the only comment i came across in the forums. I appreciate the repeated info. 

My understanding is that its preferable to use a flap disc to achieve these radius dimensions as opposed to using a solid disc, because the latter has a tendency to heat the treated steel. I also recall reading that its good to check the steel temp "by wrist" as to ensure its staying plenty cool. 

Am i on the correct path? 

2 hours ago, Tubalcain2 said:

When on a G-rated forum, all anvils should be fully dressed.

Ya know, i was going to put something snarky in my post about dressing anvils. But that would actually create a whole new post about how to identify an anvils gender. 

[Anachronist58]

53 minutes ago, Origions of Iron said:

Ya know, i was going to.........

Probably best to avoid that tangent........

My 1901 Soderfors was intentionally blunted at the tip of the horn at some time in its life. I intend to restore it to a point, even though I have been twice struck by that point.

My point being, ahem, if one is to redress the point of ones horn, safety assurances must be implemented. My horn will be fitted with a magnetic tennis ball cover - Oh the Rudolfian Humiliation!

Filing is a safe method for dressing the horn, but as for me, being a professional hand finisher, i will rough it in with a flap disc, and finish with a file.

Charles, I would actually have the radiused edge small at the heel, and larger at the horn, But I bow to you, who bows to Horses........

Robert Taylor

 

[Origins of Iron]

That brings up a good point...and I don't mean the horn. 

The radius of the face; is there a reason @Charles R. Stevens, that you prefer or recommend the smaller to heavier radii front to rear? I'm just tryingvto understand the applicable mechanics behind the differing taper layouts before i make a permanent change to my investment. 

[Marc1]

Dressing the edge of your anvil is personal preference and relates to the work you do and the size of the anvil. So in other words you first get started with whatever you do and then you customize your anvil. 

if you feel that you must do this for whatever reason, give the working edge a small rounding, something you will not regret later, say 3/16

What do you actually do on your anvil? 

[MotoMike]

Ok, I filed the mushroom off and left the point blunt.  how's that look?

 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Looks good to me...

[JHCC]

Looks good to me, too. If you need anything smaller, make yourself a bickern. 

10 hours ago, Tubalcain2 said:

When on a G-rated forum, all anvils should be fully dressed.

Especially before you date them. 

[Charles R. Stevens]

A 1/2” inch radius turning a 1/4” bar 90 might not be as good as good as an 1/8”. Wile a 1/2 is good for starting a scroll to be turned over the face.

[Hotshoein4 (Mark)]

I guess I'm different than others, but I like the got go to a point. I use a point a lot. A very handy tool really. And some sharp edges on an anvil are also super handy. I've done several things that need a sharp edge. Start with a sharp edge and a point in your anvil and decide if you need it or not. You'll find them both very handy

[Ranchmanben]

I prefer the horn pointy and the heel crisp. Like others have said, a sharp horn can be a hazard but I use mine far to often to consider blunting it. I like having the heel sharp to mark steel and occasionally use to cut off pieces when I can quickly find my cut off hardy. I radius the face opposite of Charles, larger radius closer to the horn. 

[Glenn]

One fellow posted a photo of a tennis ball with an X cut into the ball. He attached a bungee cord to the flaps on the X, then attach the tennis ball over the horn and the bungee cord around the anvil to hold the tennis ball in place. After the first encounter, you should remember to add the personal protection device to the horn when the anvil is not in use.

[MotoMike]

Thanks guys.  the finished blunt point is about 1/2 inch.  I'll try it and see how it works.  

[Origins of Iron]

9 hours ago, Marc1 said:

Dressing the edge of your anvil is personal preference and relates to the work you do and the size of the anvil. So in other words you first get started with whatever you do and then you customize your anvil. 

That actually makes a ton of sense. The anvil I stared with was an 83# Trenton that had seen some abuse, so i had to really clean up the face. It was (and is) usable, but i had to be really choosy as to where i did any specific offset. 

My new anvil is a 215# JHM Legend, and its almost as pretty and sharp as they come. I have already, like you mentioned, taken the edge down just a  hair to see how I like it. It's going to take some getting used to, but the past week owning it ive not had to do any offsets...only tooling so far. 

2 hours ago, Ranchmanben said:

I radius the face opposite of Charles, larger radius closer to the horn. 

I've seen this in older anvils. I was considering going that route. 

 

Im beginning to get  the feeling that, like so much in blacksmithing, its up to the smith - to each  their own , and no bad way if it works for you. 

[Glenn]

What you are interested in making today may not be of interest in 6 months.

Why not make a face plate that fits over the anvil. You can then radius the edge of the plate any way you want without changing the anvil. The face plate does not need to be large or cover the entire anvil face. 4 inches of face plate will do, and let the rest of the face still be usable. 

This way you can change the radius, location of the radius, etc very easily until you find what you like.

 

[Origins of Iron]

Very true indeed. 

Thats an interesting idea. I do however have a hardy fullering tool with 3 different radii to choose from, which would probably fit that same bill. 

[JustAnotherViking]

Do people tend to radius both sides or just one? 

I've one side done. Bigger radius towards the bick, narrow towards the heel, but have left the other side fairly sharp. 

Recently I've been thinking it would be useful to radius at least part of the bick end of the other side too rather than moving around the anvil to use the radiused part depending on what I'm doing.