Nemdoug3344 Posted May 7, 2018 Share Posted May 7, 2018 Hello all, my father and I just picked up a new anvil and I am looking at trying to identify it and fix up some of the dings. Any and all info would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted May 7, 2018 Share Posted May 7, 2018 There is nothing I can see on that anvil that needs " repaired" you could very lightly smooth the edges to a slight radius and smooth the mushrooming on the horn. Honestly do nothing but forge hot steel on it for a good many months until your skills get better and you can see then if you feel it needs anything. Slight divots or imperfect edges are nothing to worry about. If it's got good rebound and the ring of it is even around the face of it then it's fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charcold Posted May 7, 2018 Share Posted May 7, 2018 Just as a disclaimer please don't grind, weld, or attempt any other repairs until you here from experts, you could end up damaging the anvil and you'd be far from the first! That out of the way I don't see any damage that I'd personally repair. The "bridge" area between face and horn is a bit mushroomed, but that's no big deal. Some smiths use that part for chisel work I've read, intentionally sacrificing that area should the chisel slip. They're sometimes not hardened steel, which could explain the shape. The face doesn't look bad, we certainly see worse posted on a weekly basis. No major gouges that i can see on the face itself, and the edge looks not too bad either. If there are rough spots you simply need to avoid them on your work. A plain block hardy tool could be made if you need a perfect corner to work against. The horn is blunted, this was done intentionally most likely to avoid a sharp point which you'd never forget if you ran into. That's fairly common, some sharp horns have been the cause of ripped pants, cuts, and worse. Looks like a wrought body anvil of some kind, im sure someone will be along shortly to let you know the maker. 1-0-3 is likely the weight in hundredweight system 1(x112) + 0(x28) + 3(x1) = 115 lbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 7, 2018 Share Posted May 7, 2018 I didn't see anything that needs to be repaired before use. As repairs usually tend to lower the value and usability of an anvil I would just polish up the face by forging hot iron on it and keep it well away from anyone who wants to weld/grind/mill on the face! What does the indentation on the bottom look like and are there any steam hammer markings on the underside of the heel? I'm betting Arm & Hammer a very nice maker, made in Columbus Ohio; but by a different company than the Trenton anvils. (also know for leaving the undulating hammer marks of a steam hammer on the underside of the heel). I think I see the Arm in the second and third pictures. I have a 91# A&H anvil I traded for in Arkansas over 34 years ago. Note there was also another company that used the Arm and Hammer, Vulcan, but they version is cast proud of the surface and not stamped into it. The weight stamp is pounds and not cwt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemdoug3344 Posted May 7, 2018 Author Share Posted May 7, 2018 Thank you, everyone. I took a couple of extra pictures. I am not planning to do any grinding or any of that, just curious about what problems it could make. Glad to know it won't cause me problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted May 7, 2018 Share Posted May 7, 2018 103# Arm and Hammer I agree that I don't see anything that needs repairing. Fire up the forge and put it to work. The blunted horn is a commonly seen feature. Accidentally run into one and you will see why they are like they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 7, 2018 Share Posted May 7, 2018 Notice how thin the face is? The face is the working life of the anvil; making it thinner is throwing away decades of possible use. Getting it too thin and the anvil loses it's extra bounce. That face is hardened and tempered steel. Welding on it will cause HAZ issues---especially if you forget to preheat it to prevent auto-quenching and the welds break out even larger areas. It is possible to repair an anvil face; I had a friend one who had once paid good money to have his anvil face milled only to find it was then too thin to use. It took 5-6 solid hours by a professional welder at an Anvil Repair Day using commercial welding equipment to put a usable face back on it---after he had carried it around for 20 years as professional welding would cost several times more than buying an anvil in better shape...At the Anvil Repair Day the welder donated his time/equipment AND HE is a talented smith and KNOWS how anvils are made and repaired. (I've seen a number damaged by expert machinists and welders who didn't know anvils---but thought their expertise in milling/welding made up for that...NO!) Getting started out *you* will probably be adding to the dents till your hammer control gets good. Use it a couple of years and then decide if the face is getting in the way of what you are doing---most likely it won't be! Caplet depression and hammer marks A&H! Weight stamped in pounds. Great anvil---don't abuse it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted May 7, 2018 Share Posted May 7, 2018 Yup saw the arm in That pic. Hey, Elmo and the monkey are happy with it. just don't forge in those sandles.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1 Posted May 7, 2018 Share Posted May 7, 2018 1 hour ago, Nemdoug3344 said: Hello all, my father and I just picked up a new anvil and I am looking at trying to identify it and fix up some of the dings. Any and all info would be great. Yes, it is tempting to think that dings can be simply filled in with a bit of weld and ground flat. The reality is that you risk damaging the temper for no gain but for the looks. Anvils are a solid base to hammer hot steel on them. Dings, depressions, deformations, mushrooming edges and even broken edges from misuse, don't take away much from their intended purpose. To try to fix them is as useful as ironing your bed sheets or your hat. Use it as it is and when you need something better, save some money for a 300 or 400 lb Refflinghaus of Kohlswa in Southern German pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemdoug3344 Posted May 8, 2018 Author Share Posted May 8, 2018 You all are definitely right. Arm and Hammer. Not planning on grinding anything, seems to work out just great so far for me. Was $100 a reasonable deal for this and the stand? Not sure exactly where to price it, but even for a low-end anvil, the price worked out for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 8, 2018 Share Posted May 8, 2018 No that is not a reasonable price for that anvil---you should have paid a lot more! As for the stand: does it put the anvil at the correct height for you and what you plan to do? If yes then it adds value to the deal. If no it subtracts value from the deal as it might slow you down from getting a correct one made and so help damage you in using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemdoug3344 Posted May 8, 2018 Author Share Posted May 8, 2018 Oh wow! I paid what the seller wanted and what I felt reasonable for what I needed right now. The anvil top is about to the middle of my palm left at my side. From a bit of working tonight, it didn't seem to cause me any sort of problems. Thank you for all of your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 8, 2018 Share Posted May 8, 2018 Low for fine work---little stuff or blades. Spot on for doing heavier work. Do you strike flat? (put a thin piece of wood on the face and see if your natural hit leaves crescents or rings: Rings good, Crescent open away from you=too high; Crescent open towards you=too low.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemdoug3344 Posted May 8, 2018 Author Share Posted May 8, 2018 2 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: Low for fine work---little stuff or blades. Spot on for doing heavier work. Do you strike flat? (put a thin piece of wood on the face and see if your natural hit leaves crescents or rings: Rings good, Crescent open away from you=too high; Crescent open towards you=too low.) I will try this tomorrow! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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