Jclick45 Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Hey guys, looking for some advice on this Trenton! On the left side base under the horn looks like "I546" and on the right "81". There might be more but unrecognizable. I found this hanging off the back of a farmers disk for extra weight . It was in bad shape, pix attached. The tool plate top was mostly gone. I cut the rest off and used the Robb Gunther method to repair the top. Well, I'm half done, the stoody 2110 is on, the 1105 is waiting to be burned. I'm curious how old this is? It doesn't have the "X" it is a clear "N". It weighs about 175 lbs, and she's gonna gain at least 10 lbs when I'm done. The thing that bothers me, it has what appears to be a crack all the way around the waist. I know this is somewhat common on these, but looking for more info. Is it a crack? It rings great, and the rebound isn't bad considering I'm not done restoring yet. It is also crooked, the top sits unlevel. The base is level, and the surface is level, its just welded crooked at the waist. Should I grind out and weld up the cracks assuming they are shallow? (I am a professional welder by trade) Last question, I hate the tilt. I would rather add material on the bases high side rather than mill off material on the high side. I was going to add weld to the base on the low side, then mill it off parallel with the top. What rod would you use? I was going to use 6013 as I think the body is wrought. Opinions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Thats strange since I had thought the trentons welded at the waist had a solid steel top like mine does, but that had the steel face plate. No weight stamp or serial# on the front of the foot under the horn? Also can you get a picture of the bottom of the anvil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jclick45 Posted August 10, 2018 Author Share Posted August 10, 2018 It was indeed a tool steel top, harder than heck! This is all that's on the front except the 81. It had been used for years after the top came off, it was in really bad shape. It'll be nice when it's done it's great now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jclick45 Posted August 12, 2018 Author Share Posted August 12, 2018 No one?? A friend has "anvils in america" he said it was a 1900, which is earlier than I thought! I will hopefully heat it up and finish the face repair soon, and figure I will build up the low side of the base a little. Would love some recommendations on rod if anyone has any! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 I swear by Robb Gunther and Karl Schuler's Anvil Restoration method originally published in Anvil Magazine and now found on the web. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 13 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: I swear by Robb Gunther and Karl Schuler's Anvil Restoration method I agree. here's the addy http://www.anvilmag.com/smith/anvilres.htm And another rod that someone recomwnded that has the same characteristics but is cheaper Hobart hardalloy Hardalloy 32 base Hardalloy 58 cap Have fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 The Gunther method has worked very well for me. I don't have Stoody available here in the Valley and used the Hobart Hardalloy rods. They run nicely, clean/chip easily and did the job very well. If you do this be careful grinding the face! I rough ground it while it was still red hot in the fire tub. I used a cup stone in my 7" right angle grinder to knock the beads down enough to do the final grinding with the disks after it cooled. Be very careful to keep the grinding disks parallel with the face! The worst mistake you see with anvil rebuilds is the edges ground down at an angle. You don't want sharp edges but you do want them square to the body. Or I do anyway, how else are you going to forge a square corner? And please do not whip the grinder back and forth! That round thing in your hand making that loud motor noise is doing the real work IF you let it. You can't maintain a proper angle of attack that way, no matter what you see contestants on FIF doing. You have to keep the disk moving to avoid deeper scoring than necessary but smooth and steady works the best. The disk cuts MUCH faster and you have good control. How can moving the disk slowly cut faster? It's in contact with the work longer than if it's whipping back ad forth. And if you're taking a deep bite you can let the disk's edge cut and the face smooth. This won't work on hard face rods of course, they're too hard unless you want to spend the money on green or blue disks. Anyway, keep the disk parallel with the anvil (work in general) face. If you need more aggressive tip it up on edge a LITTLE but keep the disk parallel with the face. Then make a couple passes with the disk flat to make a smooth surface. When you have it profiled correctly start polishing it with sanding disks in progressively finer grits. Read the specs on the grinding disk it's probably a 36 grit or close so there's no reason to start sanding with that coarse a paper. I went to 80 grit then 120 grit and the fellow I was doing it for thought that was good. A lot shinier than mine. Dress the edges AFTER the face is ground. Just keep the disk grinding or sanding, FLAT! ANYONE who wants to argue the point by bringing up the horn can go pound sand. I don't have time. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 1 hour ago, Frosty said: Just keep the disk grinding or sanding, FLAT! ANYONE who wants to argue the point by bringing up the horn can go pound sand Excellent procedure. I rebuilt my trenton about a week befor Robb released his method. I used 7018. about 10 years ago I noticed that the weld was moving over the edge. that's the best way I can describe it. Now it needs to be redone. Some friends followed his way about the same timeand their anvils are still pristine. We all are full time smiths. here's to pounding sand,,, As for the horn, it is wrought iron so I used a torch and coat hanger to fill in and build up some holes and worn areas. then used my half round bastard file to draw file it to shape. The horn is still perfect! Now thats True Grit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 I can’t believe Jerry missed the strait line... ”first, you got to get little stolkerish and find a Trenton, ask him/her out...” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankySmith Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 Really, if you can't toss out a straight pitch like that and count on Frosty responding, what's happening in this world!? (Charles, when I saw the tag line it was the first thing I thought of, too! Frosty must be off his game). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 He's probably out swatting skeeters with a 12# sledge and hoping it snows next week... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 Sorry to disappoint but I've picked up the "need help dating . . . X" straight line so many times I think I already did. I mean REALLY, I'd have to think something up a dozen times a week! Have a little mercy will ya? That's a good one Thomas, like you can get a 12# sledge hammer away from an Alaskan skeeter. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jclick45 Posted August 13, 2018 Author Share Posted August 13, 2018 Lol I agree with you completely frosty, been welding and fabricating for about 30 years now. Thanks for the replies! The face is already half done, the 2110 is already on and the 1105 is waiting to be burned. My question was more directed towards the base of the anvil, the lean drives me crazy and forces me to work with the horn on my left (hope I don't start a war there haha). I was going to build up the base on the low side and mill it flat, so the face would sit level. I have been using 6013 for the wrought repairs, like where they beat the cutting shelf to death. It has held up well, I will probably do my base build up with that. And I might just grind out some of that crack and fill it too, just for asthetics. I feel like she's solid it just bothers me to look at. And Anvil thank you for the cross reference on the rod, I wasn't able to find anything with my supplier, and as Frosty said the stoody is pretty hard to get Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 Or just mill the base parallel to the face. I doubt you will be taking a lot off... I'm a "user" rather than an "idolator" of anvils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 For reference use a "steel on stone" hard facing rod, it's impact deformation and chip resistant intended for things like loader bucket and crusher drums. Steel on steel hard facing is abrasion resistant but can be chipped under impact. If it's not too far off build a stand that's off level to compensate. Or just shim it. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 Or you could just consider yourself lucky to have found an anvil that dumps the scale on the far side of the work, instead of in your socks...... Seriously, some great smiths like Bruce Wilcock used anvils just like that to great effect for a lifetime. Many old anvils were off kilter, either fore and aft, or port to starboard. You simply adjust. Don't let a machinist's mindset take over and ruin a perfectly usable blacksmith tool. More anvils have been ruined by well-meaning people trying to "FIX" them than by neglect. A bubble level is only used by a blacksmith for product installation, never on his shop tools. Shim the base with a wedge if you have to, in order to sleep at night. Or build a stand that compensates for the angle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 Well I think you could do quite a bit to the base without messing up an anvil; it's a tool after all not a museum piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jclick45 Posted August 14, 2018 Author Share Posted August 14, 2018 Yes Thomas I'm with you there, I don't mean to do much to it, just flatten it out a bit. It rocks slightly anyway so it needs some base work. I may lay a little rod on it while its already preheated for the face finishing, just have to see how I feel after 5-10 lbs of 1105 have been burned! John M that is too funny tho, I never thought about the scale! You have a good point there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted August 15, 2018 Share Posted August 15, 2018 For the top flattening , do you have a shop with a Blanchard grinder close by? Some auto shops have smaller versions that they use for flywheels. Don't know how hard that rod is, or how well carbide cutters would hold up in a milling machine, but they have some ceramic inserts now that will do some HARD materials. For keeping things flat I have used a belt sander with aluminum oxide belts. Much better than discs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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