Anvil ID

[astevens]

I got this anvil for free from an elderly gentleman that has recently become ill. Any way to ID the thing? Needs a little work.

 Thanks 

[Daswulf]

Looks Trenton-ish. 

The only work it needs is hot steel hammered on its face. You got a great gift. Please be very kind to the man that gave it to you. 

You could wire wheel the paint off it and might find markings but it looks like a great anvil. How is the ring and rebound?

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Where in the world are you and your new anvil located? Location may help to Id it. Have you read this thread yet? read-this-first/

If this were posted under the sub forum Anvils, you may get more responses.

[astevens]

Ok. Will do. I’m in California. Has some pitting on the surface that may need filled. Sounds and bounces good compared to the railroad track I was banging on before.

[ThomasPowers]

If the weldor doesn't know what they are doing they can cause WORSE issues than the ones they are trying to "fix".  Preheating to the correct temperature and slow cooling is MANDATORY. (and overheating will ruin the temper!)  If you must have it repaired read up on the Gunther/Schuler method of anvil repair as it's the "gold standard".

And can we see a picture of the base of that anvil?  (and check the front to the "feet" under the horn to see if there is a weight stamp and/or a serial number there.)

[Daswulf]

Attempting repair may be more trouble, risk and money than its worth. Hard to really tell from the photos but it looks like there is a lot of good face to use, and just avoid pitted spots. Theres a lot more area there than on rail track. 

[John in Oly, WA]

Clean up the side showing in your top pic and the front edge of the foot under the horn as Thomas recommends. Take close up pics of both of those areas and post them here. Those are the most likely areas to have any markings.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

9 hours ago, astevens said:

I’m in California.

We won't remember that once leaving this post, hence the suggestion to edit your profile to show location. There are quite a few threads on repairing anvils, most feel that unless the person doing the work is very experienced with anvils they do more harm than good. Grinding or milling the hardened face of an anvil can ruin it.

[astevens]

Took pics. All I can make out is the word hay so I’m assuming it is hay budden. Two ‘2’ s stamped under horn.

approximate cost to get something like that repaired?

[MC Hammer]

Please do not "fill in" any of the pits.  That anvil is is great shape.  If you try to fill anything in you will likely take a great anvil and make it a poor one.  Use it as is.  Take a look around the forum and see what others are using for anvils and you'll realize that is quite a gift you just received.  You are just the latest caretaker of that anvil and none of the smiths  before you saw a need to fix the imperfections so keep with that wisdom.  

[Chelonian]

Please at least use it for a while before you decide to do anything to it. And I don't mean use it for an hour and make your decision, use it for a LONG time. (a year is often suggested) Then, after that, if you really do think that it is making it difficult for you to forge, then consider making changes. In the photos you posted, the face honestly looks pretty pristine to me. Perhaps post a closer up photo of exactly what you are worried about?

If it were me, I would simply use it as is and not run the risk of ruining a perfectly good anvil.

[MC Hammer]

Right on Chelonian.  Can't agree more.  For perspective, this is the anvil I'm using as my main forging anvil.  Lots of imperfections the don't affect any of my forging whatsoever.  

 

Here's my second anvil which I consider in decent shape as well

I plan on doing nothing with the faces or edges of these anvils.  You don't need a perfect anvil in every way for it to be perfectly usable.  

[Chelonian]

And just for one more example for the OP, this is the anvil I use. The face on it is not exactly perfect, but it does not leave any texturing left on my forgings. If I'm using the edge of the anvil, I simply avoid the one main chip in the edge. I have not once thought to myself "gee, if I had that little spot on edge intact I could do so much more!" :

Oh yeah, its also missing its heel. I don't even notice that anymore while I'm forging. (if I need a hardy or pritchel hole, I will just make a freestanding one.) To me this anvil is not a "broken anvil" It's just an anvil with a few secondary features removed by owners over the years.

[astevens]

Thanks. Will do. It looks as though someone has fixed a couple areas both successfully and unsuccessfully. Serial number looks to be 13818. I can’t  read the lbs

[FlatLiner]

Here is my anvil, it looks like at one time it was used as a torch bench. All the edges have torch damage. But I don't even consider fixing it. I don't want to ruin the 90 + percent rebound. If I need a good edge I use my "viking" block anvil.

[astevens]

Here is a pic of the face up close

[ThomasPowers]

Those attempts may cause bigger issues *IF* they were not done right. As the face is high carbon and the body massive you can get auto quenching and HAZ cracking so that a repair will end up popping out in an even larger hole after use.

I have had a couple of anvils repaired at anvil repair days put on by ABANA affiliates in Ohio and New Mexico, they did it right and I had to fight to get them to accept money for the consumables that were used! (My 410# Trenton had air arc gouging on it from abuse by mine maintenance crews.  Took a lot of preheat!  We used an infra red thermometer to judge proper preheat.)

[John McPherson]

FlatLiner, that is not torch damage, it is chipping of the hard face from missed blows and working cold steel on the edges.

And yes, leaving it alone and using a square edge on another anvil, or making a hardy tool with square edges is the smart thing to do.

[MC Hammer]

Here's what I made so I have crisp/square edges if needed or a completely flat surface.  I siliconed it down to the post w/ brackets.

[astevens]

Okay. I won't mess with it. I see a little info online on serial #'s on these things but if anyone has approximate year of when it was made I think that'd be neat to know. So far I have seen a 39,000 that was dated to 1897.  This one is 13818 which I'm assuming is even older.

thanks

Adam

[ThomasPowers]

Note: Some makes rebooted their count and prepended an A in front of the new numbers.

What most if not all people are working from is serial number/date lists in "Anvils in America" it doesn't have them for every make but the ones that it does have sure seems to interest folks.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

As to surface smoothness. You only need a smooth spot as big as your hammer face, everything else is just extra, and will not affect the part being forged. You will get more imperfections from not wire brushing the scale off than what the anvil will do.