just picked this up last nite.  Anyone know who made it.  I assume it's a 110lb.  I can't make out anymore marks anywhere else.9th

has a lot of punch marks to top.  Plan on blueing the top and grinding at least most of them out.

 Looks like a good anvil.......      Why do you want to ruin it?                   Dave

Don't touch it with a grinder! The face plate looks pretty thin at the heel, so it may have already been milled at one point. Those small marks likely won't even transfer onto your work.

All that anvil needs is hot steel hammered on it. By grinding on the hardened face you will remove decades of useful life.

I do a lot of hand grinding of flat surfaces on large stamping dies for a living.  If you don't think they will mess my work up I will just mount it and see how it works out.  

What do they say when you grind off the hardened section leaving only the softer metal on those dies?   Working hot steel on it will polish out the surface nicely.  Wire brushing any loose rust off the face can be done.  If you really really must grind the face, tape US$20 bills to cover it and then grind through those to give you a good idea of what you are doing.

If you need a dead flat surface for something---why not use one of the die blocks you work on?

Caplet indentation, weight to left and serial number to the right: I'm going with Trenton, 155XYZ  made in 1917

Was only thinking of taking around .020in off. I don't need it any flatter. It is flat enough. Just hate seeing all the chisel marks. I will put some hot steel on it and see what I get.  Would you soften the edges that have chipped out?  I wish I could take some pcs from work home. Thank you for the advice.

Good Morning,

If you are worried about marks, take a not sharp pin punch (1/4-3/8) and a good sized hammer. Work around the outside of those marks and you can push the material back into the holes. working cold!!!!!!   The surface of an Anvil is Work Hardened, if you take a layer off you are creating Junk or taking it back 75-100 years. No Gain.

Use it like it wants to be used. With Hot material being hammered, you will bring back the useful surface. There may also be some marks from the Anvil, GUESS WHAT, there will also be some marks from your Hammer. Use it for a couple years, then decide if you want or need to grind it.

Someone already took a grinder to the manufacturers markings, They didn't grind the face. The name of the Anvil is 'My Anvil- Fred' or whatever name you are more comfortable with. Enjoy the Journey!!

Neil

Generally it's suggested that you use it for a full year before making any changes that can't be backed out.  If you need a sharp edge or one specifically rounded make a hardy tool with it!  What I picked up the block below for:

Good advice.  I'll just use it as is. Thank you

The guys saved me form being all adament and everything about NOT grinding on that fine old lady's face. Thanks guys. Down the road you'll probably do a little radiusing on the edges, it's a useful bottom die shape, sharp edges are BAD things for the most part.

If you need a polished face, sharp edges, etc. That's what "bottom tools" are for, just weld on a square shank that fits the hardy hole and viola. I like a welded shank, it lets me move the struck part of the bottom tool closer to the center of the anvil, the "Sweet spot." The rebounded energy from strikig the work is returned with the most effect the thicker the iron/steel directly under the blow. That's what makes the center of the anvil the sweet spot.

If you'd like there's nothing wrong with taking a wire brush to it and removing the rust. I like a twisted wire cup brush in my right angle grinder. Finishing it with a rust preventative isn't a bad idea, I like carnuba paste furniture/floor wax applied when the anvil is coffee warm. My go to wax is called Trewax, the other paste carnuba I know of is called "Bowling Alley Wax" Either are used on bowling alleys, the stuff you have to take a sander to to strip the wax. Blacksmith tough stuff.

Boiled linseed oil(BLO) is a good choice but takes a little time to harden. Johnson's paste wax works nicely but isn't as durable as the previous stuff. 

Heck, paint it if you like, sure guys will scream but it's your anvil. Yes?

Anyway, that's a beautiful old lady, she's got a couple generations of working life in her. Your grandkids will brag on their grandfather the blacksmith while they teach their kids smithing.

Frosty The Lucky.

If you are going to use it yourself painting is perfectly OK with me. I just warn people who want to sell an anvil at a high price that fresh paint lowers the price; like when you are buying a used car "that never was in an accident" but one of the quarter panels is freshly painted...  Note that BLO can be considered a "oil based paint" and BLO was the oil in oil based paint; it's just very light on the pigment....