Fixing anvil edge peening/mushrooming

[ChiefLittleBair]

Hello, i just posted about a Trenton that was my great grandpas then my dads. I was cleaning it up via wire wheel and BLO when my dad told me to keep it. My concern is that there is an area of the face that is peened/mushroomed over instead of chipped like most of it. I plan on using thus anvil and don't want a missed strike in thus area to result in another chip fly in off at high speeds. Is there a possibility I could cold forge this part o the face back into its self, of should I grind it flush vertically? I'm not one to take abrasives to an anvil, but as far as safety goes I was taught to always grind to mushrooms off of the hammer and of a punch so it doesn't send shrapnel at an unexpected time. I don't really want to leave the anvil as it sets, but don't want to risk trying to cold forge it either and send a chip off the top of the face. It's a 162lb 1921 Trenton for anhone that didnt see my earlowr post. What is your guys thoughts? Most of the edges are peened like this even under the chipped edges and I feel if I grind them flush vertically, I could bring the anvil back to factory width and at the same time loose a lot of the radiused/chipped edges (about 1/16" width per side)

[Rojo Pedro]

If it were mine, I would take a flap disc to it very lightly and put a small radius on only the damaged parts
 

Over all thats a pretty nice looking anvil as is. 

[CtG]

If it looks like it could spall, I would trim it back- if not, use the beauty. 

If you need to grind it back (again, to prevent spalling IF needed) then put a soft radius in it- crisp edges will be more likely to chip. 

 

Might we see some better pictures of the areas of concern?

[ThomasPowers]

Grind flush and round edges.  Remember in use anvils are not supposed to have sharp edges---"Practical Blacksmithing";Volume 1, published in 1889; page 110: "For my own part I am satisfied not only that the sharp edges are useless, but that they are also destructive of good work. I cannot account for their existence except as a relic of a time  when the principles of forging were but little understood. I want both edges of my anvil rounded, not simply for a part of their length, but for their whole length."

Strange to think that modern times seem to be "a relic of a time  when the principles of forging were but little understood" as we have so many people messing up perfectly usable anvils trying to get sharp edges on them.

[ChiefLittleBair]

Sounds good guys. I'm not trying to "restore" sharp corners. Not a fan of cold shuts on my work myself lol. I was mainly worried about the mushroomed edge spalling and how to fix that before another chip occurs. I will be grinding the face flush on the sides and just a quick once over with the grinder to smooth the sharp edge that will have been created. 

[ThomasPowers]

Just remember that while you asked a question; this is a world wide web forum and the world is reading the answer(s) and so we often address common issues or misconceptions not directly linked to a question.  So please don't take it personal if an answer seems to pound on something you have no plans or intentions of doing yourself.

[ChiefLittleBair]

No offense taken and I hope I'm not coming across like that. I just want everyone to know my intentions and why I'm looking for the answers to the questions I have. Thanks again for all the input that was given, and no hurt feelings!

[anvil]

Richardson's being what Richardson's is,,, basically the great granddaddy of forums like this, I suspect if I looked, there would be another view or three on anvil edges. 

If the edges are mushroomed, then grind this off.

As for edges, here's my view. I radius the edges from the step back an equal distance past the sweetspot, more or less. I radius from 3/8" to zero. This gives me a number of differing radius as needed. 

I keep the edges sharp around the heel. It has many uses from cutting wire to quick and dirty notching/marking heavier stock instead of using a Hardy tool or chisel. Just make sure you don't cut thru and strike hammer to edge! 

The angle between back of heel and the side, on old English style anvils is great for checking and tuning up right angle bends. It's done in the horizontal plane so an off angle and high spots are easy to see and quick to fix.

And the back edge forward is great to mark distances for forging references. Here the sharp edge makes measurement a bit more precise.

[ChiefLittleBair]

Just a little follow up and so every one knows I'm not looking to weld up corners and try to "fix" an anvil that way.... I ground the mushroom part off of the horn (which had been peened over by someone else) and there was some marks on the horn from what looks like someone using the horn as a chisel plate that I ground the high points off of. I then ground the mushroomed edges of the face of the anvil square vertically then blended/radiused what that left from doing that. That left me with a fairly square corner close to the chisel plate and various radii throughout the face edges back to the hardy hole and from there back over the heel, I didn't touch ove the heel with the grinder as everything back there looks good. The anvil now has no mushrooming and should last well past my lifetime. Now I need to build a smithy..... just wanted to post a follow up to let everyone know my intentions with thus post and that I know a but about what is good and what is bad for an anvil. I wanted to eliminate the mushrooms on the face to avoid future chipping, not "return to factory looks" which would be a step back lol. I hope this topic is seen by beginning smiths who want to "refinish" an anvil and realize that true refinishing doesn't involve making square corners, but rather eliminating square corners/fixing potential problems with a mushroomed edge. Thanks for your input guys, Keith

[CtG]

Keith, it's a beauty! Looks like it should treat you well for years to come!