trenton anvil cracked at the waist. worth welding?

[dreadnaught]

I just saved an anvil from a trip to the scrap yard.  It is a Trenton with a crack most, if not all, of the way through at the waist.  It was repaired with 2 long bolts from the stand up through the feet and into 2 threaded holes, one under the horn and one near the hardie hole. It has a Trenton stamp visible on the right side with T175 on the front right foot and A36043 on the front left foot.  I understand that T is the initial of the maker and that it is 175 lbs. I don't have the date of manufacture but based on some other responses in the forums, I assume something like 1901-1903.  Anybody have access to AIA to get the manuf date?

 

I can't confirm 100% but I suspect that the crack runs all the way through.  I see 2 small tack welds on the right side but those 2 bolts are doing the job keeping it clamped down to the top of the stand.  I'm not new to blacksmithing and metalwork but a repair like this would be a challenge for me.  Based on other forum posts, grinding a v 1/2" all the way around and welding it back is only necessary if it cracks all the way through and hasn't been repaired. For the smiths that have been around a while, would you undo a repair like this and try to weld it back?

Thanks.

[ThomasPowers]

Considering that some good brands of anvils were arc welded at the waist to begin with I would say it was worth some welding!

[Jonnytait]

Thomas, does a Trenton anvil of this era have a steel or wrought iron body? Would you recommend a full penetration weld, from the centre of the waist and out? Just curious, I would be interested to see a repair done on an anvil like this done properly, for the best results

[ThomasPowers]

The "best" would be a full P weld; However a deep solid perimeter---with Vee'ing would still be better than the current situation in my opinion. I don't have AinA at work today so perhaps someone else with it handy can answer the WI body question?   (Today's lunchtime reading was "The Sword and the Crucible".)  I can try to remember to bring AinA in tomorrow.

What I would not suggest is trying to do a traditional forge weld at the waist; heating that much metal to forge welding temps and getting it to weld would be an epic task and be much more likely to damage the anvil more if not the shop and people involved! (Just having to do a complete reheat treat of the face for instance; for welding I would immerse the face in water---spaced off the bottom to allow circulation under the face and weld on it upside down just to try to avoid having to reheattreat it!)

[anvil]

What Thomas said. A full penetration weld with the face in water. Perhaps a way of agitating the water just in case.

I believe these are wrought iron bodies. I would know for sure before starting.

Then I'd follow a modified Gunther anvil repair 

www.anvilmag.com

He uses two rod. A filler and a cap. The filler rod he recommends is very friendly with welding wrought iron. Use this rod for your full penetration weld. Follow their suggestions. There is no need to use the second rod, but this is, I believe a great way for welding wrought to wrought.

[ThomasPowers]

It came to me that the necessary grinding before the welding would show if it was WI:WI or WI:MS  You can see the face plate weld seam very clearly so you know the top section isn't HC (wouldn't need a face plate welded on...)

[Jonnytait]

Well that clears that up! I hope the OP goes down that route. I'm fairly sure I would with the rest of the anvil being in good condition.

[ThomasPowers]

36043: 1903  A is probably the last initial of the anvil forger.  Face HC steel, Body was forged and could be WI or MS depending on what was cheapest according to AinA (pg 335).  Cast MS base.  Around 1927 they went to arc welding base to body with a 1/2" perimeter weld.

[dreadnaught]

Thanks to everybody for the information and suggestions.  I'm not sure how long it will take me to get this fixed but I think I'll take your advice and plan on welding it back together.

Thanks, again.