Anvil repair

J

jackdaddy69

Joined
Mar 1, 2007
Messages
22
Can anyone recommend a way to repair an anvil. The surface has a divot from years of use about a 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep by about 4 inches long. I was wondering if there was any way to repair this so the surface could be flat again? Thanks in advance for any help possible.
 
Thanks Doc for the reply. I'm sorry i don't have any pics right now. It has just been used for years and the surface is worn out from all the heavy beating. Thanks again for the reply.
 
Depends on what type of anvil it is. I have only read up on it a little bit, the guys over at iforgeiron.com will have alot more info for ya.

Its not a very easy process to do at home to say the least. If you go to a hammerin or check with your local blacksmith club they sometimes have guys that can do it.
 
Sometimes they can mill the face, and sometimes it has a plate of steel on it that will get too thin if milled.

A good machine/welding shop should be able to weld up the face with hard facing rod, temper the anvil, and mill the face smooth.
 
Locals machinists probably know nothing about anvils, and it sounds like you're asking for trouble!

Milling off 1/4" of material just isn't in the cards. That deep of a gouge is probably very close to completely penetrating the tool-steel face.

What make/model of anvil is it? Is the body cast-iron or wrought-iron? Do you have welding skills?

A small gouge like that can be filled in with the right wire/rod and not kill you financially. I'd strongly suggest dropping in over at iforgeiron.com and hooking up with a local welder/blacksmith that can help you out.
 
When I got my anvil, a 250lb Fisher, the edges had been beat up by years of abuse and a few really deep divots. I did not know any better so I used 7018 welding rod and built it up. Then ground it flat again. I did this until it was flat and solid. I did not heat the anvil up or anything. That was 16 years ago. It has held up very well. No indication of what I had done. If you look really close you can see a slight color difference where it had been welded. I even use the edges to set my shoulders. I may have been very lucky here but it has worked for me.
 
Thanks Vaughn and AC! I was wondering if you could build one up with welding rod. I saw a video on you tube about it, wasnt sure if it would actually work. I really appreciate the input and will probably give this a try. Where I work there is a lot of experienced welders, I will get one of them to help me. As for the make and model I cant make it out on the side.
 
Post some pics if you have any, lots of times you can tell from various differences in them. Are there any portions of letters or anything, could help as well.

Good luck, keep us informed how it goes.
 
Clean off the rust and dirt, then rub chalk/soapstone on the side to highlight any markings that might be there. Not many makers used the cast-iron body like Fisher Norris, so it will probably ring like a bell. Tap around the face and listen for a consistent, even tone. If the tone of the ring changes, you have a delamination between the faceplate and body.

Experienced welders at work? That's a great resource! Have them look over this (http://www.cvbg.org/anvilrepair699.pdf) before welding.

Also, I should note that the ubiquitous church-bell ring could also denote that your anvil is cast from a solid piece of tool steel. Depends on the age, and it's definitely something you should know before welding on it.
 
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