Anvil Restoration help

P

Paradactal

Joined
May 12, 2015
Messages
9
Hey guys and gals,
So I finally found an anvil after searching high and low. I was doing a trade for a vise from a guy on Craigs list and was talking about the types of metal working equipment I was looking for. He told me he had a friend that had lots of cool stuff laying around at his grandpas barn that he was talking about selling. We went over to his house and to make a long story short, Walla! He had this old rusty anvil sitting in the corner of the barn. I dragged it out into the sunlight to have a good look. He said he thought it weighed 100lbs and was asking $300. It was in pretty rough shape as the corners were pretty trashed. It looked as if someone tried welding on the plate years ago. I ended up talking him down to $200 as I couldn't see any makers marks and it being in such rough shape. I took it home and hit it with the wire cup brush and revealed the stamp. It is a 170lb Trenton. My question is what is the proper way to dress up the edges. I figured I could hit it with an angle grinder and clean it up that way being careful not to heat it up to much. This thing has such a beautiful ring!!! What should be the next steps to getting it serviceable. The face is in decent shape, I just need the edges cleaned up so I can have full functionality. Can I save this ole girl? One of these links should take you to the album.
http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/yy99/cdparadiso/Knives/IMG_1591_zpsxe4o9voz.jpg
http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/yy99/cdparadiso/Knives/IMG_1585_zpsme6alefo.jpg
http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/yy99/cdparadiso/Knives/IMG_1594_zpsyyr5faqw.jpg
http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/yy99/cdparadiso/Knives/IMG_1593_zpst3pqtrm0.jpg
http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/yy99/cdparadiso/Knives/IMG_1589_zpsye20mtbe.jpg
http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/yy99/cdparadiso/Knives/IMG_1586_zpsfsw6cib1.jpg
 
Well if you forge in the typical horn left fashion a lot of your drawing will be on the off side that's in pretty good shape.
No need to do anything as has been said. If there are areas you find causing an issue a touch up on the edges with a flap disc on a grinder would be the most I would do.

If you need really sharp corners I would get a hardy block. In fact I was taught to forge and shown how to set the ricasso using a hardy block on an anvil that had great edges.

To properly repair an anvil is somewhat expensive and time consuming. Here is Robb Gunter's guide for a repair.
Enjoy your new anvil.

http://www.anvilmag.com/smith/anvilres.htm
 
i just got a Trenton as well, looked similar to yours but maybe not so bad.
It looked like this when I got it, I was going to take it to work where we have large CNC mills but decided to use it as is for a while since I'm new to this.
I can always mill the surface a little bit anytime I want

FC240A47-6F14-41F3-B650-F0EA890F5679_zps8vd1pent.jpg


max deviation

AB5CE6B7-4C29-4806-A229-EF4B2E9D2BC9_zpsf1z2oyiz.jpg


i tried to clean it up and built a base

C130578B-81DE-4106-A2A0-322F20ACBCD2_zpslwvax4ol.jpg


6C7AEF41-0067-4129-9E4B-BC191C5652CD_zps9necpdqn.jpg
 
Looks a lot like my main shop anvil, though mine is a 240 Trenton.
If you want a clean corner, consider grinding away some of the side, rather than thinking of building it up.
Sharp corners on an anvil are much more of a liability than a help, in almost every case- if you have one sharp spot you can use it on the rare occasions when you need it.
A flat face is more important, and it looks like yours is pretty good.
The more you forge, the less you'll worry about crisp corners.
 
From Brian's post - ".....If you need really sharp corners I would get a hardy block......"

Making a hardy block is really easy. Nearly any maker who has the equipment to forge can do one. HT can be farmed out pretty cheaply.

Get a 4X4X4 block ( or thereabouts) of 4140. It should run about $50-100 depending on your source and the size. (Speedy metals has 3X3.5X4" for $60). A trip to a scrap yard may find a suitable block of steel for much less. Even a block of A36 will work. Check with your supplier, as it can be ordered at Rc 45 ready to go.

Drill a hole 2" deep in it that is 1/8" larger than the size of your hardy hole. Lets say the hardy is 3/4" - drill a 7/8" hole.

Grind the corners on a 4" long piece of 3/4" square mild steel stock. You only round 2" of the piece, leaving the other 2" square to fit the hard hole. The corners should be ground with a little taper so the piece will force fit in the hole with a little help from a maul or press. Pound or press the shank home and clean up the end so it seats in the hardy hole. HT the block and temper to Rc 45-50.

A basic HT would be - 1650F for 2 hours and quench in barrel full of water. Temper at 600F for three hours twice.

Grind/mill the top face flat. Make each side corner a different radius - square, 1/8" round, 1/4" round, 1/2" round.

This can be dropped in the hardy and do everything from shaping the tang shoulders to dropping a bowie edge down is easy. Small blades can be forged on it completely.
A similar larger version is what Japanese smiths use for most all blade forging.
 
I can't remember, is the weight of the Trenton Anvil on the left side of the front foot, and the date on the right side of the front foot? Nice Trenton, I have one of those as well.

Much like the OP's anvil it has the interesting hammer marks on the middle section of the anvil. It looks like someone tried to weld up the edge of you anvil's face.
 
I was interested in the hammer marks in the middle section as well. Anyway, some terrific feedback here and is much appreciated. I am new at this and Im really gathering equipment to get started. Im just trying to muster up enough courage to sell the boat to open up the garage to get to work. Im also in the process of building my gas forge. Ive got the burner built and tested, now Im just getting the body together.
So, I will start hammering on this thing and getting to know it, and clean it up on any areas I feel I need to.

The weight is on the right front foot of the trentons. I haven't found the date yet
 
If anyone figures those marks out, let me know. The off side of mine looks like someone spent an afternoon smacking it with the pick end of a slag hammer...must have been some common operation, always been curious what it was about.
Came from a country blacksmith shop in Yakima, where they did shoeing and all manner of other stuff.

I don't know that Trenton put the dates on their anvils, haven't ever seen one with a date, and I have several.
 
My hammer marks are pretty clean and visible. Due to the change in texture I suspect that it was assembled in three pieces; the face, the top half, and the bottom.

Really amazing metal work when you look at the prints in the book "Anvils in America".
 
elementfe said:
I don't know that Trenton put the dates on their anvils, haven't ever seen one with a date, and I have several.
Click to expand...

Give me the numbers on the right front foot and I can look up the year they were made. Anvils in America is the source. It also confirmed the three piece forged anvil and the reason for the hammer marks on the "waist" of the Trenton anvils
 
elementfe said:
If anyone figures those marks out, let me know. The off side of mine looks like someone spent an afternoon smacking it with the pick end of a slag hammer...must have been some common operation, always been curious what it was about.
Came from a country blacksmith shop in Yakima, where they did shoeing and all manner of other stuff.

I don't know that Trenton put the dates on their anvils, haven't ever seen one with a date, and I have several.
Click to expand...
Some years ago I read about how a pick needs to be re-heat treated from time to time and when the blacksmith was finished with the pick he would drive the point of the pick into the side of his anvil to prove he did his job well.

Maybe someone can confirm this story I read?
 
My Trenton, with the hammer marks.

throat_zpsmphcgm2p.jpg

left_zpseaf5pvpv.jpg

right_zps1qeqhixn.jpg

back_zpsdxbzorrf.jpg


two-piece_zpswpomrguv.png


I am looking forward to building a forge this coming year.
 
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