is it worth fixing ?

K

Keith Willis

Joined
Oct 24, 2007
Messages
812
Could someone tell me anything about this anvil?I know it is in bad condition but it was free,do you think it's worth a repair,and how would you go about doing so.Thanks for any information,Keith.
 
With the amount of damage on that anvil, I can't see it really being worth the effort to get it into any kind of working shape. A lot of materials missing from the edge.

--nathan
 
Well,you can still beat iron on it but it looks pretty far gone to repair.Is the body wrought iron?
 
It's going to take a lot of work but like you said it was FREE!!! The face still has a lot of flat working area, you really only need 4" of flat to work a blade (I use a Japanese style 6" x 6" anvil and have room on it.) Take a angle grinder and work the sides down so they won't interfere and to define the flat work area. Get the edge near the horn nice and sharp to help define your ricasso and you're set. It's going to take some work but putting 2-4 hours into a free anvil may be worth the $$$ you saved.
 
I cant tell how big it is from the photos but it is still useable. I have a small 22lb job if a similar state just a tad better. I used it for 2 years intil I got another.

If you have welder mates they may be able to build up the sides with hard surface weld and then grind it down. Another way around it is to make up a saddle. I used to do the rough work on the anvil surface then I had a slab of steel about 20mm thick 150mm long and 605mm wide. Weld some sides down and it sits on the anvil with a good flat surface to do a light touch up after the rough work. I havs a second slab I put on top to act as a flatter.

I now have 13 anvils ranging in size from 500grams to 100kg. If you have to pay for repairs that is another consideration all together.
The other thing you can make a cutting sadle that you put on the face when cutting metal to protect the anvil face. I know a lot of anvils are made with a cutting step but I don't like to damage that either.
 
Thanks,for the advice,i'm guessing it to be around 75lbs,although i can't pick it up,because of back surgery,my son had to load it.I have a welding machine,so i think as soon as i am able i will do some work on it and see how it comes out.
 
its abit rough but sure...

i'd hand sand it flat ..... first with a flap disc on the angle grinder... then some by hand to see the high spots...

i believe fisher is a cast anvil with a tools steel face...

i wouldn't take it right down....... just learn to work around the rough areas ....

and smooth out the horn... ( which should be soft )

i bet it'll work just fine

Greg
 
One way to make builting up the sides easier is to get some copper flat bar.OR mayby even some thick copper sheet with some other bar behind it. What ever you can scrounge.

Clean the surface rust of the area to be welded and clamp the copper bar along the edgeweld layers of weld will build up with the copper holding the molton weld inplace. The copper will not stick and you can pull it of with a flatish side. Any dips turn it 90 degrees and fill from that angle. Then smooth it up a bit.

There must be a welder out there that can describe that better or a better way. I have some chineese anvils very soft and some 100 y/o that are hard they all work. I know the hard work better but it is like voodoo if you go to the effort of fixing this one it will make another pop out of the wood work some where. It is a cosmic conspiracy that wants you to work hard. Getting my first anvil was the hard one the rest came easy. Voodoo
 
Its a Fisher; cast iron with steel on the face and horn. The weight of the anvil is cast atop the base on one of the "legs."
I just bought a 3oo pound Fisher. They are noted for not having any ring when they are struck.

Fred
 
Reg ELLERY said:
I now have 13 anvils ranging in size from 500grams to 100kg. If you have to pay for repairs that is another consideration all together.
Click to expand...

500 grams?? what is that used for, jewelry type work? or did some of the bigger ones get a little to cozy in storage?
-matt
 
Your plan sounds good to me HK, after you make your rod selection, get a fresh 9" grinding wheel to put the flat top and sharp edges on with in the final finish. I have milled cylinder heads with a fresh wheel, some have been diesel heads, all have worked fine.
 
Unless it's in the 150 lb+ range i'm not sure I'd bother fixing it perhaps clean it up and use it as is.

Like it's been said that anvil has cast iron body with a tool steel face wich makes it harder to fix. From the pics it seems like most of the face has worn away from the body on the edges so you'd have to clean it up and lay down some high nickel weld to the body beore you could build it back up with hardfacing. It can be done as i had to do it with my fisher when I bought it but it wasn't in near as bad shape as that one and only one spot was broke through to the cast.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top