Blacksmithing For Beginners - Welding and Resurfacing an Anvil

[@courtneyhall7140]

very informative,thanks so much for your time.most people don't understand how much time and effort it takes to do what you just did,so a big thumbs up,and again,thanks.

[@MLFranklin]

This is really interesting and helpful. I've added it to three of my playlists.

[@rickybailey7123]

Thanks for all your information just what I needed to hear and was looking a video to do so and u hit everything!! I i learned I didn't need to touch it.Mine's fine, just the way it is lol !!

[@paulorchard7960]

Dennis, I have used a belt grinder to re-flatten my 2 anvils and swage block! They all require a lot more work and welding to get them close to being great but it got them to a point where all are usable. Started grinding and sanding, filing but the belt sander with a 40 grit belt did the most accurate flattening. Takes time, eats up belts but also gives good results!

[@carpathianken]

That's a good idea. I live in the country & it would be a pain in the arse to lug my anvil all the way into town to an engineering place that has a surface grinder

[@whilomforge3402]

Great video. When I resurface my anvils I use a large file in concert with the grinder. I draw file a few passes over the face to see my high points.

[@joshuamiller5620]

I'm a high school welding teacher at a new program. I found two really broken anvils in the back of a closet full of scrap metal and old welding rods. We may have the machining class do the final milling flat.

[@gfodale]

My anvil had a large chunk busted out of the face, in the middle when I got it. (all I could afford at the time.) I used hard-facing rod, not only filling in the missing face, but padding up a half inch to make a consistent new face on top. No heat treating, and I have really good rebound. Just throwing it out there for others to consider....

[@df-intheshop330]

Thanks - the people that watch my videos tends to read all the comments so this will help somebody out

[@obfuscated3090]

You can get hard facing wire too. Hard facing is used to repair and protect heavy equipment which takes far worse a beating than an anvil.

[@radiomuffin]

Did you preheat your anvil prior to welding hard facing rod to it?

[@deplorableamerican9451]

I appreciate the gift of your lessons.

[@9Antonian]

Thank you Dennis

[@mikejeffers6371]

My anvil has a few small spots, but still in useable but interested in cleaning it up. Thanks for the video, don't worry I am not wielder

[@HeierShane]

Certified welder, when I build up weld I DON'T go 90° to my last row. All of my weld go parallel. And try to the valleys of the previous set, the goal being to burn any slag in the valley. Weld puddles don't like going up and down a lot. Especially stick.

[@HeierShane]

Also a wire wheel/cup is your best friend between welds

[@bradymcphail9690]

hi Denis, great video! I laughed outloud when I heard you use 5 lb. of Rod in a year. I run that much before my first coffee break. a thought, consider trying E7024 for building up next time. it's a fantastic rod for that type of building up. it's a very easy rod to run, and leaves a beautiful bead on KZbin work. just a idea.

[@df-intheshop330]

I maybe only have one coffee a year does that mean I'm working as hard as you? lol I will definitely try the 7024 rod I have another anvil to do next spring for the museum. The face is ok on that one it's just the edges that are totally gone. Should I still build a base with 6011 and finish with 7024 or do the whole job with 7024. I basically have to rebuild a 1/2" square section along the entire edge. Good to hear from you again.

[@TheHaelix]

What about 2205 duplex? I understand that you are using a AC stick welder, but 2205 mig would make a much harder stronger and cleaner weld. more crack resistance and durability. 22% chromium, 3% molybdenum, 5 to 6% nickel alloyed stainless steel.

[@MauledByBears]

DF - In The Shop I'm not a welder, but I think the 6010/6011 root and 7018 cap is more of a structural and pipe welding thing. I don't think it's totally necessary for something like this, because all you want is a continuous layer of metal over the surface. 7024 cools nice and slow too, so you could probably preheat less. I'm prepping to do this to my anvil, just rewatched for the info. Thanks!

[@SquirrelsForAll]

Great video, thank you, Sir!

[@kenklein9119]

Amazing. I appreciate the full explanations and underlie theory

[@1873Winchester]

I have been told to use hardfacing rod for work like this. If I ever happen to find a worn old anvil in need of restoration.

[@scottleft3672]

imperfect....is good....lessens the learning curve for others....we all know where we are ultimatly going.

[@ieatcaribou7852]

You did fine, it’s not gonna kill anyone if it’s not perfectly flat except for anvil snobs.

[@michaelmarrett6423]

Thanks Dennis! Lots of useful, well articulated information in your videos.

[@rolandocrisostomo2003]

With a strong enough welder (200 amps-up) no pre-heating necessary. I know this for a fact because i just did it on my anvil.

[@viking8781]

Nice video. You dont need to weld 90° though, just practice "stacking" beads and itll be more than good enough

[@banditdad9837]

Would using a black paint as a dusting coat not help find low spots rather than having to check so much with square and straight edge? Works good when final sanding car bodies before painting! Thanks

[@stevewilson8980]

Hello there Dennis. I recently acquired an anvil that has a lot of the same characteristics as this one. It has pockmarks on the center of the Anvil. And they look exactly the same as the ones on your video. You mentioned that they were characteristic of a loggers Anvil and repairing their equipment. I'm trying to learn more about this kind of wear and tear for future Anvil purchasing. Where can I find more information about this? I've been unsuccessful thus far.

[@georgegriffiths2235]

Laying a bead pad is welding 101 Dennis so you did fine each layer 90 degrees to the last if you have to do that again when pre heating try wrapping it with K wool or another such thermal blanket saves heat loss and reduces the cooling rate when your done as with us all less stress longer life

[@parintele-]

I do not know the prices for decent steel anvils in US but i own few abused anvils and spent some time flattening others to the point they can be used.. A huge amount of work and adding energy for heating and welding, welding rods and abrasives...seems like could be close to the cost for buying another one in better condition Anyway, this is a good exercise to test one's skils and patience.

[@df-intheshop330]

I guess it would depend where you live. Around here large anvils are very rare. The average size is between 75 - 125 lbs. and even they are hard to find. As well most seem to be the London pattern because they are better for shoeing horses so that makes a short fat little guy like this even harder to find.

[@jarrodfillmore2867]

What did you do to store your anvil overnight till starting it the next day? Pack it in vermiculite or leave it in the open air, etc.? Thanks

[@df-intheshop330]

All the welding was done in one day. I think I mentioned that I should have done it over two days? In that case I would have done all the prep work one day and started preheating much earlier the next day.

[@davidduffy9806]

Denis, a great vid!

[@miguelvasquez8650]

Hello. What type of electrode did you use to repair the edges?

[@df-intheshop330]

I welded everything with 6011

[@paddysscrapshop7182]

Hi Denis, I've got a anvil and would like your opinion on it. So it had a chip on the right hand side that was flaking off, I grind it to a heavy radius but the crack is still there and it's still flaking.(I can send you pictures is you want) There is a steel plate on it it's definitely not hardend but it doesn't get marked easily if miss blow. There mite also be evidents of it been welded at some point (there is a clear line all around the top of the anvil about a 1" off the top but it's all uneven). So my question to you is what would you do? Any advice would be much appreciated many thanks Paddy.

[@df-intheshop330]

The best thing to do is to keep using it as it is until you can determine how extensive the damage is. It probably is just a poor welding job when someone tried to restore the edges because if you have major problems you usually find that chunks of the face start braking off rather than just the flaking you described. If the anvil sounds solid when you hit it with a heavy hammer in several places ( no buzzing sounds just a clear ring ) then the cracking is not likely going to affect the main body of the anvil. I would only resort to welding the face if that was the only way to make the anvil usable.

[@butziporsche8646]

I would have banked it with fire brick and sand to contain the heat (like I do when silbrazing model locomotive boilers).

[@Codeman785]

I have a question. I have an old anvil that I'm trying to repair because it is pretty beat up on the edges. I planned on welding a plate of metal to the top. What if I weld the plate on, then after it's been grinded to a finish. Heat up the anvil to very hot, then instantly pour a 5 gallon bucket of cold water all over it or even a heat treating oil. Wouldn't that make it hard again? Just like hardening a knife?

[@df-intheshop330]

I do not recommend poring a bucket of water on a red hot block of metal that is too large to fit into a bucket of water.. The amount of steam and boiling hot water that would be produced would be very dangerous. Also once the steam clears the residual heat in the anvil will simply draw the temper back out and you would be right back where you started. I would weld the plate on and leave it. If you are using the anvil to forge hot metal you do not need a hardened face.

[@Codeman785]

@@df-intheshop330 ok thanks for the response, its seems like its personal preference when it comes to hardness of anvil face. Cause I hear some guys say it's way easier to hammer with a super hard face.

[@df-intheshop330]

That is a pretty hot debate right now. All I'm saying is that a super hard anvil is not essential so I wouldn't spend a lot of time and money trying to turn it into something it is not.

[@Codeman785]

@@df-intheshop330 ok I'll take your word for it. Because its seeming like more and more of a serious feat for me to reface my anvil. Turns out it's much more effective forge welding a plate on rather than just stick welding. I plan on doing this in the future. But in the mean time my anvil should be just fine. One side is still very usable.

[@ifell3]

If you had a grinding wheel set at a certain height then raised the anvil to it so it just goes under you have a very crude milling machine!!

[@zombieresponder]

No, you'd have a crude surface grinding machine.

[@obfuscated3090]

That's an asspain to do. You can get very close using an angle grinder then finishing with flap discs. You can then take your anvil to a machine shop if you don't own a milling machine and have it Blanchard ground dead flat if you wish. Blanchard grinding is messy so most shops send their work to shops with Blanchard grinders but the work itself isn't expensive.

[@alf9956]

Just a thought , wouldn't it be a good idea to build up the face of the anvil and then have it put on a milling machine ? perfectly flat and polished to a perfect shine i.e. cylinder heads...... p.s.2;30am London Engand. love the vid , very informative . I have a London anvil that takes two strong men to lift .

[@df-intheshop330]

If you have a milling machine that can handle it than it would be a great way to do it. I wouldn't hire it out though because it will give you an anvil that is 10,000 times more accurate than you really need.

[@alf9956]

Personally I don't but it would be a good way of surfacing an anvil.

[@df-intheshop330]

I'm stuck with hours of grinding too. lol

[@obfuscated3090]

Even better, find a local Blanchard grinding outfit. Demand is steady but not many machine shops have those machines because it's loud, dirty work. I've milled anvils and it works nicely besides being low effort.

[@jamesmcmillen4828]

Any plans to re-heat treat the anvil? I would think that work took out the temper. Your thoughts on this?

[@df-intheshop330]

No - this anvil never had a hardened face. It had a steel face at one time but it was never hardened. When I first bought this anvil I had to rebuilt over 75% of the face to make it useable and I did that exactly the same way I demonstrated in this video. That was over 25 years ago and the only reason I'm doing it again now is to fix the problems I wish I had taken the time to fix back then.

[@jamesmcmillen4828]

Makes sense!

[@jayess813]

Hey man I like your video. I have a question. I acquired an anvil today that was free but it has some pretty bad chunks broken from both sides of the face. I plan to build up weld the way you did , my question is how has the anvil held up ? I have welded cast iron before with success and I think I can fix this one. Thanks

[@df-intheshop330]

The anvil is holding up great but as I mentioned In the video I have always worked on a soft faced anvil so I expect every missed hammer blow to show up. My anvil has a wrought iron body not cast so I'm not sure if you can just use 6011 like I did but if it is a free anvil you have nothing to loose by trying it. I would weld up a test section to try it out so you don't have a lot of time and money invested in the experiment and go from there. Quite often once you get your first anvil ( or anything else ) another three show up within the next year.

[@drason69]

I have an old Peter Wright anvil, which says 'solid wrought' on it. I assume it is a soft anvil, especially since the face is swayed and full of abuse marks. Would it be a good candidate for a welding treatment, like you did? It would be easier to preheat, since it is only 96 pounds. Thanks Dennis

[@df-intheshop330]

I welded mine because the steel face was totally gone when I got it so there was nothing to salvage. Yours did have a steel face even though it is a wrought iron body. It may not be terribly hard but it started out with one. I would check to see how much of it is left. If it is still there you may be better off grinding than welding because the preheat will take away any of the temper that was put into the face.

[@leeknivek]

what sort of burner is that? is the coil for preheating diesel or oil to add to the flame?

[@df-intheshop330]

That's a liquid propane burner. It draws the liquid from the tank and vaporizes it in that coil on the burner. So in the winter when it's 30 bellow you are not loosing any pressure from the tank freezing up because you are running a big burner full blast for several hours.

[@paulorchard7960]

Used them when I was an apprentice, we called them buckeye burners! Would lay the 90 kg cylinders on their side to get super hot flame.

[@guysview]

Perhaps you said this and I missed it but............ did you use Hard Facing Welding Rods ???

[@df-intheshop330]

No I used regular welding rods ( 6011 & 7018AC ). This anvil has a soft face so I did not want to add any material that was substantially harder than the rest of the face because that would cause it to wear unevenly ( like sandblasted wood grain).

[@guysview]

I understand. Thank you.

[@BrandXsps]

What temperature are you looking to get to to start welding?

[@df-intheshop330]

In the video I went to about 600F but I received a few comments from welders that said 250 - 300F is usually the highest they go for a preheat.

[@BrandXsps]

@@df-intheshop330 Good to know. Thanks for they reply. Love the videos.

[@bashkillszombies]

Why doesn't anyone make a jig for their grinder to make sure their grinds are perfect? Small increments, patience, and a good jig will always guarantee you'll mill that surface flat as a tack.

[@verdigrissirgidrev4152]

I bet you could save some fuel by putting the anvil in a barrel during the heat up phase.

[@df-intheshop330]

Yes - anything would help.

[@africanelectron751]

The pedantic in me wants to throw it on a surface grinder. ....granted a Grider that size is not easy to find.

[@1873Winchester]

A mill shold be able to do it, with a fly cutter or face mill. But probably not with a bridgeport.

[@willflamank5180]

you pull stick welds you don't push them.

[@dl87z28]

Pushing in this case is a better way to build heat and get good penetration.

[@egSmith-sp9gl]

@@dl87z28 ?????

[@bigboibunz]

Didn't I watch this last night?

[@NotonlyWood]

Harry McLane I thought the same

[@df-intheshop330]

Most of it. I made some changes and resubmitted it because I was getting a lot of comments about why I was welding on an anvil and removing the temper etc. I you are not one of the guys that had a problem with it then there is no need to watch it again. Thanks

[@zombieresponder]

I'm a machinist by trade, not a welder....but you're doing it wrong. The only time you'll push a stick weld is when welding uphill/vertical. Any other time, you drag it. Doing otherwise gives a good chance of inclusions in the weld, poor penetration, etc. I've also never heard of welding layers at 90 degrees to one another, but I suspect that would have more to do with equalizing stresses than anything else. If you needed to add a lot of metal, then 7024 rods would have been the fastest way to do it..if your machine has the juice to run them. Build it up to just below where you needed it, then cap it with a hardfacing rod for wear resistance. All of that being said, any machine shop could have resurfaced the entire top of that anvil and made the surface perfectly flat.

[@zoesdada8923]

You took the temper out of the work face and didn't re treat it.

[@aarondalton2223]

You ruined that anvils temper

[@obfuscated3090]

Freehanding the stick with one hand gives worse results than bracing yourself properly. I suggest practicing pad welding some scrap before doing your next one to recover the "muscle memory" since welding is a perishable skill. It would be work putting the anvil on a welding table, steel horses, whatever to get it where you can weld comfortably. There is a wide variety of hardfacing weld filler. Best place to ask what the latest greatest filler is will be welding forums (Weldingweb is the most comprehensive followed by the Miller forums, those in the EU, Asia etc may benefit from the pretty good migwelding.uk forum). Filler and metallurgy have come a long way since ancient times so I'd have zero worry about pad welding an anvil. To get it flat your local machine shop can use a carbide end mill (measure your anvil and bring photos so they can confirm it will fit their milling machine. If you want a crowned surface a template, patience and Norton Cubitron or Walter (this is not a great use for cheap flap discs unless they're free) flap discs on an angle grinder will work. Much more demanding parts than anvils are weld repaired like auto body stamping dies.