I haven't done much with the forge in a while (only lit a fire once this year, to do some repair work), but a recently acquired anvil has at least gotten me back into the shop. It's a 126 lb Mousehole that has definitely been exposed to weather and has a few small chunks (largest one can be covered by my thumb) missing from the edge of the workface. I'm still cleaning it up, but it looks like it might also have a problem with a few pits in the workface. No dead spots, and only one thin gouge in the horn. The table has seen a lot of use and is worn down a bit.
It's been a while since I've read anything on anvil repair, but I do have a few hardfacing rods. Do I have to build up a base with nickel rods first, before welding the workface, or is the nickel rod only used if I have to start building up from the core material?