Hello Smiths, I've a question or two for you anvil experts out there. I was given an anvil about 30 years ago, it is about 100lbs and seems to be a ASO it has no markings, no ring (more of a clank, my hammer sings louder) and no cavity in the base. The anvil is English / American design its face is 3 ¼ by 11 inches, overall its 18 by 8 (as it sets now) the base is about 7 by 7 and the hardy is 7/8 and pritchel is ¾ of an inch. Anyone have a clue what this iron is?
This unfortunate puny block of metal was used hard for many years or abused for awhile or maybe both. The drop for the table was a little over 1/8 of and inch, so it looks as if it has been dressed a bit. The abuse I referred to was on the face, it was worn to about an 1/8 inch deep pond in the center between the hardy and table the face was slightly swayed about a 1/16 inch on the front edge (horn left) but the body does not bulge. The front edge is chipped badly the worst place is where the sway was (in front of the afore mentioned pond) about a ½ inch into the face by 2 inches long, the back edge is not so bad. This to me looks like the abuse of a non blacksmith but the hardy and pritchel hole show much use and I cannot fathom anyone using them and not being or at least pretending to be a smith. I've been procrastinating for all these years to fix or replace this anvil and set me up a forge and smith some iron. I've considered wielding a new faceplate on but I don't think I'm up to it and I've heard tell (read) you can braze the faceplate on. I can conceive this being done by me, and may do so if need be. Any advice as to what to do about this anvil would be much appreciated.
I've began dressing the face in I'm sure is a non-traditional method with a large air grinder with 24 grit 9 inch disc and did the did the show an tell with one of my old vixson (I'm not sure about the spelling) blades (a file for soft iron and lead filler) I intended to use a stone for this purpose but when I tested it with a mill file it cut in so hence the vixson blade. I've still got a 1/16 inch pond left and a 1/16 inch drop to the table. The face is harder than the table and horn but not by much so it may have not been re-hardened after it was dressed, my crude method of testing was using a punch, hammer and eyeball the depth of penetration also the face does not mark with a 2 1/2# cross pein rapped with some light force (not trying too hard). Although my Grandfather and Father were smiths I was taught just enough about iron to make and one step harden steel to make my own tools with a torch so I'm no smith. I know little of anvils and the tools of a smith only the practical make a tool to do the job stuff. Anyone out there have an idea how to proceed? Truly I love the shaping of iron but circumstances have prevented practice in the first half century of my life, I'm hoping to change this now. This yarn is about long enough so thanks in advance to all.
Robert Suter
Grapeland, Texas