Bumpy anvil...

[steve.h]

Hi guys, I have been messing around with a home built forge and an old anvil for a while, I have run a grinder over it a bit but it has become apparent that the surface of the anvil really is not flat, it does have a few rounded edges etc but its not too bad overall, I am improving all the time and would like the face of the anvil to be better.
What sort of place should I take the anvil to for it to be ground smooth ? any ideas on what it would cost me, the anvil is 2cwt so not easy to move on my own, I can move it but cant lift it, neither could I lift it before I had a heart attack !!!
I would really appreciate any ideas of where to take it and how much it might cost me, I live in swindon, wilts if anyone in my area can be more specific.
Thanks as ever..
Steve.h

 

[chrismac]

I would be tempted to give it a good going over with a 9" grinder, holding the disc as flat as possible so as much of the surface is making contact as possible flattening out the high spots after a bit of time you would get it pretty good, using a straight edge to check, its maybe not the correct way to do it but would save you taking it anywhere.

Chris

 

[brightspark]

your hardly likely to get someone to grind it if its that far out . there hardened and tempered

 

[steve.h]

Hi Chris, I am rather skint, 2small kids, christmas looming, managing on incapacity benefit etc etc, I have tried smoothing it down with a 4 1/2 inch grinder as well as a small belt sander, the sander was smoking as the sparks were melting the body of the sander, I cant run to even a cheap 9 inch grinder at the moment. One thing I did think about trying is getting a bastard file and just sitting at the anvil and running the file over it, I am happy to sit there for a couple of hours if it gets a good result, even two or three sessions would be fine, I want a nice finish to the face so it will be worth it in the end...
Its not a named make anvil, I paid about £100 for it, so its not a valuable anvil and it has been refaced at some point, but I cant afford a newer one so I want to make good what I have.
Steve.

 

[rtbcomp]

I suppose the best way would be to highlight the highspots with a flat plate (glass perhaps) coated with engineers blue (I've heard lipstick can be used too) and work on those with a grinder. I reckon a 4-1/2 grinder would be ok to work on a bump at a time.

I wouldn't try to do the whole surface in one go with a large angle grinder, that will just ride up and down the bumps and not flatten them.

 

[hareng]

Better off with a few files more controllable having done it a few times.

 

[brightspark]

if u can file it it will be as soft as sh ,.//.,/.,,/.t and not a good one

 

[hareng]

Absolute p..s easy, decent files job done in no time.
Just peeing in the wind using angle grinder, even at best unlikely, would then need to file.

 

[Drains]

I'm with Hareng- long and slow (and patient) with a good new second cut file. If you don't have any blue, get a good thick nibbed marker pen and cover the face in that. File the top to reveal the high and low spots. A bit of chalk on the file will help keep it clear. Sit in front of the telly of a night and file away. The missus will love you for it.

 

[steve.h]

Thanks for the replies, it has told me what I thought, th best way would be to do it with files, I will use the flat plate idea to show up the high points and then work on it front to backin sections.
The anvil itself isnot too bad, it has a reasonable ring to it, it is pretty hard, I have been using it with no problems for over a year now, but now I am starting to do more intricate stuff I notice the high points more and more.
It is like I said before, nomey is very tight so I dont have the option of buying another anvil, it is useable as it is, but I just want it to be better, so I am happy to do the file work as I know it will be good in the end. thanks again for your replies.
Steve.

 

[ps_bond]

Here's a daft question - how badly does the anvil surface muck up the surface finish of your work? Do you really need to flatten it, or are there areas you can work on when you're doing finishing heats where you can keep it clean? Wouldn't worry about sharp corners - if you really need them, make up a Smithing Magician or similar; similarly, for a really flat, polished surface a suitable stake in the hardy hole works.

My older anvil has a plate of high-carbon fire welded onto the main body - I *could* clean it up, but I won't.

 

[awemawson]

When I got my anvil years ago it was pretty uneven on the top face.. I got it to within 10 thou of flat just using a normal 41/2 inch grinder and marking blue.. just takes time.

 

[steve.h]

I can live with it, its not like its unuseable, I tend to be more comfortable using the front 1/3 of the face in front of the step and horn, it just feels the natural place to work. It does have a reasonable edge, I know there are some rounded edges but they are good for different things. I am still quite new a smithing so I just want to make things easier for me. I am going to pick up a couple of bastard cut files, I can use my 4 1/2 grinder to give it a nice finish. I am happy to sit infront of the anvil and work the file on it, even if I only do the fron 1/2 of the face, the step and horn are fine.
One question I do have for you guys that have anvils, how do you keep the face clean, my workshop is a closed in wood gazebo and has gates on the front with a gap above and below the gates, so the face does rust up a bit if not used every few days, I have been leaving a sleeve of an old jumper on it but it doesnt fully protect it.... is there a certain type of oil that works best etc. I went for the semi open option workspace as it makes sure there is good ventilation, I have a coke forge with a small chinmey, but I wanted to make sure it had good ventilation for welding/plasma/grinding fumes. I built my own forge, I used castable refractory to line it all, I did make a little 2.5kw stove as one of my first projects, I chopped it up and used it for the chimney for the forge, it is only a 4" flu pipe but it works great.

 

[gordon stephenson]

X2 with rtbcomp. Find something flat and use engineers blue or other marking medium, then with a decent flap disc take your time and start working on the high spots.I have used electric/air-driven mechanical scrapers with tungsten tips for similar work on steam turbine casing split-line joints.Looks absolutely beautiful when finished.

 

[chrismac]

I suppose the best way would be to highlight the highspots with a flat plate (glass perhaps) coated with engineers blue (I've heard lipstick can be used too) and work on those with a grinder. I reckon a 4-1/2 grinder would be ok to work on a bump at a time.

I wouldn't try to do the whole surface in one go with a large angle grinder, that will just ride up and down the bumps and not flatten them.

You did not quite catch what I was meaning, If the grinder is held flat to the surface, only touching the high spots then it has to be flattening out the surface as it is not touching the lower spots, ie, grinder at 0 degrees to flat of anvil, not like normal grinding where you might be at somewhere like 45 degrees, it is a technique I have offen used to flatten out a surface and I get good results, maybe I have just not explained it very good but its as good an explianation as I can give.

Anyway the grinder does not seem to be the way ahead, good luck I am sure you will get it, lots of good advice.

Chris

 

[rtbcomp]

You did not quite catch what I was meaning, If the grinder is held flat to the surface,......

Chris

Ah, gotcha. I still wouldn't do that, I can't hold a 9" grinder that steady. (I can't even drop a stone vertically!)

 

[brightspark]

u cant run an angle grinder facing flat. it has to be slightly tilted. would love to see u do it in actual fact i wouldnt as it would whip out of your hand, it dont work like a da sander

 

[pedrobedro]

I got it to within 10 thou of flat just using a normal 41/2 inch grinder and marking blue.. just takes time.

Then you heat metal to red heat, place it on the surface and hit it with a hammer. I never need that much accuracy to bash metal flat and there's usually somewhere on the anvil that is flat enough. It's the anvil surface and hammer that gives forge finish texture it's attractive appearance.

 

[ps_bond]

As for keeping the rust off - there's one sure-fire (no pun intended) way: Use it.

 

[chrismac]

u cant run an angle grinder facing flat. it has to be slightly tilted. would love to see u do it in actual fact i wouldnt as it would whip out of your hand, it dont work like a da sander

We will have to agree to disagree on this one. I know what I can do with a 9" grinder, each to their own though,

Chris