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

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.

I appreciate the gift of your lessons.

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.

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.

Great video, thank you, Sir!

Thank you Dennis

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!

Amazing. I appreciate the full explanations and underlie theory

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.

Denis, a great vid!

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....

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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 KZfaq work. just a idea.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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 .

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

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

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

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.

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?

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!!

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

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

Didn't I watch this last night?

you pull stick welds you don't push them.

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.

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

You ruined that anvils temper

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.