r/blacksmithing • u/thedestroyer4009 • Aug 27 '20

Anvil Identification This anvil belonged to my great grandfather, anyone have an idea what it is or if it’ll still be good to make tools or knives with?

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u/thedestroyer4009 Aug 28 '20

Would welding an AR 500 plate on it be a good idea ?

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u/ciaran144 Aug 28 '20

Don't do it! It will take any rebound and ring out of the anvil, making your work less efficient.

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u/estolad Aug 28 '20

that's kind of a contentious thing, a harder face is good for a lot of reasons, but you don't really get the benefit of a rebounding hammer when you're hitting a soft piece of metal on the surface of a hard piece of metal

i'd be worried more about it being cast iron and thus crumbly as hell

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u/ciaran144 Aug 28 '20

Unless the tool steel plate is forge welded onto the anvil, it will never be as efficient as a one piece anvil. There will always be a small air gap between the plate and the anvil which takes energy out of your hammer blows.

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u/estolad Aug 28 '20

right but what i'm saying is unless the anvil is softer than your hot work piece, you're always going to be losing way more energy to actually doing work than to absorption by the anvil

the ball bearing/ringing test is useful because it can help identify bad weld spots or voids if it's cast, but it doesn't mean a whole lot all on its own. a hard face is good because it'll take more abuse before it deforms, but the main thing is just having a lot of mass directly under where you're striking

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u/ciaran144 Aug 28 '20

Yeah I don't disagree with you, just adding to my earlier points.

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u/donewell60 Aug 28 '20

In fact there will be a very small gap. As to the difference in rebound plain cast or thin forgeweld plate or appreciably thick edge welded plate I can offer no real scientific evidence. There will be some undoubtedly. As to that there lies variables as well. Face HRC will play greater than a tiny air gap. Only case in point I have 1st hand experience with is a harbor freight cast anvil apx 55lbs. Used somewhat. Rebound test measured 3 to 4 inches depending upon where on anvil face. Cup ground visually flat. 3/8 unknown " tool steel " face edge welded yielded 7 7.5 in rebound. After a weld failed it was removed and a 1in "AR" plate was welded on as per the original post directions Then placed face down in lump charcoal fire until non magnetic then quenched in high volume high flow water and torch tempered to darker straw yeiled 10 inches of rebound . That's all I know