Since I'm re-writing this post I'll start at the beginning.

 

My anvil was made sometime between 1780 and 1830 by the Wilkinson Forge at Queens Cross in Dudley England.

After checking the Anvils in America book by Richard Postman I've found it has the characteristics of the middle years of the foundry, somewhere around the 1800 mark but NO later then 1830.

Its a large 400 lb Blacksmithing anvil of the London pattern and has been abused at times in its life.

 

Meg and I drove to Nebraska in her Jeep Wrangler to pick it up after seeing it for sale on Ebay.

Loading it was really up to us but the man who had it listed through his shop did his best to help us including using a 2 wheel dolly in the rain soaked sponge of a back yard and up a 20 foot ramp.

 

The man who had owned it that my wife and i bought it from claimed it had been owned by a Railroad company and used in the Interurban train car building some time around 1910.

He said he had gotten it from a man who had worked there until the yard was shut down

The info was more then alittle vague and as we find out more I'll add it to this post.

 

I do know it spent the last 40 - 60 + years slowly sinking into this guys yard and only being used to crack nuts on for the yard squirrels.

Not certain if the red carpet was to neal on as the nuts were cracked or where they were placed, also I have no freaking idea why it was painted red, now a faded pink!!

 

This old anvil has now been very successfully repaired. The how to is under another post about Anvil Repair.

 

For Gordon (why he wants an image of ugly me i don't know )

Me doing my impression of Kilroy

 

 

 

Ok Ok heres a better one

 

 

Working on dressing the edges and some repair to the face and body of the anvil.

I've layed down a couple beads of hard facing mig welding wire to repair several places where a cutting torch had damaged the anivil's face.

The beads are ' woven ' or from right to left to cover more area which holds the heat down in one spot.

 

Looks like some jerk left the torch sitting there for several hours with the flame going.

 

Yup, that's you, last time I saw you there was still some red in that hair, just wanted to see how grey the server switch had made you!

Our new next door neighbour's father reminded me of someone, but he has less hair, remarkable.

Wanted to make the point to Janette.

Theres still red in the hair and beard just very bleached due to the sun lately.

Looks more gray then what there is and even the hair on my arms look sun whitened

Hey now!!!

I just got that ... HOW ancient do you think I am?

Your new neighbors father ... sheesh!

well, my new neighbour could be sixteen, with a thirty two year old father........................

......................................................................but he's not!

My neighbour is 74!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The father is actually a very young and super fit looking 60.

well ok ....

I've finished the anvil face and edges.

It turned out better then I thought it would considering I used electric hand grinders to level the welds.

Any closer to true flat and it will have to be taken to a machine shop for milling!

 

I've emailed the man who suggested the special MIG wire for the hard facing and asked for his advice on the next problem.

Some moron left a oxy/acetylene torch on high flame dangle and it hollowed out a cavity in the body/horn.

This anvil is old so its wrought iron is really a mild steel.

For the body I Used Rankin dual shield mild MIG wire specially made for metal like this wrought iron..

 

 

Once I had ground some of the metal around the hole I found a larger area then I thought.

I opened it a little more and then welded the cavity with regular mild MIG wire.

 

 

Both of these expensive MIG wires have many applications, so its not a one time use ... Thankfully !!

Back on the forge, the foundations are under water from our heavy rains so work on it and other things around here have been delayed some what.

When I can I'll post more images.

I don't like it when I'm this busy and don't have a chance to make posts of castles!