View Full Version : anvil tune up


jmfrankl
12-24-2000, 10:14 PM
So I wound up buying that hornless anvil--thanks for the advice. It
started as a 142# (1 1 2) and is now 125# and I got it for $75. Looks
like an older Mousehole and has about 2/3-3/4" of good hard/bouncy tool
steel accross the top. Now I am trying to "fix" it for bladesmithing. Here
are some questions I have.

1. leave on the tail/hardie hole for usefulness, or cut it off ala
Japanese anvil for perfect rectangular proportions?

2. how important are lack of sway and straight, square edges? (it has the
normal slight sway and rounded edges)

3. if I have nearly 3/4" of tool steel on the face, what harm would it do
to blanchard grind/mill off about 1/8"? would this affect rebound?
hardness?

4. please tell me anything else that comes to mind or seems useful to you.

5. thank you for your time and knowledge.

Happy Holidays,

John Frankl

Steelej
12-25-2000, 03:23 AM
At all costs keep the hardie hole ! Being able to fit various "little helpers " in there where they are securely held is nearly as good as a permanent assistant. I would not grind the face for the sake of flatness, you will soon develop an eye for flat, straight surfaces and at a push you can use the sides of the anvil below the hard face to true things up.
If a Japanese style anvil is a necessity just buy a scrap of heavy steel like a lift counterweight and have that ground. I know of a good anvil whose hard facing broke away from its base after being ground down just 1/16" (so little that the ground surface was only around 1" of the border of the face.) Learn to work away from the worn area and you should do fine.

dennis2
12-25-2000, 09:21 AM
I agree, keep the hardy hole. Rounded edges are preferred. New anvils with square edges have to be ground to have rounded edges. A slight sway is not a problem. It actually can help out when straightening long blades. The biggest question is when are we going to see the first blade forged on it ?

Jason G Howell
12-27-2000, 10:33 AM
You'll find an old anvil has "character". You'll learn the good and bad areas of the anvil and learn what areas are good for what. I lucked into an old anvil with a great face, little edge wear, very few dings. I will keep the crisp edges crisp, see no reason to round them myself...