My anvil face went from smooth to pitted in under a year

I bought a used Fisher anvil from a farm auction in Ohio, and the face was in great shape. After about nine months of regular use, I started seeing small dents and pits forming near the heel. Turns out I was using a cheap, off-brand hammer with a slightly mushroomed face, and every strike was doing tiny damage. Has anyone else had this happen from a bad hammer, and what did you do to fix the anvil face?

3 comments

3 Comments

craig.alex2mo ago

My uncle's old vise cracked from a cast iron hammer head.

the_thomas2mo ago

That's a rough way to find out a vise is worn out. Cast iron hammer heads are pretty soft, so for one to crack a vise jaw, the vise was likely already fatigued. Might have had a hidden sand hole or crack from a past overtightening, @craig.alex. Those old cast iron vises can just give up the ghost after decades of abuse. Still, never a good sound to hear.

the_fiona2mo ago

Had a similar thing happen with my dad's old vise. I ended up welding the crack, then machined a steel plate to bolt over the repaired jaw. It's not pretty but it holds better than ever now.

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