My anvil face cracked after 15 years, what do I do now?

Last Tuesday I was drawing out a piece of coil spring and heard this sickening crack. Looked down and there's a hairline fracture running right across the middle of my anvil face, about 4 inches long. This anvil is a 150 lb Peter Wright that I got from my grandpa, and I've put thousands of hours on it. I stopped immediately and checked the face with a straight edge, and it's still flat right now, but I'm scared it's gonna spread. I called a local machine shop and they quoted me $300 to weld and re-grind the face, but they said there's a chance the whole thing could be a paperweight if the steel is bad underneath. Has anyone dealt with a cracked anvil face before? Is welding it up actually worth it, or should I just keep using it and monitor the crack, or start looking at new anvils?

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1 Comment

adam18611d ago

Damn, that sucks. I wouldn't pay $300 to gamble on it unless that machine shop is real confident and will guarantee the work. Weld cracks on anvil faces are hit or miss, sometimes it holds for years, sometimes it splits worse the first time you hit it hard. If it's still dead flat right now, I'd honestly just keep using it and check the crack with a straight edge every few weeks. If it starts moving, then you're in the market for a new anvil anyway. That Peter Wright has given you its best 15 years, might be time to retire it with dignity.