Extremely Rusty Anvil Restoration

I had the pleasure of working on a remarkable antique anvil recently, reminiscent of a Peter Wright design, although unfortunately, the ravages of time had obscured any identifying marks due to extensive rust. The estimated weight of this unique piece was approximately 80-90 kg.
Given my friend's desire to restore it for display, I decided to embrace the character and history preserved within the rust pits. I carefully maintained the captivating texture created by years of weathering, which added a sense of authenticity to the anvil. To make it truly stand out, I focused on enhancing the top portion, giving it a delightful, smooth shine.
Through a meticulous restoration process, I delicately removed the rust from the anvil's surface, revealing its underlying beauty. The rust pits, now showcasing their own intriguing patterns, served as a testament to the anvil's journey through time. By thoughtfully juxtaposing the rough, weathered texture with the polished elegance of the top part, I sought to create a captivating contrast that would capture the attention of all who beheld it.
Ultimately, the restored antique anvil became a remarkable fusion of history and craftsmanship, showcasing its unique character and evoking a sense of wonder. It now proudly stands as a striking display piece, honoring the legacy of its past while inviting admiration in the present.
#restoration
#anvil
#blacksmith
#littlerestorers

[@LittleRestorers]

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[@joshschneider9766]

the look electrolysis gave it is so pleasing. retains the history of it far more than blasting would have. a happy necessity in the end. beautiful job man, keep up the great work.

[@LittleRestorers]

@@joshschneider9766 Thank you 👍

[@joshschneider9766]

@@LittleRestorers you know it bro. hopefully you can find an old coal forge and blower to restore to go with it. that would be sick.

[@wildtrakracing614]

Stunning restoration yet again. Good choice to polish used surfaces only, and keep the base authentic. Choice of paint colour was excellent. Fantastic piece.

[@LittleRestorers]

Thank you my friend 🍻

[@ivanstiles7030]

That looks great. I like that you left the pitting on the sides. It gave the anvil a nice textured look and kept the patina.

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. Am glad you enjoyed it 👍

[@howzatrestorations1538]

Looks brilliant mate!, I like the contrast between the black and polished metal well done.

[@LittleRestorers]

Thank you my friend... first to comment..you win 👏🤣😉

[@marcuscicero9587]

love the texture too. really nice job

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching, appreciate the comment 🙏👍

[@RestorationbyAlabamaCreeks]

That’s a beautiful job. You did it right by leaving the old weathered texture. Grinding tho shiny areas must have taken a week. Thanks for sharing.

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks Wray. Yes took much more grinding time than i expected.Will look great on display 😉👍👩‍🔧

[@joshschneider9766]

The foundries that made these back then used Alot of fluxes and little to no recycled content, and typically started with already deslagged invite as well. They also poured as hot as they could. This resulted in the steel flowing like water when the anvil was cast. Which meant super dense molecular makeup. Which decades later meant lots of grinding

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks Josh , that's great to know a bit of the history 👍👍👩‍🔧

[@9Antonian]

Now that is a “perfect restoration “ well done.

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. Much appreciated 🙏👍👩‍🔧

[@waynewatson8036]

The anvil may have been badly rusted, but was still pretty flat on top, with nice square edges too. I think it came out looking really good.

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching. Yes, it would have spent more time rusting away rather than being used 👍

[@jenhartart2]

Brilliant restoration. Thanks for sharing

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for checking out my other projects too 👍

[@SimTechnics]

Great result! 👏

[@LittleRestorers]

Thank you 👍👍👩‍🔧

[@mikehutchison9589]

Outstanding job.

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@virgiljones6859]

yes it is pretty but the person never dropped a steel bearing on it at then end to see if it kept its heat treating. sure its smother but is it still true to anvil quality.

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching. Its been restored for display only. 👍

[@ScoutCrafter]

Outstanding Job! Looks fantastic!

[@LittleRestorers]

Thank you my friend 👍👩‍🔧

[@danceswithaardvarks3284]

great job. That texture was indeed beautiful.

[@LittleRestorers]

Thank you 👍👩‍🔧

[@breezybmetal8646]

Wow- great job!

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@cajunpipesmoker1519]

Nice job! I like the texture also!

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@RodricWeiland]

Awesome video. What grits did you use to grind it flat ... and what stops it from rusting again once it's smooth and shiny?

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching- after the grinding disc I went down to 120 grit then used a smooth abrasive disc. Applied a layer of beex wax right at the end to provide a protective layer.
👍

[@johnkranyics281]

Going to try this method on my anvil. Thank you

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching. All the best 👍

[@misterjosephvasta]

Would you sandblasted the rust off instead of electrolysis? Plus resurfacing it with a industrial tool to bring it down to bare metal. Just to balance it perfectly...

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching. It was too big and heavy to fit in my sandblasting cabinet. Milling the surface is an option if u have the tool. 👍

[@misterjosephvasta]

@@LittleRestorers I actually restored a anvil. But it was milled and sandblasted. It was a 30 lb anvil I found about two years ago.

[@thenorfolktoolguy4580]

Amazing work that thing will last a lifetime after a treatment like this 😁👍

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching mate,appreciatethe comment. It belongs to a friend but might eventually make its way back to me 😂🤞

[@justinwilsoncustoms6520]

That looks great!!

[@LittleRestorers]

Thank you very much 👍

[@IronOakSawmill]

Line your electrolysis tank with stainless steel, and use water, and Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda.(Found in the laundry detergent aisle) It works amazing, and wont damage the metal.

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@AmazingThings685]

good restoration man amazing

[@LittleRestorers]

Thank you for watching and leaving a comment 👍👍👩‍🔧

[@anthonycaster9319]

Cool love the pitted texture. I was hoping the crescent spot near the horn reminds me of an eye. I was hoping you could add that give your anvil a bit more personality. Overall great job.

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching. Appreciate the comment and feedback 👍 👍👩‍🔧

[@colinperez5781]

I’m just curious, does all that grinding you did to the working surfaces affect the hardness of the anvil at all?

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching - No, it doesn't affect the hardness👍

[@Craiglanstrum1987]

Nice I’ve got a anvil about the same condition.

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching. Good luck with restoring yours if you planning on doing so 😉👍👩‍🔧

[@BrucesShop]

I Freekin love this, Subbed

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching and welcome to the channel 👍

[@scottw4782]

I have a question. When you had it in the bath with the electricity hooked up. If you touched the water, would you get bite by a shock? If so, would you get hit by the full current or only a partial or none at all. Thanks, and please keep the videos rolling out.

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching. Its only 12 volts from the battery charger. You would not feel anything touching the water 😉

[@scottw4782]

Ok cool thank you very much. I hope you have a great 2023.

[@magicdrshoon]

Nice work! Doing one myself as I type! How long did you leave this to soak in the electrolysis process?

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching. I left the electrolysis running overnight. As a tip: make sure you have good electrical contact - All the best with ur project 👍

[@magicdrshoon]

@@LittleRestorers thanks fpr your reply. I have mine running from a bench psu rather than a battery charger. The current limiter is only letting 3V out, but it's at 10A still. It's fizzing so it's doing something! I have mine going in the garden so I can't leave it going all night but it's been going for 4 hours so far. I'll probably call it a day after another couple of hours and see what I have to work with. Thanks again for your video! All the best.

[@LittleRestorers]

@magicdrshoon Sounds good. You can always give it a quick clean and judge if it's done enough. Note: it will flash rust straight away so you can always give it a 2nd "fresh" run before your next step 😉

[@RESTORATIONOFSCRAPMETAL]

excellent project👍👍👍

[@LittleRestorers]

Thank you 👍👍👩‍🔧

[@slawmat30]

Fantastic 👏great job 👍

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@trumanhw]

beautiful

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@bigvicsworkshop]

Looks awesome! Nice!

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks Vic 👍👩‍🔧

[@scottperine8027]

That was restorative.

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@michael.h.bradley1865]

beautiful job !

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching 👩‍🔧

[@joshschneider9766]

The second I saw it I was like.. Man it would be cool if he did electrolysis lol. Great job. Hope it gives you years of happy results

[@LittleRestorers]

Ha ha - Thanks for watching. Appreciate the comment 👍👩🏻‍🔧

[@joshschneider9766]

Now you gotta find a cool old post vise and post drill to restore.

[@tango-bravo]

Very nice work on this. Does anyone know what type of anvil this is, where it was made and when? The left over impressions or whatever remained of some bolts or old welds on the sides was interesting. Do you know if the face is a steel plate or is the whole thing cast iron? Do you use it to forge anything?

[@LittleRestorers]

It's all one piece. I think it's a Peter Wright but there's no writing left be a 100% sure. I restored it for an old friend who himself got it from his father so it's pretty old.
Thanks for watching 👍

[@andrednovais]

looks great!!!!

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching 👍 👩‍🔧

[@bubihartmann3961]

Gute Arbeit und ein guter Mann!! Viele Grüße aus Fürth/Bayern

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching 🙏👍

[@GT_Racer347]

Sweet 👍🏻 👍🏻

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for your support 👍👩‍🔧

[@TheDishDoc]

Fantastic restoration! I'm getting ready to restore my 120LB. You have inspired me! How many hours do you have in the restoration?

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching. I did it over a few days. The grinding was the most time consuming. Also I was using a polisher rather than an angle grinder lower rpm, less heat but more time.
All the best restoring yours 👍

[@cobre7717]

​@@LittleRestorers it doesn't matter how much heat you put in it with a grinder. If you were using a file on top it was not hardened to begin with.

[@rlm98253]

Well done, sir.

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching 👍 👩‍🔧

[@insidecontrolacademy7782]

Grinding the surface like that doesn’t mess with the heat treatment on the top of the anvil? I’d like to do this to my hay budden. Thanks!

[@LittleRestorers]

Hi thanks for watching. Have taken the pitting off the surface so it's nice and smooth again. Whether it affects the strength of the metal can be open for discussion but I have seen plenty of people do the same. In my case, this anvil belongs to a friend who wanted restored for display only in his workshop. Good luck with your project 👍👍👩‍🔧

[@joshschneider9766]

It undoubtedly does but the force radiates through the entire anvil, the vast majority of which is still heat treated fine.

[@joshschneider9766]

I would totally use this anvil with minor machining of the tool holes for square snug tool fit for safety sake. she is a beauty

[@LittleRestorers]

@@joshschneider9766 Thanks for watching and leaving a comment 👍👍👩‍🔧

[@jfred1924]

That thing looked so nasty (rusted) when you started, looks good now. ✋👍

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching and leaving a comment 👍👍👩‍🔧

[@restorationconstantines7731]

very well!

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching 🙏👍👩‍🔧

[@Midnight6230]

Nice job, I wouldn't have plugged the hole thougt. It could have been useful for driving in a bent rebar to hold something in place with your hands free, just sayin

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching 👍👍👩‍🔧

[@joshschneider9766]

Its owner is retiring it to a display piece. It will make any workshop that much cooler to be in. Still serves a purpose in the end. A beautiful story really

[@mattyal9347]

I think the holes you filled may have at one time held an identification tag on it.

[@LittleRestorers]

Hi thanks for watching - yeah that's very possible 👍👩‍🔧

[@getermoura]

How much time between electrolysis and wire brushing? I noticed it was rusty again

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching - would have been the next day. Once the bare metal is exposed and has contact with water on top of that, it takes to no time for a very light surface rust to form.

[@انسان-ق6ح]

👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@LittleRestorers]

Thank for watching👍👩‍🔧

[@pinklion4057]

0:45 What kind of powder did you add? I must test it on my rusty anvil.👍😁

[@LittleRestorers]

Thank you for watching. I added ordinary table salt to the water, to create an electrolyte solution that better conducts the electricity. There are so many rust removal techniques out there but electrolysis has to be my personal favourite. Easy to set-up, fast outcome and cost effective.
Good luck restoring yours 😉👍👩‍🔧

[@pinklion4057]

@@LittleRestorers Thanks! Have a nice day;)

[@iridios6127]

@@pinklion4057
Use the sodium carbonate -- it will not eat the metal, instead the salt.

[@ceilingunlimited-cp5kq]

Wish you could restore my anvil!

[@LittleRestorers]

😂 - Thanks for watching 👍

[@ceilingunlimited-cp5kq]

@@LittleRestorers Thoroughly enjoyed it! 😊

[@LittleRestorers]

@@ceilingunlimited-cp5kq Am glad you did ☺️

[@garystewart6093]

What were you wiping on the bed and cone lastly? And why?

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching. I just put a layer of wax on the bare metal as a light protective barrier 👍👩🏻‍🔧

[@3May]

filling the carry holes was a ... choice.

[@LittleRestorers]

Those are rust pits.

[@kuldeepojha5709]

Hello

[@LittleRestorers]

👍

[@gaborlajos8901]

Munceste sanatos si aigrija de nicovala lui tata ca am si io unaca asta

[@LittleRestorers]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@robertomarchi4394]

Ma che musica orribile!

[@LittleRestorers]

Sorry that you didn't like all 5 different musics... Thanks for watching anyway.👍