kai463•12d ago

Vent: My anvil horn shrank after 3 years because I kept grinding it hot

I was always in a rush to reshape the horn on my 150 lb anvil, so I'd grind it red hot and beat it back every few weeks. Problem was, that heat cycling slowly worked the steel, and last month I measured it, a full 1.5 inches shorter than when I bought it. I tried the old trick of quenching in oil after every hit, but that just cracked the surface on two spots. What finally stopped the shrink was waiting until the metal was dull red, almost black, then working it with a lighter hammer and longer strokes. Has anyone else watched their horn crawl back or am I the only one who ruining tools out of pure impatience?

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1 Comment

reese_garcia10d ago

Always figured you just had to get it as hot as possible and beat on it like it owed you money. Your post made me rethink that whole approach, never woulda guessed the heat cycling was doing the shrinking. Dull red and patient sounds way smarter than what I been doing.