PSA: That small hairline crack in your anvil face is a ticking time bomb

I spent 6 months ignoring a tiny crack near the edge of my 200 lb Fisher anvil. Thought it was just cosmetic until last week a chunk of the face flew off during a heavy upset and landed 3 feet away. Took me 2 days to grind it flat and re-dress the edge. Anyone else had a hidden crack turn into a real problem?

2 comments

2 Comments

ivan8731d ago

Yeah that "ticking time bomb" thing is dead on. I had the same thing on an old Hay Budden. Tiny hairline right at the edge, maybe an inch long. I thought it was just a surface thing from years of use. Then one day I was drawing out a piece of mild steel and bam a chunk the size of my thumb shot off. Scared the hell out of me. Took me forever to grind it smooth and even then the face was never quite the same. I now check every anvil I buy with a magnifying glass and some dye penetrant. If you see any crack at all near the working edge, deal with it right away.

evanpalmer1d ago

Man cracks me up how this applies everywhere. Found a loose brick in my patio last summer. Tiny wobble. Ignored it for months. Then the whole corner collapsed during a storm had to redo the whole thing cost me a weekend and a bunch of concrete. Same with my truck's rust spot near the frame rail. Little bubble of rust. Thought it was nothing. Now I've got a hole I gotta patch before inspection. It's like life just waits for you to ignore something small so it can blow up in your face. Anvils. Patios. Trucks. Doesn't matter. The universe hates procrastination.