So with steem down i decided to do a small project, it was to restore my my Record jewellers.

I had a plan and it was set into stages:
The stages
1 Sand down main face
2 Strip old paint
3 Remove any rust
4 Key for paint
5 Mask main face
6 Prime
7 Spray paint
8 Remove masking
9 Detail lettering with a fine brush

Before & After

Stage 1 - sanding main face

Here is before i did anything and as you can see the main face has an awful finish.

I don't own a belt sander but the orbital sander has a flat surface so this will suffice to keep a true surface of the anvil, i used 80 grit paper and sanded for about 15 mins. This removed only a fraction but smoothed out the surfacs quite nicely.

Here is a closer look at the main surface.

Stage 2 - stripping the old paint

I used a chemical stripping agent to remove the paint, i had to apply twice as there was several coats and in places it was quite thick.

I placed the anvil in an old plastic tub and brushed the paint stripper on and left for an hour and then repeated the process using a wire brush to remove the last few bits.

Stage 3 & 4 - Remove rust and key for paint

I used a wire brush and some sandpaper to give a good key and then warmed it up with a blow torch. As you can see it looks nice and clean now

Stage 5 - Mask for painting

I used standard masking tape and used a sharp knife to cut the edges, to get a clean cut the knife is dragged and sliced in a downwards motion at the same time.

Nice and tidy, will make the top edge easy to clean up after painting.

Stage 6 - Prime

This is where we start getting some paint on to the anvil, i warmed the anvil up earlier so the primer will flash off quicker.

Stage 7 - Paint

I have gone for signal red spray paint, with the primer being touch dry i could spray straight on using a form of wet on wet paint and with the anvil still warm it flashes off nicely with the warmth.

Stage 8 & 9 Remove masking & detail

The tape came of easy and it was the delicate part where i have taken a brush and painted the individual words in an off white. This didnt turn out perfect as i dont have the steadiest hand but it looks ok.

Here is the other side with a half dollar to show the size of the anvil.