Welding A2 steel plate for anvil hard face?

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Anybody ever welded A2 steel?  It's a high chrome steel that air hardens.  I'm working on a bladesmith anvil, pretty much a sawyers type anvil.  I've got a good German pattern Refflinghause anvil for normal operations.  The thing is, the horn and heel get in the way for blade work, and I've been wanting a proper bladesmith anvil for a long time.  Since nobody makes one and a good sawyer's anvil is almost impossible to find down here, I decided to make my own.What I've come up with is a 6"x6"x12" piece of hot rolled steel.  I need a hard face on one side, or a work area of 6"x12".  Plan is to use a small section of 3/8" square bar in the center to separate and allow for near 100% weld of face to body.  I'd considered 4140 or 1045 for the face, but I'd heard about using A2.  A2 is air harding, so it'd simplify heat treat, namely quenching such a thick cross section.  Not to mention I did a small prof of concept with 4140 and the hardness was only about 48-49 RC.  I'm shooting for a face hardness of 55 RC, but would settle for 50-51.  It's going to be a PITA as is with setting a 120lbs. block of steel on a pile of coal and lifting it off, much less a couple hundred gallons of water to quench.My concerns is what to weld with?  I have a Lincoln invertech stick welder, so my plan was to use 1/8" 7018's.  I do have a friend that is a full time welder that has a mig and a tig.  I know I can get good weld with 4140 and 1045, not sure about A2 as I've never worked with it.  It's expensive enough I don't want to screw it up.Thoughts?  Thanks
Reply:Please pardon my ignorance.My understanding was that forging is done against a relatively soft anvil surface.What is it about doing blade work that needs a very hard surface to work against?Be wary of The Numbers: Figures don't lie,. but liars can figure.Welders:2008 Lincoln 140 GMAW&FCAW2012 HF 165 'toy' GTAW&SMAW1970's Cobbled together O/A
Reply:A good anvil has a very hard, glass hard face, with a soft core or wrought iron body.  My Refflinghause anvil has a outer hardness of 60-61 RC to an inch deep.  Most of the early anvils had about a 3/8" high carbon steel plate forge welded to the tops, then quenched.  Good anvils run from the mid 50's RC and up.  Dead soft means it's been through a fire or is a cast iron anvil shaped objet.  Other than damaging the face of an anvil, the reason for the hardface is rebound.  My Refflinghause hits back almost as hard as I hit, nearly hit myself in the face with a 4 lb. hammer when I missed once.  A good anvil can be somewhat delicate, especially around the edges, it's designed for a hammer to hit soft, hot metal on it, not a cold steel or a hammer.  A lot of old anvils have chipped up edges because they had cold iron or steel hammered on them, or people abused them.The reason for a dedicated blade anvil is because the horn and heel of a traditional anvil get in the way.  A lot of people use a post anvil, or just work around a standard blacksmith anvil.  It's a want to have, not a have to have.
Reply:Thank you very much for taking the time to explain.While not enlightened, I understand now.Wishing you all the luck in the world in your pursuit of your anvil.Be wary of The Numbers: Figures don't lie,. but liars can figure.Welders:2008 Lincoln 140 GMAW&FCAW2012 HF 165 'toy' GTAW&SMAW1970's Cobbled together O/A
Reply:@ will52100 - intetesting and challenging endeavor you have.  Your RC values seem spot on.  Never welded any A2 and have limited experience with fire forging.  Thought this article covering hardfacing and SMAW/MIG welding for anvils would cast some light for you, Making Anvils.Best fortune in tuning up your anvil. Last edited by ManoKai; 11-12-2015 at 01:48 PM."Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Reply:This link has some very specific information.http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=6218#11Sculptures in copper and other metalshttp://www.fergusonsculpture.comSyncrowave 200 Millermatic 211Readywelder spoolgunHypertherm 600 plasma cutterThermal Arc GMS300 Victor OA torchHomemade Blacksmith propane forge
Reply:Thanks for the info, I'm going around and around, but it looks like I'll probably be welding a plate of 4140 to the top.  I'd heard of someone doing something like that with A2 and would love to know how it turned out.I had thought of hardfacing rod, but it's my understanding that it's a fairly thin coating, not sure I could get it even and flat over a large area.  Not to mention the machining required afterward.
Reply:Search this site, lot of good information.   DETAILS ON MAKING ANVILS by: Ernie Leimkuhler
Reply:I have resurfaced several anvils using 11018m rods. It has 1% moly and is hard but work toughens. All of the anvils, including my own, have held up very well. I grind the top to close and sand with a regular belt sander until flat. This weld can be machined as well.
Reply:Thanks, will look around a bit more, didn't think I'd find much on anvils here.