AA43560 Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Hi guys, Im just getting started into this hobby and am building a small hobbyist setup. I already have the brake drum forge done but i cant for the life of me find an anvil. I was hoping it would be easier if I asked on here and hopefully someone has one they want to get rid of. Obviously my preference would be an actual anvil with a hardy hole and such but Im not looking to pay much at all so I would be fine if someone has a railroad track they want to get rid of. Please, let me know! Thanks a lot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmustangbrad Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 How long do you need it to be? I'd sell mine for $5/ inch. Bradley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AA43560 Posted September 16, 2014 Author Share Posted September 16, 2014 honestly I'm not sure. I have zero experience with this stuff so I don't know what a reasonable length would be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Are there any rail yards near you? Call the RR and ask about scrap. I was luck to find some repair going on near my work and asked the crew there and the *Gave* me a 3' section. More than I wanted LOL but I had no problem getting rid of what I didn't use Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Far better than a chunk of rail would be a piece of forklift tine; call around to forklift service places and explain you want a broken/damaged tine---or even better a piece off the thick end and what it's for and see if you can get one at scrap rate.You do realize that the largest annual blacksmithing conference in North America will be in Troy Ohio September 26,27,28 and there will be literally tons of blacksmithing stuff for sale there. We had a local fellow go and ending up buying 30 anvils and a trailer to get them back to NM one year.http://www.sofablacksmiths.org/quadstate/2014/quadstate2014.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaosduck7 Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Hey guys this is the original poster. For some reason, im locked out of that account? As soon as I login, I cant access the site AT ALL. Like it says "you dont have permission". And it wont let me log out either. But thats not a huge deal I guess. Anyways, in response to the replies I have tried almost every railyard and metal scrapyard and I always see railroad tracks but every single time they go on about how its a felony to sell railroad pieces to people. Ive tried convincing them but they wont have it at all lol. Even the forklift places wont sell any tines citing "legal reasons". Also troy ohio is quite a ways away from me lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmustangbrad Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I would be happy to mail you one if you like. Search craigs-list in NC under Raleigh/Durham and search "steel anvils" and you will see the ones I have. My contact info is there. They work great getting started. Also, mine are legal to own because it was bought from a logging company that logged in the mountains when the train was the only way in and out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Forklift places are worried about liability; why you need to explain what you need a piece for and that a cut off section would be fine.I'm sorry that the distance from Toledo OH to Troy OH is quite a ways away for you; I'm driving from a couple of miles from our border with Mexico near El Paso TX to Troy Ohio---1580 miles each way.If you can get to Quad-State I'll give you a chunk of RR rail for free. Let me know ASAP as I will have to cut it today or tomorrow as I leave after work Friday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Most members here use a real name, most spammers use a jumble of letters and number. So simply your name was tagged as a potential spammer along with the 30 or so spammers we get every day, and your account got banned because your name choice AA#### was flagged as a spammer by the system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaosduck7 Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 i see lol. Its actually just my initials and zip code. I use that username for everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Bill Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Not the warmest welcome to a forum member I've ever seen. Chaos, I'm with you; driving much distance gets expensive these days and personally I begrudge the time lost. I haven't gotten to the bottom of the railroads ingrained near-blanket policies on rail sales. For pete's sake give railroad employees receipt books. I stopped short of actually calling the rail offices, being polite and sincere with folks opens many doors. By chance, I found two great pieces that were already USED as anvils! Proving that rail was available at one time. I wonder if railroad contractors (private) would be easier these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Let me know what you want me to do. Sent you a PM two days ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Well It's about a 2 hour drive from Toledo to Troy and he would be one of the closer folks.Quad-State generally has folks showing up from Canada, used to see Rich from the US Virgin Islands, I try to get there though I'm 11-12 *times* farther away. If you are interested in smithing Quad-State is WORTH A DRIVE!If I don't hear back from the OP by 4pm CDT I won't spend my packing time cutting a chunk of RR rail tonight. Had fun enough explaining to my wife that I wanted to bring back 4 sacks of good smithing coal---in the minivan...(brought 1 sack on the airplane as checked luggage once...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Welcome aboard chaotic guy glad to have you. The RR is largely fed financed so they often have policies made by guys who never get out of an office and have to justify their paycheck come budget time. Trains are a terrorist target and nowadays folk don't want to take any chances so access is tightened up a lot. Don't sweat getting tagged as a spammer by the robot, IFI is a prime target so like the RR they have much tighter rules and more sensitive filters. Think of it like what neighborhood you'd be willing to walk through unarmed after dark. The more dangerous the fewer chances you're likely to take and the more alert you'd be. Finding rail might be a hassle not worth the effort. If you can explain just what you're using the forklift tine for and pay them to cut a piece you'll probably get a better reception. Talk to the guys in the yard not the office. I try to never talk to folk in the office if I can get around it and if then I talk to the secretary. The bosses secretary knows EVERYTHING and actually does the day to day running of the business. Then you have the true anvil, it's not a London pattern, double bick, etc. etc. it's a heavy piece of something hard and hopefully smooth grained you can beat hot steel on. Humans have been using boulders for millennia and they work a treat. Virtually any sufficiently heavy piece of steel makes a dandy anvil. The popular anvil amongst bladesmiths right now is a piece of steel bar stood on end, I'm thinking in the general range of 4"x4". One of my favorite and most effective field expedient anvils was a heavy axle off I don't know what. I buried it flange up in a sand riverbank. I wish I'd kept it, it was just too handy for words. Then there's the TPAAP method. A search of the site will turn up plenty fo posts re. the TPAAP and it works amazingly well. Better still you live in reasonably blacksmith tool rich country compared to alot of the US. You ought to try in Alaska for hard to find. Just don't give up, these things will come given time and patience. I could be way off the mark but I get the feeling you're pretty young so a 2 hr. drive and overnighting for a couple days may seem pretty insurmountable. Missing Quad State would be a bummer living so close and time's getting really short. Still, there may be someone here willing to give you a ride for splitting gas and someone to talk to. Attend meetings of the local smithing group, you'll learn more and acquire tools, materials and friends fast, Fast, FAST. A day working with an experienced smith is worth weeks of trying to figure it out yourself. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Note that you can camp out at Q-S cutting down costs substantially, (though the savings always seem to leak out of my pockets in the tailgating area, I don't understand it!) Friendly folks; a bunch of us camp together and eat together so if you show up at meal time you'll probably get fed---and blacksmiths tend to know about second breakfast too!I'm camping with my wife this year! She will probably be spinning wool whilst I'm trading steel engravings of dead presidents for rusty metal... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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