Matt Smith Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 hello everyone, I recently scored a old rail road anvil at a flea market for a good price its about 12 inches long and one end has already been ground down into the shape of a horn.... I noticed after I got it home that there is a 3 to four inch long hair line crack that runs almost from the tip if the horn to where it is attached to the base of the anvil...It isn't to bad but I was wondering if there is any thing I can do to repair it or at least keep it from spreading more... I have read where some people weld cracks in their anvils and that sounds like a great idea but I neither can weld or have access to a welder.. also is there any ideas about ways to spruce this up a bit .. It does not have a hardie hole and I would like to figure out how to put one in . Thanks for any help you can offer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel.85 Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Welding would be the only thing, I wouldn't worry about it though, should give you enough use till you find something better. Putting hardy holes in them can be a pain without tools, it would be easier to just build a wood stand for it and mount a stake plate or something similar to the top of the wood stand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 What about Forge Brazing? Mess up the heat treat of the face though... I'd preheat and weld and let cool slowly. I find it hard to believe that NONE of the local ABANA affiliate's members have welders. Trading favors is a way of life for many smiths; shoot I once took a load of commercial shop lighting from OH to NM and passed it on to a fellow who took it to a smith in AZ as a favour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Smith Posted September 4, 2012 Author Share Posted September 4, 2012 so if i did have it welded, I should preheat the anvil first? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Don't weld it! Rail tracks are notoriously poor anvils when placed on a stand in their "normal" horizontal position. There just isn't enough mass under the face of the hammer. The quickest and easiest way to make a short section of track into a decent anvil is to stick it end-down into a bucket of cement. By turning the end into the anvil, you've placed what little mass the track has directly under the hammer's blow. The cement only adds to the mass, and gives you a solid stable base. This guy went a bit far, but look what it got him! That's a great track anvil. He incorporated a horn, a flat face, a slightly curved or tapered face, and a hot cut. And then in inlet the whole thing into the stump! Lots of work, no doubt, but that's one incredibly useful piece of equipment and speaks volumes about the skills of the craftsman that made it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 RR track generally has slightly over 70 points carbon at minimum. Any welder that doesn't do a proper preheat/post cool is highly suspect of not knowing what they are doing. I am citing the Arema (The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association) 2007 document, Part 2 "manufacture of Rail" Standard rail steel: .74 to.86% Carbon, .75 to 1.25% Manganese, .10 to .60% Silicon Low Alloy Rail Steel .72 to .82% Carbon, .80 to 1.10% Manganese, .25 to .40& Chromium, .10 to .50% Silicon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unforgivun Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 You're fairly close to many experienced smiths that use this site. Trying_it is only about a 2.5hour drive from Evansville, IN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 I wouldn't worry about getting this thing perfect. Just use! it it is a stepping stone to bigger and better things. My first anvil was a long forgotten cast iron A.S.O. aka anvil shaped object. I wish when I had started I had focused on building skills and not playing with broken old junk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Smith Posted September 5, 2012 Author Share Posted September 5, 2012 Thanks for the advice guys, I think Ill just let it stay the way it is, its not real Bad and I hope to acquire a real anvil someday down the road. Does any body have any suggestions for making something to use for hardie hole tools I know that I can use my vice but I was hopping to have something a little more Hardie Hole like to use, In have reade that some use square tubing for this purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Get some 1" structural sq tubing and weld angle iron to two sides and drill holes to bolt it to a stump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldchisel Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 grab ur torch and cut a square hole to fit your hardy in.that would do fine for the light hammering on it.even if the heat from cutting changes the properties of it....its still way stronger than the stresses most people will put it through.i have 6inch 108lb/yard rail dated 1924.been on my table a few years without any failure and its been cut and welded with 7018h4r without any heat treating....its tougher than what i put it through and i hit on it sometimes with a 8lb maul attatched to a 40inch pipe.the stuff is just superior in strenght,abration,and impact resistence.think of the size and wieght of trains.its just marvelous material!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldchisel Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 I wouldn't worry about getting this thing perfect. Just use! it it is a stepping stone to bigger and better things. My first anvil was a long forgotten cast iron A.S.O. aka anvil shaped object. I wish when I had started I had focused on building skills and not playing with broken old junk.where is bayport...im in tupper lake ie the adirondacks.maybee an hour from canada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 where is bayport...im in tupper lake ie the adirondacks.maybee an hour from canadaIm way down south friend on Long Island. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Grab the 1 inch tubing Thomas mentioned, use a hacksaw and make _equal_ 1 to 1 1/2 inch cuts in the corners from one end, then heat and bend for mounting to a stump without using a welder. Finished height that is similar to your rail "anvil" is probably good, don't go taller. Shorter to about 2 inches should be fine. The tubing can be had just about anywhere, including for an arm and leg at a big box store. If you know of a welding outfit near you asking for short "drops" might get you in material, or they may sell pieces and sticks at a much better rate than the big box. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Smith Posted September 17, 2012 Author Share Posted September 17, 2012 thaks for advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alley cat Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 You might want to drill a 1/4" hole at the end of the crack to keep it from spreading and take it down to the local muffler man..He could probably mig weld it up for you and add those other peices,But I'd go 7018 on it..weld a little bit then cool it down. Buy a cracker box and learn to stick weld!! just like striking a match,then hold the rods about 1/8 away from the work,drag 7018s flat,and like you can whip 6011s, never did care for 6013s. but just stay in you're puddle and control the puddle,be one with the puddle,lol. just playing but yeah you're doing yourself a great disservice You'll love welding!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Smith Posted May 27, 2013 Author Share Posted May 27, 2013 Been awhile since i have posted im ok with my rail anvil right now but still thinking about what to do with hardie hole issue... i might try the square tubing as mentioned elier...i also recently aquired a 1in impact socket for free i thought of having this welded on to an extra pieace of rail i have laying around anyone know if normal hardies will fit in 1 in socket Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 Might have to relive on or the other. A one inch impact socket is built to a much closer tolerance than other your typical hardy hole or hardy tool How big is the socket? If its large enugh a large peice of whitled down to fit or a peice of pipe might work with out welding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry H Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 years ago I forged a horn on a rr track and welded a piece of plow blade on top with the sq. side of the bolt hole up, it gave a "step" at the horn and had a 3/4 hardy hole, the owner is still using it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Smith Posted May 28, 2013 Author Share Posted May 28, 2013 Thanks for the argice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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