Hoary Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 Ok I know you can use a rail for an anvil, but how could I go about getting one of those? I know Ebay has them once in a while, but I was wondering if it would be possible to find one along tracks or anything like that. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 you gotta go snooping around tracks where there won't be trying eyes. just find some remote area of well used tracks, and often scrap pieces of track will be lying around, along with spikes. i got a peice from my uncle who worked for the RR, but i found another one on my own by snooping around the track areas.. gotta be careful though, i'm pretty sure its a federal offense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 Why risk a federal offense? Why not just contact someone from the rail road and ask them for a assistance in finding something heavy to use as an anvil, rr steel, knuckle from a coupling etc. You would be surprised how helpful folks can be if you just ask and are sincere in your request. Be sure and give them something that you made by hand on their "anvil" in return for their favor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt87 Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 You got a scrapyard near you? Try there. I happened upon 14" of rail at my local 'recycling centre' (read: 'small scrapyard'). Got it plus some 1x1/4, a 1-1/2lb ball-pein and a large cook-pot for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete46 Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 I HAVE A 10ft PIECE OF TRACK IF YOU ARE EVER AROUND HATTIESBURG MS. I'LL CUT OUT A CHUNK FOR YA.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinD Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 I HAVE A 10ft PIECE OF TRACK IF YOU ARE EVER AROUND HATTIESBURG MS. I'LL CUT OUT A CHUNK FOR YA. I have some too. Whats the best way to cut it? O/A? :confused: How does the RR get their cuts so smooth? :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt87 Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 You could use a power hack/band saw. There are two power hacksaws on Vintage Projects (plan on making one eventually), if you don't have one. Bet it's useful for cutting stock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainsFire Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 you could probably blast through it with an acetylene cutting torch and some lovin with the grinder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinD Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 I got mine at an antique store. It's 1 foot long. I asked the guy what he wanted and he said $20. I told him I only had $15 and started to leave and he stopped me and took the $15. One end is nice and smooth. The other end was cut with a torch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredW Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 I was told once (several years ago) that you could score it and break the track clean. Never tried so don't know for sure. I just may have to ask my brother in-law who works for Burlington Northern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoary Posted October 29, 2007 Author Share Posted October 29, 2007 I HAVE A 10ft PIECE OF TRACK IF YOU ARE EVER AROUND HATTIESBURG MS. I'LL CUT OUT A CHUNK FOR YA. Thanks for the offer but that's a bit of a drive for me right now :-p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forgeman Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 you can cut it with a torch no problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candidquality Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 Best bet is to talk to one of the maintenance gents working the tracks. they'll be more than obliged to help out normally. hot cut would work well for a nice smooth edge ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 I used to get small sections of track as "change" as the fleamarket, a foot of heavy track was US$2-5.. Getting friendly with someone at a track repair company is well worth the trouble---I once made some ornamental iron work for the secretary at a company and had trouble keeping the weight "donated" within bounds of my little pickup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 Davis Salvage in Phoenix, AZ has several short sections for sale by the pound. I polished one up for jewelers anvil. Nice steel but the web between top and bottom flange is a bit thin for heavy forging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_sandy_creek_forge Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 How they (used to) cut it... as told by the retired railman that now runs the "antique barn sale" outside of small central illinois town: As I was pondering the complexities of using a 20" long cold cut that had a 36" long handle, the gentleman who owns the antique barns explained to me that the cold cut was run into rail all the way around with a few HEAVY strikes. The rail was laid across two supports with the cut in the center, and force was applied with a jack (I am here assuming some kind of jig/vise type device was used). The track would break off "nice and smart right along the scored lines." I guess kinda like the trick of snapping a scored shaft under a BIG power hammer? I would wager the contemporary preferred method is a big chop saw... -Aaron @ the SCF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sootyfella Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 HI, I'm new the forum, but am in the process of getting my forge and shop together. For what it's worth, I mentioned what Fred just said about breaking off railroad rail with scoring to my 77 yo mother and she told me how my grandfather told her of having seen it done firsthand when she was a child. She said that during the summer the rail was hot enough during the day for them to make a couple of dents or chizel marks at the top of the rail where they wanted it to break it then they would just pour very cold water on the rail and it would break off clean as glass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwagedSoul Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 Hi...welcome to the forum! Since I have a 5 foot piece of it...maybe I'll try that...just to see.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 SwagedSoul BP0334 Adjustable Anvil Stand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pault17 Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 Having been a full-time carpenter at one time, U put a 7 1/2 inch metal cutting fiber blade on my knockabout skill saw and cut away. Makes nice clean lines and cuts through. Downside is that the saw is more or less useless for anything else now and its not instantaneous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim-Iowa Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Well I'm a little late getting into this one. My Rail anvil is 20 1/8" long. I went to the salvage yard closest to the old Rock Island lines Service Shop(It's now Iowa Interstate Railroad). They cut off a chunk for me in their bandsaw for $10. I then took that to a welding shop and he cut 6" of the lower section off for a horn and 4" off the other end for the heel. He charged me $10. This I took home and Drilled a Pritchard hole and Multiple holes for the Hardie. THe workhardened steel was real hard to drill untill I got into it about a 1/4". I used Titanium bits and lots of oil. I step drilled, using bigger and bigger bits untill I reached a size that I could get grinding stones and roatary cutters into. I then spent untold hours shaping the table and horn(we're talking days with a 4 1/2" grinder). In truth there is not a flat plane on this anvil, but it's got unlimited contours for bending. It certaily can be done, and this rail anvil holdes a prominent place in my shop, But I don't reccomend making one from rail unless you have great volumes of paitence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tecnovist Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 I wanted a big peace of steel for a anvil there was a jet prop at the scrap metal 3.5 ton all up. The shalf 1.2 ton 14inch dia 10feet long--- the bolts were done up to a HELL Psi I had a 3/4 inch sidcrome 20 inch bar --- I had to make a 3/4 male bit for it useing 4140 to fit in to the socket--- I had made by welding 2 sockets to make a deep socket-- 10 feet of pipe and what felt like I had smashed some ribs the bar Broke--- But the 4140 bit held up well every one was impressed--- I then had to re think and built the socket up so I could use the 3 foot stilsons on the socket and use the 10 foot of pipe on the stilsons-----The anvil I have is 600 Kg-750mm high bace is 650m round the hammer face is 14inch only bummer is it has a 6 inch hole in it ---- but hay its still cool to hammer on --tecnovist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mende Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 Try and find a place where the RR is being renovated. .altho it can be hard. .. All the other suggestions work well too. About cutting them smooth. . .I'm more interested in the Thermite plasma welding . . In fact . .I'll start a topic on that. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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