Another rail road iron anvil

[Charles R. Stevens]

A london patern anvil is in its self a multi tool. But I originally started this project, to have a tool to deminstrait that one, you dont have to have a london patern anvil (carving one out of a rail is way to much work to my mind, as TP pointed out the time would be beter spent learning to forge) 

i hope that this project will inspire others to think outside the box. I will continue this tread by building a mounting system and tooling to acompany it. I think she may well live in my stocktrailer.

Edited June 12, 2015 by Charles R. Stevens

[stan]

ITs like going from a pen knife to a leatherman super tool.

[ThomasPowers]

As I recall Weygers said that one of the great things about a RR rail anvil is that you can pound on it with way too heave sledges without worrying about damaging it; (I believe for both the sturdiness and the fact that if you do damage it you can re-build it or build another)

[Charles R. Stevens]

He may well be right, rail is tough stuff, as is a file barly bights the web (not unlike a good felling axe) I have often thought of fitting hardwood "scales" between the head and flange on each side of the web. That may or may not midigate some of the flex. 

The size i have here makes a good comprimise for a portable tool and somthing one can wail on. The 1 1/2"x3" end of the head dose keep one to a reasnable hammer size. 

[DSW]

I'm I the only one who's OCD part of me is irritated because the side lines aren't all the same?    LOL

[Michael Cochran]

It'll be ok, DSW, there are a few of us OCD types here. Btw that's why I haven't shared any of my work yet, it isn't nearly perfect so I can't show it off 

[Charles R. Stevens]

Then we wont be seeing any if your work, young master Cochran. 

I know DSW i had to keep telling myself not to go back and fix it! Its an anvil afterall, not a martian lander.

[Michael Cochran]

I'm gettin there, Charles. I have a few little things im tryin to get just right then I can finally show somethin off.

After following you through all this here idk if I should make something similar with my longer piece of rail or if I should use it for other things. You guys make it so hard for someone like me

[Charles R. Stevens]

Oh, i have other plans as well, lol

[Michael Cochran]

You're makin me jealous now. I was just about sick a couple days ago, I was headed to work and saw a semi truck parked on the side of the road with plate steel almost as big as the trailer and what looked like close to 3 inches thick. Not that has anythin to do with what you have here, just another example of me bein jealous. Lol

[DSW]

That would work well as an "anvil". I know the 1 1/2" thick,  solid steel  table top on my big steel bench worked well before I managed to get a real anvil. I'd hate to move a 3" plate table though. Even at only 12'x3' my table was almost more than our CAT track loader would move.

 

[Michael Cochran]

Just imagine what a piece about 8'x40' would weigh. A quick visit to a calculator says 38,000+lbs. no wonder he only had two on the trailer. I doubt looking at the weight that it was that big. I have to admit while I might be good at estimating sizes when something's sittin in front of me however, goin down the road at 40mph it's hard to get a good estimation of size.

[T.J.watts]

well Charles I see that I missed a couple of cuts and I guess I need to come get that 4" stock and start cutting it too.

[Charles R. Stevens]

TJ

yep, that and we need to look at thise other rails (the light and the heavy). I need some of your machining skills. 

[DevinThomas]

This whole thing makes me feel ill. I'm working at building a forge and have a plain (and short) piece of track I plan to use as an anvil while learning the basics.This is hundreds of times better than what I'll be using. Its probably better than the first "real" anvil I buy. haha

Edited June 17, 2015 by DevinThomas
left out a word

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard Devin, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance.

Don't you have a disk grinder? I know I'd feel a little queezy if I were in that boat. Okay, here's what doc Frosty prescribes: Go to the nearest hardware or tool store and BUY A DISK GRINDER!

Start grinding off everything that doesn't look like what you need on an anvil and before long you'll have your version. Just don't be surprised when you find yourself out hunting up another piece of rail to replace the one you just . . . "improved."

In all seriousness a piece of plain old rail will work just fine a horn isn't necessary, they're a pretty recent development. You don't heed a horn, flat, straight, etc. The rail is hard and reasonably heavy, it's all you really need. It's not the anvil that does the forging it's the smith and that's a little knowledge and a lot of practice.

Frosty The Lucky.

[DevinThomas]

Yep, got it flat mostly. Thinking about modifyng the edges to give me different shapes to bend on, etching a ruler onto it, improvising a pritchel and hardy, maybe a few other things.  I don't see needing a horn so I'm not worried about one for now.

And I haven't done really anything notable with it and I'm already thinking about upgrading to a new piece! This thread is really inspiring though. Lots of creativity and skill on display

[Charles R. Stevens]

Giving new guys insperation was the idea. Turned out to be a nifty tool as well. 

Remember, thi you can use this as a blueprint, thats not the reason I did this, i want thou to look at what you have and think about what will make it more useful to you with out destracting from it's primary purpose. Maybe fulleres carved down the sides is what you need, or what ever.  This is your tool. 

Edited June 17, 2015 by Charles R. Stevens

[Frosty]

Don't get too set on a hardy or pritchel hole in a rail anvil it can be more hassle to make than they're worth. One of my favorites is the "Portable Hole" You simply mount a length of square tubing on end and reinforce the top to hold bottom tools. It's easy greasy and very versatile as a simple bottom tool is your pritchel, helpers can be mounted and you can position a portable hole where ever is handy.

They're also much easier to come by and less expensive than leg vises though they don't replace a leg vise by a long shot.

Frosty The Lucky.

[3DuckDave]

Charles, I know you said filing the rail was tough going, but is it actually hardened?  If not what plans do you have to harden it? I made an anvil out of a chunk of track, but when I machined the face found it to be "soft" like a tool steel. And every time I've hit something on it I've left marks in the face. I had somebody on here question me about what lead me to believe it was hardened? Not that his question was wrong or upsetting, just gave me food for thought. I've only come across one mention of heat treating such an anvil and that was in The Complete Modern Blacksmith by Weygers. I'm sure there other accounts, I just haven't found them. Your track anvil is very interesting by the way, very cool looking project. 

[Frosty]

Rail is nominally in the 1085 range. If you haven't found the section on heat treating rail for an anvil in "The Complete Modern Blacksmith" you might have to use the techniques for that grade and dimensions of steel.

The contact surface of modern rail is induction hardened to a few thousandths depth as a wear surface. Typically machining the surface isn't very desirable as you remove the professionally hardened surface without significantly increasing the utility of the tool.

Machined flat isn't really a normal anvil feature but not swimming with the flock is a regular blacksmith trait.

Frosty The Lucky.

Edited June 18, 2015 by Frosty

[Charles R. Stevens]

The ends are soft enugh to pein with a hard hammer, but the rail face is hard (work hardend by tonns of cargo) my aim is pretty good so that isnt such a concern.  The rail face is roundes to the inside (at least thats the way I think of it) but 1/2 the face is still flat. 

I dont intend to harden it, but I will fallow the modern blacksmiths method when I do heat treat rail steel.

[3DuckDave]

Frosty, the particular piece I have had  a ridge running the length of the piece of probably .03 to .04, and I felt this was undesirable for my usage.  Besides being a machinist I couldn't resist the opportunity to fire up the Bridgeport and make some chips. I did leave the one edge radiused as I felt that might be a useful feature at a later date  

Charles regardless of if you do anymore hardening to it, it looks to be a handy tool and has give me a few ideas as to what else can be done with a rail to make more useful. Thanks for the starting the thread  

 

[Charles R. Stevens]

I hope to see your contributions! I still need to get on with building a stand, i'm going low (32") so my beterhalf can use it. 

Rail is a good sorce of tool steel, flange, web and head. 

[DSW]

Don't get too set on a hardy or pritchel hole in a rail anvil it can be more hassle to make than they're worth. One of my favorites is the "Portable Hole" You simply mount a length of square tubing on end and reinforce the top to hold bottom tools. It's easy greasy and very versatile as a simple bottom tool is your pritchel, helpers can be mounted and you can position a portable hole where ever is handy.

They're also much easier to come by and less expensive than leg vises though they don't replace a leg vise by a long shot.

Frosty The Lucky.

Something like this. It's simply a piece of 3/4" plate I found on top of some 4x4 1/4" wall tube welded to some 6"x6" 1/4" plate. I still have to weld the top to the tube when I get the chance and put some holes in the base to anchor it down. My original plan was to drill the hole close and drift it to size, but I got carried away on the drill press and file and pretty much drilled and filed it to size. I wanted something I could give the kids who work with me at the grange to hold hardy tools so they wouldn't be tempted to forge on the anvil with the hot cut in places. It's the perfect thing for those who want a hardy hole or pritchel hole for track anvils.