Klorinth Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Until I find a proper anvil here is what I have. I got it this way. Three pieces welded together with angle iron feet. Each piece is just over 26" not including the point on the top piece. Total weight is about 170lbs. I can pick it up and move it but it is heavy. Not stable though. It rocks a bit on the angle iron. It's probably meant to sit on soil not flat concrete. What should I do with it? I have started to reshape the point so it is more rounded and usable. I prefer the idea of the tie being vertical. Should I cut the pieces apart and mount them vertically? Weld them together into a single vertical piece? Most people seem to only use a single piece. I have seen a few interesting ones online just not as many as I expected. Or just leave as is and use it until I find a better option? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 It's ok as is (assuming it's the right hight for you) but the thin web and long belly reduce efficiency. In other words the anvil will flex a small degree absorbing some of your hammer blow. Use it for a wile, then latter chop it up and make a bunch of tools out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Frosty suggests to nest 3 pieces of RR track together and weld. Stand it up on end and weld a thick top plate securely to all 3 pieces of track.enjoy a HEAVY anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BattleBoar Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Has anyone tried this? I was just thinking about doing this with four tracks and topping with a thick piece of 4140 for a power hammer anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klorinth Posted January 24, 2016 Author Share Posted January 24, 2016 2 hours ago, Glenn said: Frosty suggests to nest 3 pieces of RR track together and weld. Stand it up on end and weld a thick top plate securely to all 3 pieces of track.enjoy a HEAVY anvil. That is basically what I was thinking. If the main part of two tracks were welded to the the webbing of the third and butted up against the main part it would creat a solid core that is greater in size and very stable. The remaining webbing could then be modified into different uses such as hot cuts. I would need to get the cutting and welding done by my neighbour. I am just starting to learn to weld and not up to that job. I like the idea though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 The two track are laid on the ground flat down and the third track is nested in between the two with the flat up. This makes the most compact nesting arrangement. Stand them on end to use so all the mass is under the hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Bill Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 I used this arrangement; be sure you or your weldor are familiar with the stress-relief requirements when welding rail. This was for test fit; much grinding for weld prep remained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klorinth Posted January 24, 2016 Author Share Posted January 24, 2016 Randy, Did you leave the webbing at that height or cut it down to be shorter than the face of your new anvil? I'm not sure what experience my neighbour has with track, but he is a professional welder that works on all the big agricultural equipment around us, tractors and combines, to cultivators and harrows. He fixes what the farmers break. Also fabrication work like 20' trailers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Lots of time and consumables to do something like that, lots of other ways to use rail as an anvil. One peice, with the end cut square and smoth, brake the edges and you have a small but serviceable anvil. To improve on it, cut a small peice off the head (the part that is up in use as a rail) and shape it into a horn and cut out a hardy hole. This can be double or single horned, say 9-12" weld this to the end of your "rail post anvil" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Charles, didn't you have a thread with pictures showing how you made and anvil and tools from RRT? Maybe post the link? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 You need to pre heat the rail to be welded, say 500f and use a high strength rod like a 7xxx. Small anvils can also be made of rail, a small peice of the head and web make reasonable facsimiles of Viking era anvils (a 3" square head with a spike carved from the web, or a slightly larger peice with a small horn carved out of it) honestly you have enugh rail to make a couple of servisable anvils, as well as stakes, swages and other tools. Rail is good medium high carbon manganise steel. The head can be sliced up into pieces (a 1"X1"x3" slice and you have a good blank for a handled tool like a small hammer) or the web or flange. The web is about 3/4" wile the flange tapers from 7/8 to a half. Lots of tool steel. don't get hooked on fabricating a heavy anvil from the rail, lots of $ there. http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/42290-another-rail-road-iron-anvil/?page=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klorinth Posted January 24, 2016 Author Share Posted January 24, 2016 Thank you Charles. I understand your warning to not get focused on making a larger anvil out of rail. I can see a lot of work going into it. My time is very valuable to me. If it is going to take me a week to build I would prefer to just buy an anvil. I enjoy the challenge of design and build projects but I only do them for the enjoyment. If I find a decent anvil for sale I will buy it before spending $100 and a week of time building. I was just thinking that a single vertical piece with a well shaped head and horn would be good for me to get going and learn on, especially if I attach a piece of square tube as a hardy hole. I have found a couple of designs that look simple enough to make. I hadn't thought about what I could make of this rail. Very good point. One piece for an anvil and the rest to turn into tools and practice projects. I need to do lots of practice before starting on tools but this would make good tools. Thank you for the ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Anvilfire has a section on rail anvils and a few good ideas to get the mind perking. Tools are good practice. Frosty is always wining that he left a great anvil in a sand bar in Alaska. He flames it was an axle from a peice of heavy equipment... Don't atach a hardy hole, make a separate, stand alone one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Not ALWAYS, just when I think about it. Thanks for the reminder . . . Pal. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klorinth Posted January 25, 2016 Author Share Posted January 25, 2016 I was thinking I could attach a hardy hole to the rail base so it would be built into the wood mount I will need to make. That way it is close to the anvil but not in the way. I've seen a few pictures with this setup. If I cut the webbing and base shorter than the anvil face I could have the height of the hardy tools match the height of the anvil face. Is there anything wrong with that? Spring fullers wouldn't be as easy to do this way I guess... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Nope, just the need to preheat the rail. Your anvil, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klorinth Posted January 25, 2016 Author Share Posted January 25, 2016 7 hours ago, Charles R. Stevens said: Nope, just the need to preheat the rail. Your anvil, lol. Ahh. Gotcha. Point taken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 But you have enugh rail to make 3-6 workstations, so one could have a hardy on the bottom side of the fladge for a spring hardy, wile another could be complely different. Just to give you an idea, TJWatts sliced off the flandge, and used the fact that it is sloped to his advantage to fully weld it to a block of A36 then heat treated it. Depending on who you talk to rail is 85-95 point carbon with a good bit of manganise thrown in. Makes good stock for tooling, nothing exotic with heat treat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Carnegie 1901 - That is the Maker & the Date of Manufacture - One Hundred and Fifteen Years Old!! I would surely want THAT piece in front of my eyes and under my hammer. A couple of years ago, I picked up a piece of Carnegie 1906 60# at A & K in Stockton, California. Good luck with your project. I like what Charles Stevens said - Three to six work stations - I think I will try to to come back here with a photo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 See how a simple hairpin corrects for the curvature of the rail's web, putting a monster grip on this swage anvil I am building. The top piece goes in the same way. Even a large 'cheap' vise has plenty of guts for 'moderate' to 'small' hot or cold work. Imagine how much fun I will have after I have put in some bevels, notches, holes, and radii! (This is just an example of what one may do with an unmodified piece of rail). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klorinth Posted January 26, 2016 Author Share Posted January 26, 2016 I have started the process of shaping that ugly point into something more usable. Once that is done I'm thinking about cutting it off with a few inches of untouched rail behind it. Cut the web off and weld the top to a vertical section. Mass and form. It will need a little reinforcing to stabilize it but that I can do. This can then be mounted to a wood base and stand to the appropriate height. The stand could be made large enough to include a separate plate for a hardy and pritchel hole. I could also attach my post vise to it... I love the bottom tool ideas using slices of rail. And the portable spike anvil. Way too easy to carry that around. Welding is going to have to happen on at least one of these projects. That means heating it... Small sections will be easy enough but are there any suggestions for a 24" length? If I'm attaching a top to one end should I just hang the long section up above the forge and settle it into the fire? How about a propane torch? I have a big one. 2" wide flame. I have no idea how long it will take to heat to 500 degrees. Same question applies to heat treating them. Is there a better way to heat them? Anachronist, thank you for the info on the rail. Any idea as the the meaning of the ET IIIII after the date? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 (edited) The five I's would signify the month of May (1901) and ET would be the place of manufacture (possibly Etna, Pennsylvania? Or Edgar Thompson?). If anyone is more familiar than I am with rail markings, please correct me. Edited January 26, 2016 by Anachronist58 additional information found Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 Oven (when the wife isn't home) weed burner, charcoal fire... usualy a temple stick is used (a crayon that only marks at the desired temp) but if you polish the rail head and bank coals around the flange and web, the temper colors running to gray is usualy good enugh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 Just another thought - Kant-Twist clamps do a trick job of overcoming that bevel if one is doing a lay-up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 Depends on what your doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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