Psi Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Hey guys, still green with posting. My question is rather simple, after a trip to my local junk / salvage yard, I couldn't find much, and since I drive a little Civic, just pulling out a car part wasn't really an option. I then asked him if he had any railroad ties, to which he asked if I worked for the government or something. Point is after a good 10-15 minute conversation, I am now in possession of knowledge that is just dumb; Selling railroad iron and ties to a scrap yard is illegal in Louisiana. This just seems odd and silly, but would any of you have any further ideas about possibilities to get one? I really do like the look the look and pretty much everything about the rail-made anvils and would love any input on the topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou L Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Just based on what I’ve seen others post here in the past, the only way to get them legally is to find the shops that are contracted to to the maintenance and recycling for the railroad. You visit them and ask nicely. It has worked for others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Wood soaked in creosote isnt a good choice for a smith to use for anything, especially an anvil it would burn up. Why would you expect a junk yard to have any ? Besides the obvious fact they are RR property, and do not allow others to just steal them willingly, not even the cement ones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjbarth Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Railroad ties are wooden, soaked in creosote, and if they aren't still in use, are most likely falling apart. Pieces of rail which can be used as an improvised anvil may or may not be available in scrap yards, may be available in railroad maintenance yards (if you ask nice), and are definitely available on ebay, CL, etsy, in various sizes (heights/widths) and lengths. Railroad spikes are also available individually or by the pound (in boxes) on ebay, CL, and etsy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 I'm "Guessing" you mean just the railroad "rail", since as others have pointed out that the " ties" are wooden snd you are talking about an anvil. So, why not use just a heavier chunk of steel? I'd be surprised that the scrapyard would have nothing in the lines of that. Something in the lines of 50-200# or even up?(could be smaller even) Of solid steel with atleast one flat part to hammer on. Atleast till you find a chunk of railroad rail ( if you'd still want it.) People mention railroad rail as a makeshift anvil because it's been around and can work. It's not really ideal and there are many other options. So if the rail isnt around, find something else. Take a look through the improvised anvil thread for some ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Definitely look around. Folks here in the USA seem to get stuck on the London Pattern anvil shape; but in reality it's only been around for about 1/10 the time blacksmithing has been going on and in a fairly limited part of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psi Posted August 21, 2018 Author Share Posted August 21, 2018 Yea, I am completely ignorant and thought the "Ties" were the names for single rails and the wood referred to as beams. Sorry about the mixup. Though, I will say from experience that the ties make great starter kindle for camp fires haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 As I generally end up cooking something over a campfire I prefer to skip adding the toxins and use something like fatwood for firestarting. (Former creosote facilities are often superfund sites...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAG Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Mr. Psi, Creosote is potentially carcinogenic. (cancer causing). So other fire starters are a much better choice. A handy material for the purpose are egg cartons. Better yet, egg cartons that have been treated with wax or Vaseline. You can get a lot of the cartons from your partner, restaurants, or bakeries, etc. The carton burns for quite a while and it can shelter itself from the wind when you ignite some part of the interior of said carton. The heat given off is also impressive too. Give it a try. That method is taught in most wilderness survival classes. Also, forget using creosote soaked wood. Life is too short. And lung or liver cancer is a nasty way to die. Welcome to the fraternity, and iron bashing. SLAG. Some good sources are wood shop cut-offs, tree trimming co. etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Welcome aboard Psi, glad to have you. Don't take the joking too personally but it might have been taken seriously by someone reading the forum. At least I'm pretty sure you were joking about using creosoted RR ties as fire starter. If not DON'T DO IT!! You haven't been a member here long enough for me to harvest good straight lines, help you out and poke fun at you enough yet. Go back to the scrap yard and look for steel shafting or thick steel plate. Even round shafting as small as 2" dia. or square makes a fine anvil mounted on end, larger dia., sq. is better but not a must. Steel plate from about 1 1/2" and thicker mounted on edge can make a terrific anvil. Why mount: rail, shaft on end or plate on edge? Because the effectiveness of an anvil depends more on how thick it is directly under the hammer more than how heavy it is. This is it's "depth of rebound." An anvil works by providing inelastic rebound to the work under the hammer. The hammer blow compresses the HOT steel you're working on by pinching it against the anvil. The energy conducted through the work is conducted through the anvil as a shock wave and the thicker the anvil the less energy is lost through flexing. RR rail is getting harder to get legitimately. It seems the rail roads have been signed to single buyer contracts for their scrap so they can't legally sell or give scrap away. It also seems most scrap yards have also signed single buyer contracts and can't let folks buy from the yard. I'd really love to get a rail car axle, almost 10" dia. by about 6' long solid 4140. Now THAT'S an anvil to take sledge hammers to! Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankySmith Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 I used to know a guy who worked at a local plant, the part of the railroad that came up to and on to their yard was technically the plant's, so their maintenance guys were responsible for maintaining it and every once in a while that meant tearing it out and replacing it (they were loading steel coils, the rails take a beating). Anyway, when that work is done, it's a rail and railroad spike freeforall. So you might ask around, anyone you know who works for a local plant. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Out here they are used a lot to make cattleguards (a few places are still free range out here!) So they show up at the scrapyard neatly cut into manageable sections from time to time. I had a smithing friend who used to give me a piece from a cattle guard every time I visited him. (When a smith starts disbursing their cherished scrap pile without a move in the prospects; time to ask their SO about their health!) I've given sections cut from those rails free to new smiths out here in his memory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Many better options than rail out there; large bucket pins, forklift forks, hydraulic breaker points, large shafts, etc.. Look for compact items with some mass to them. The web on rail is the weak point for forging on it. If you do get rail, use it on end. There is a thread on here that covers RR rail anvils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatLiner Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 I would love to find a hydraulic breaker point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Shimanek Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 I am using one for the anvil for my power hammer build, nice tough steel! I found mine at a scrap yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatLiner Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Most metal scrap yards out here won't let the public pick through them :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 One local scrap yard takes in all sorts of rr steel. Copies the drivers license, license plate of the vehicle, and names, and turns it all over to the rail roal police. They store the metal separate from the rest of the scrap so the rr can come in and pick it up. They want no problems with the rail road, at all. Other scrap yards will not touch any rr metal. Will not even weigh in your vehicle if they see any in the mix. Watch for track maintenance and talk to the people working on the track. They can usually tell you where to get a short section of track for use as an anvil. GTTS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Go upstream; find the companies that would scrap such items and talk with their maintenance dept. If you explain what you are wanting it for and offer to pay scrap rate + doughnuts or other boot you might luck out. A lot of this stuff; staring at a screen won't work; you have to get out and hustle. Often talking with folks doing the work and not management helps. Use the magic words---something like: "I'm setting up to do blacksmithing and I need XYZ to use as an anvil and the scrapyards won't sell as they have contracts for all their scrap; could I buy one as scrap from *you*!" You are trying to convey that you DON'T want to do a underhanded deal, you are willing to pay, (amazing how many times I was just given stuff anyway!), you don't want to do anything that could get anyone in trouble with their boss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batesblacksmithshop Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 hammers from a hammer mill, great anvils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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