stand for rail anvil

[pnut]

I have nearly a yard of 136# rail and have been pondering how to make a stand for it. Since the shape is so irregular I was thinking about standing it in a garbage can and filling it with sand. I've looked through the improvised anvil thread and didn't see anyone else doing this. It seems like the easiest solution, but maybe there's a reason I haven't seen anyone else doing it. Any thoughts?

          Thanks,

                    Pnut (Mike)      

[Charles R. Stevens]

Well, “about a yard” could be 30” to 42” in my mind. How long is it and what is your “anvil height”? 

“L” shaped stumps work well if it’s under anvil height, if it’s over cut it to no more than anvil height. If it is right at anvil height then standing it on end spiked to the side of a block works well. 

Not to say a can full of sand won’t work. 

One could even go with a tripod using the rail as one leg, or even weld it to a large plate  lots of ways to skin this cat. 

[pnut]

 The rail is thirty inches.  I need an anvil height of thirty one point five inches. I'm short on tools and thought a can of sand stood on top of one point five inch paver would do the trick. I figured someone tried it before because it seems pretty simple. Almost too simple. That's why I asked.

[pnut]

On second thought  I think the paving stone would work better inside the can with the rail on top of it then filled with sand or dirt  

[Glenn]

Think about a piece of 2x6 or 2x8 instead of the paving stone. I would be concern that the repeated impact against rail transferred to the paving stone would cause it to crack. 

Use a piece of garden hose split the long way and lashed around the top edge of the trash can. Otherwise it could be a pinch pint.  

[pnut]

Glenn, I had been worried about the paver cracking and just liberated 8 or 10 pieces of 2x4 between 3 and 10 inches long to line the bottom of the can. I can fine tune the height of the anvil easily enough as the can will be sitting outside on the dirt. 

    Thanks for the advice I'll be posting pics of my jabod and anvil soon as the weather dries up for a couple days.  it's too wet to fill the box right now. The ground is pretty soupy due to how wet it's  been the last month or so.

   Take care,

                  Pnut (Mike)

[Glenn]

Using something between the bottom of the can and the dirt will keep the moisture from the can and rust starting.  Paint would help but only when used with something else.  Think conveyor belt or a horse stall pad.