teenylittlemetalguy Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 I like portable tools to save weight for going to our local meeting. This is a fairly common RR anvil mounted on end, but I have a couple changes. I added a clamp to hold tools since no hardy hole is available and a built in ruler/center punch. The clamp is built like a post vice so accidental strikes don't cause major issues, someday I would like to upgrade it to a heavy arm and use it as a little post vise, but for now it is handy for clamping and twisting. The screw is 7/8" welded to a collar that slides down the anvil to a stop. the tightening nut/handles are short so as to not interfere with something hanging out of the jaws, but I have a short pipe handy that slips over the handles for extra torque if needed. If you remove the pins on the bottom the whole clamp slides up and out of the way if you need. I currently have a hot cut and a plate top with a small pritchel hole for it. Guillotine coming soon. The ruler is etched in to the anvil itself on the bottom of the flange, it is about the most useful tool I have ever made. there is a small hardened and sharpened bolt on the 0" line. place material over punch, measure and one hammer hit will give you a punch mark for layouts. Center punch to anvil edge is 4" even, so not difficult to get longer measurements . I do wish I made a line for 0" though not a deal breaker. I added a swivel handle, water cup and wheels on the back. Tong rack/handles on the sides as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 That's about as nifty a setup I've ever seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted June 22, 2020 Author Share Posted June 22, 2020 Thank you Irondragon! I am mainly just happy I don't have to lift my main anvil into the car for meetings anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 Thanks for posting some pics of your rail anvil Tristan, that's one of the slickest rail anvils I've ever seen. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 There should be no more excuses for having a RR anvil and not having a vise. Great idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 That's an absolutely ingenious solution to your problem, teenylittlemetalguy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted June 23, 2020 Author Share Posted June 23, 2020 thanks guys, very kind of you all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 That is a dandy! If I make a copy I think I will double over the moving jaw top to get a larger contact area for the jaw. (I also thought of coiling and then squaring; but for that sized rig just doubling it should do fine. Seems like I saw a spring just right for one of those at the scrapyard last Saturday... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
671jungle Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 that is very impressive. Slick indeed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted June 23, 2020 Author Share Posted June 23, 2020 3 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: That is a dandy! If I make a copy I think I will double over the moving jaw top to get a larger contact area for the jaw. Thank you! Yeah, it could use more meat on that top jaw. My plan for Version 2 is to use a big 3/4 semi truck leaf spring when I find one. I also think I will beef up the bottom pivot pin to take the additional abuse and be more like a post vise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 I don't know; keeping it small may limit the abuse a bit. Of course since you made it; nothing can be done to it you can't repair! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted June 23, 2020 Author Share Posted June 23, 2020 Lol, yep! Anticipating potential abusers I etched a warning in the clamp jaw to not strike it. But honestly it could take a little. I could just imagine someone with a sledge hammer and a bone to pick with me for making it wrong... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 Not even that; you could have stopped at "someone with a sledgehammer" I had my favorite hot chisel that was designed to be held with a special pair of tongs. One class a pair of students were hot cutting some steel using a heavy hammer and missed the chisel and hit the tongs breaking them at the pivot on one side. I told them not to use so large a hammer if they could not be accurate with it. (Less damage...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
671jungle Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 Did the welding of the rail give you any issues? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted June 26, 2020 Author Share Posted June 26, 2020 7 hours ago, 671jungle said: Did the welding of the rail give you any issues? I think it's going to be ok. It welded easy enough, no cracking anywhere. I used 7018 rod. I had a drop left over and found that I had to water quench it to get it hard, so I think the heat effected zone won't be terribly hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 Glad to see folks talking about your rail anvil Tristan. Rail prefers to be welded with a little preheat and slow cool but it's not too fussy. When are you going to show them your hold fast? I finally remembered to unload mine from the RV and tried it both anvils, the angle of the contact sleeve isn't critical, I used the same one on both. Anyway, I never noticed how long the slot is, it adjusts from face to a good 1/2" without touching the nut and can grip hard enough I can't throw the cam all the way. Wait'll you guys see this one! When are you going to get started on my flying car, Tristan? Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Interesting, I had always thought about putting a vice on the other end, against the flange. Nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted June 27, 2020 Author Share Posted June 27, 2020 3 hours ago, Frosty said: When are you going to get started on my flying car, Tristan? Frosty The Lucky. That would be amazing. Thanks for the kind words Frosty, it's been a fairly productive spring/ summer so far! I will post on the hold down soon. So glad it's working out well for you! 13 minutes ago, Charles R. Stevens said: Interesting, I had always thought about putting a vice on the other end, against the flange. Nice. Thanks Charles, lovely to hear from you on it. I was thinking of the flange as well till it struck me I could make it slide out if the way on the rail top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 Flying Car? Nothing to it if you build the trebuchet large enough... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 NO, Thomas, I want to FLY a car, not FLING one. . . . Well actually, I'd LOVE to fling cars and I can think of some good targets. Flinging them after crushing would really improve the ballistics. Hmmmm. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 Flinging or flying both sounds like fun. Can we light it on fire first? 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 I thought that was required for night shots! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 Well Y E A H !! Doesn't trebouchet mean flame thrower? Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BartW Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 That is a cool anvil setup. Congrats. very ingenious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted July 1, 2020 Author Share Posted July 1, 2020 Thank you BartW! After using it a while I like it even more. Think I am going to keep adding little features to it as I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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