IrregularReno Posted June 11, 2021 Share Posted June 11, 2021 Good evening folks, over the past month I've been working on making me a new anvil. It is a piece of railroad track that I cut in 2, cut part of the wide base off, and welded side-to-side. Of course, everything was heavily beveled for good penetration and it seems very solid. However, with it still being railroad track, I have a hollow spot in the middle. It's about 2in wide, 4in tall, and a little over 8in long, therefore it would be very difficult to fill with any kind of metal at least for me. I will also be drilling a 5/8in hole near one end for a hardy/pritchel, pretty much so I don't have to switch to my other anvil if I'm punching or drifting a hole and straightening coil spring. My question is, if I filled it with sand, would it negatively affect the anvil at all? I understand that the more mass an anvil has, the better, but I was unsure if it might take away the little rebound that the anvil has. Pic included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purple Bullet Posted June 11, 2021 Share Posted June 11, 2021 Nice work. Sand shouldn't hurt the rebound any. If you want rebound you may need to harden the face. The rails can be heat treated but I don't know what the weld filler is. Way long ago I used some hard surface rods to repair the face of an anvil that I still use but the last time I priced hard surface rods I went into sticker shock. Another possibility for a softer section is something called "Cherry Red". If you go that route, be sure to read and follow the directions. It can make a thin layer hardenable. Of course the other thing you might do with the soft section is leave it soft. Its good to have a soft area for chiseling into. I doubt that right down the middle of the anvil is where you'd want it, though. Still, I wouldn't obsess over it. The nice thing about anvils made of junk is that you don't mind grinding on them to dress them as needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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