RR rail for anvil ok?

[Joe Hartwick]

I had a piece of old RR rail laying around that I had cut into a 14" long piece & had mounting holes drilled in it. I was planning to use it as an anvil. I ain't a blacksmith, so no hot steel requiring a lot of hammering, but it should work a lot better in my shop than beating the crap out of my work bench top when I need to persuade a piec of metal to change shape. Any thing wrong with this? Is the rail gonna chip on me?

[KeithW]

Works great. I have an article in one of my old magazines about carving a piece into one.

keithw

[MCanady]

My Father used one for many years and I have another at home I use sometimes. Merton

[Harry]

I still have the one that my dad used. I remember cracking walnuts on it at a young age.

[Alan New]

Have an anvil and a railroad rail. Both work great. I use the railroad iron to take to "remote" places. Much easier to carry around than the anvil.

[vern0n]

They work great, just make sure there is no train comming when you use it. That could ruin your day.

[KidDynamo]

My Dad has used the same short of rail for over 60 years- no chips.

I have aquired a number of train rail anvils at estate sales that were laboriously shaped into incredible tools and also a few that were a bit crude. I gave the best one to my brother-in-law. It even has a hardie hole and a pritchell hole.

Before I had any of these, I just used an 8" long piece of rail with one side skimmed of at an angle. Works great! In fact, I still use this one at the bench unless I feel like stepping up and out to my real anvil.

[Joe Hartwick]

Thanks Guys!

[David Hughes]

Just a note on using RR track, the blacksmith forum (anvilfire.com) usually says the steel is OK in RR track but there is not enough "meat" in it to make a good anvil (i.e., mass under the working face), and the high quality steel makes it "ring", often painfully. They will bury RR track vertically in order to get enough "meat" under it. They feel broken forklift tines are better for a found anvil.

Having said that, I have a piece of RR track I use as a small anvil. Advantage is being portable. My main anvil is a 100# Wilkinson and a 200# Peter Wright.

David Hughes

[Elden DuRand]

Guys:

While cleaning up in the storage area of a neighbor's house, I found a 16" piece of rail buried in the sand. It was really rusty but a little electrolysys (one end at a time) cleaned it up.

I used my trusty (free) power bandsaw to cut it in two and make a point on it. Since it was pretty badly pitted, I had a friend set it in his mill and he finished the top and one side square. Only thing is that he buggered-up a HSS mill when he hit a hard spot in the metal.

It does ring a bit and, although I haven't as yet really wailed on it, I think it'll do fine for my purposes.

Here are a couple of photos.

Take care - Elden

[Andy Williams]

My father said that is what they used when he was growing up as said it is portable. a fwe years ago my aunt dug up one in her yard and has it in a flower bed it looks just like yours.

[PTSideshow]

If You are looking for a section look for mainline rail, the heavy weight stuff. Larger web section and thicker top section. Rather than light rail 70,80 90 pound stuff that was used on sidings and industrial spurs. I telling you to be picky if you are paying for it.
As the main line rail was a better quality steel. While the other was lesser quality. And when the companies that need a siding payed for it to be put in it was generally a lower quality(cheaper). Thats were the chipping part always comes up.
If you do light work or small stuff or jewelry a foot long section can't be beat
Another good piece of iron for a small anvil or stake is the old style front truck I beam axles. As they were made from great steel.
Any large piece of steel will work for an anvil whether you work hot or not.
I was told by an old timer that the BS about only anvil iron will work for an anvil was slogged about by anvil salesman and become Rural/urban legend truth.
happy pounding
glen

[Jeff02]

This what I did in Welding Class.
I also Tempered the Top.

[Joe Brincat]

Very nice work and a handy tool to boot. Just need a hardy hole and pritchert hole and would be 100% complete

Joe B

[Craig A]

Nice work Jeff!

That long horn is the hallmark of a STEEL anvil.

[Ice Czar]

Originally Posted by David Hughes

usually says the steel is OK in RR track but there is not enough "meat" in it to make a good anvil

http://www.anvilfire.com/FAQs/RR-rail_anvils.htm

[brucegodlesky]

That'll work in a pinch

[Cal Blacksmith]

I agree with the post linking to Anvilfire.com

There is NO mass under an "anvil" made like the one pictured a few posts up. Lots of work for little return. The thin web adds to the problem by allowing the top to flex and spring... even further reducing your return from the hammer blow.

RR rail is, as was linked to in the post above, best used on end as you can get some real return on your blow that way.

I know that is not what you want to hear after all that work, sorry, but that is the truth.

[PTSideshow]

Contrary top all the no meat under the BLAH,blah etc. Since you did say what you are planning on using for. Or jewelery work yes they will work fine. You can always put some rubber sheet under it or card board or some carpet layers works also. Or just wrap some chain around it and bolt the ends together. If the ringing is a bother

Since you are hot forging heavy section of steel or working it 8 hours a day. Of course it won't make a good anvil! So for general shop use,like the anvils on the back of vises. Enjoy it and use it. You don't need to buy an over priced hunk of antique iron or the new pieces unless you are using it hard and heavy.

[Cal Blacksmith]

I never said he had to buy an antique over priced item.
In fact, for 99% of what someone is going to do NOT in a shop environment, just go to a salvage steel yard, recycle center (that sells) or in the last and most expensive case, the retail steel yard and buy a 50 to 100# block of mild steel, say 3 inches thick and of whatever other dimensions needed or are available. Yes I said mild steel, no heat treating or hardness needed. If you simply buy this block of steel, you will have a better anvil than has been used through out the centuries up until the last 150 years or so.

It will have mass to support your hammering efforts, won't ring or spring like a RR wanna be anvil, won't be any where NEAR the effort to make and you can actually do something productive on it.

Sorry if you don't like to hear it but RR track does NOT make a good anvil and is just a waste of cutting gas and grinder discs to make.