railroad rail anvil

[steaks&anvils]

I found a 4 ft piece this summer while out canoeing... going to make an anvil or two and some book ends.

I have an image of you wrangling it into the canoe... Like a greased alligator kind of image.

I bet dropping that into the bottom of a canoe could sure make a good sized hole...

 

[macgee]

I found a 4 ft piece this summer while out canoeing... going to make an anvil or two and some book ends.

steaks&anvils beat me to it.

I was going to ask you if someone was using it as an anchor when you found it

 

[16again]

Thank you gentlemen!

I haven't heard back - no idea if he's still operating, but will definitely ask about the things mentioned.

Should you hear back would you message me? I would love to order a length if possible.
Thanks
Bob

 

[M635_Guy]

Should you hear back would you message me? I would love to order a length if possible.
Thanks
Bob

Definitely will do. There is a number on his page, so I'll just call that and will report back.

 

[slowtwitch73]

I have an image of you wrangling it into the canoe... Like a greased alligator kind of image.

I bet dropping that into the bottom of a canoe could sure make a good sized hole...

Lol, yeah it was a bit touch and go. Had to get it off a steep loose bank and canoe was ******* in a swift channel with a steep drop into water. And of course I had to grab a big old rusty length of double edged bandsaw blade as well.

 

[16again]

Definitely will do. There is a number on his page, so I'll just call that and will report back.

Thank you

 

[ZRX61]

This one is for sale near me. I've been watching it for a week just because it is so unique.

Saw one like that years ago about 3ft long with half of it being the horn. The guy had machined the horn as a round spike like the doodad jewellers use to stretch rings.

 

[Ilikeike]

I have about 12 or more feet of heavy gauge rail we use to to tie behind the tractor and drag dirt roads with 20+ years ago.

Being right next to a main BNSF line, they always leave stuff on our property that gets missed when the clean up after a track refurb. Ties, spikes, plate...
I need to go look at it.

Are they marked every few feet with the foundry they're from ?

 

[BTJHP]

This thread reminds me I need to haul off some of the 3 ft long sections I have and scrap them. My back isn't looking forward to it.

 

[steaks&anvils]

This thread reminds me I need to haul off some of the 3 ft long sections I have and scrap them. My back isn't looking forward to it.

I heard that some scrap yards won't take RR rail.

List those on CL and someone will pay you and come get them!

 

[JimH74]

I bought a 12" piece of rail from Bradley Dixon about two years ago. At the time he told me what I bought was the widest, flattest top that he had. He told me where the rail came from, but it slips my mind at the moment. Real pleased with what I received. Actually surprised by how often I use it.

 

[ZRX61]

Was reading through the thread & noticed the pics of mine are AWOL. So here's the before & after again:

 

[BTJHP]

I heard that some scrap yards won't take RR rail.

List those on CL and someone will pay you and come get them!

We'll see. Sometimes you get the guy on CL telling you they'll take it off your hands for free if you're willing to deliver it to their house 70 miles away.

 

[ZRX61]

 

[macgee]

Here's mine that was acquired recently with a bunch of other stuff, nothing too special. I cleaned it up and honed flat on a surface plate to get the top nice and very flat. It's only 12" x 2".

It took forever to hone, definitely not soft metal and I bet the person who tried to mill the top went through several end mills.

 

[steaks&anvils]

Here's mine that was acquired recently with a bunch of other stuff, nothing too special. I cleaned it up and honed flat on a surface plate to get the top nice and very flat. It's only 12" x 2".

It took forever to hone, definitely not soft metal and I bet the person who tried to mill the top went through several end mills.

Nice! good job cleaning that up.

I have been working on a small 4in piece of RR track. Every RR track ASO always has a big dent right in the middle of the work surface. People assume they can wail on these things. I've just been using a file. I'll just file for a awhile then come back to it in a few days. Other than that dent, this one was pretty clean.

I have 3 small ones all with varying degrees of abuse. Only one has been milled. I buy them anytime I see one.

 

[ZRX61]

It took forever to hone, definitely not soft metal and I bet the person who tried to mill the top went through several end mills.

Surface grinder is the way to go.

 

[macgee]

Excellent vid., thanks for sharing. He did a very nice job and has a very good hand at shaping. That railroad section looks like a nice useful size. Also, I'm very envious of his Deckel mill.

EDIT: The ones you posted above are also very nice.

Surface grinder is the way to go.

Totally correct about that but unfortunately I don't have one and have to resort to other methods. A surface grinder would be so nice for a lot of my projects. Not sure if this particular rr anvil is worth spending a lot of time and effort on. RR anvils are not really used or great for blacksmithing and its just banging rivets and cold shaping things.

Nice! good job cleaning that up.

Thanks Steaks and nice collection.

These railroads anvils can be useful, easy to stash away and grab it when needed. Not sure if I would prefer a proper small 10-15lb anvil but good forged ones in that size are hard to find. Most are cast iron cheapies

 

[steaks&anvils]

Thanks Steaks and nice collection.

These railroads anvils can be useful, easy to stash away and grab it when needed. Not sure if I would prefer a proper small 10-15lb anvil but good forged ones in that size are hard to find. Most are cast iron cheapies

Thanks, more like an accumulation than a collection!

Yeah, these little ones are good for a quick solid surface. To knock out a bolt or straighten something. They are kind of rough, but at $2 and $5 I won't complain.

I want the one that is just rail to use on the bench for "better than ****, but not fine work". I have a few very nicely finished bench blocks (6x6 & 4x4) I use when I don't want to mar what I'm working on. I also have nice 20x12x1 piece of finished steel to flatten stuff on.

I also have a really nice 35lb Lewis Carroll anvil for fine work. Very stable and nicely finished horn and table.

 

[steaks&anvils]

Nice video. Sure helps to have the right tools!

I think he took too much off the back foot. If he hammers too hard using a hardy there, he might cause the anvil to tip over.

I have a small one that they took too much off and it tips. I'm thinking I will attach it to a board to stop that and still allow it to be portable.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Used rail is work hardened... basically why it needs to be replaced every so often.

Real blacksmiths poo poo rail anvils, but they are fine for banging on for home shop guys.

 

[steaks&anvils]

I picked it up at an estate sale for $8
Was this some kind of demonstration model or shop class exercise to show welding? Is this the result of thermite welding?

Hey Shiftless,

I took this picture today at the local light rail station. I think your weld is a Friday afternoon example.

That or it was so bad they had to cut it out of the track to do it properly.

 

[16again]

I bought a 12" piece of rail from Bradley Dixon about two years ago. At the time he told me what I bought was the widest, flattest top that he had. He told me where the rail came from, but it slips my mind at the moment. Real pleased with what I received. Actually surprised by how often I use it.

Hope he’s still got some he wants to sell.

 

[Old Steamer]

Used rail is work hardened... basically why it needs to be replaced every so often.

Real blacksmiths poo poo rail anvils, but they are fine for banging on for home shop guys.

And much cheaper. That's why I have a piece of rail to bang on and not an anvil.

 

[mcmlvif100]

Really want one but don't yet have a railroad anvil. One of the neighbors has one that his father made. A tool and die maker, he did a nice job.

Saw this CL ad. Price is good but Chicago is too far from me.

https://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/tls/d/woodstock-anvil-homemade/7271549513.html

Anvil - homemade - $15 (Woodstock)

Made from old railroad tie. Weighs about 30#. 20" long

 

[Outlawmws]

MCM, see if you can get a pic of your neighbors.

 

[snakeeyes]

Really want one but don't yet have a railroad anvil. One of the neighbors has one that his father made. A tool and die maker, he did a nice job.

Saw this CL ad. Price is good but Chicago is too far from me.

https://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/tls/d/woodstock-anvil-homemade/7271549513.html

Anvil - homemade - $15 (Woodstock)

Made from old railroad tie. Weighs about 30#. 20" long

That has got to be a really light rail profile. 30# at 20" is going to be really skinny profile since weight of rail is by the yard.

If you guys are looking at rail for anvils, think about boat yards and any place that has cranes. Crane rail is typically heavy duty and most have a larger head. We use 175# at work and it is a nice short, but wide rail that would be great for an anvil.

 

[M635_Guy]

Hope he’s still got some he wants to sell.

I talked to him the other day. He's currently on hiatus. Not sure of the situation, but

 

[WMichelsen]

For anyone around the San Francisco Peninsula, Allan Steel sells rail chunks for about $20/foot. At least, that was last week. Steel prices seem to be surging.

 

[16again]

I talked to him the other day. He's currently on hiatus. Not sure of the situation, but

Thanks for the update.

 

[PSCo1867]

I work at a rail mill. I see scrap pieces in my future....

 

[LuckeyLoser]

Pictures of the two rail anvils I made last year.

 

[Outlawmws]

As I said in the other thread, Very Nice!

 

[steaks&anvils]

Pictures of the two rail anvils I made last year.

Thanks for posting here.

Again, beautiful, great work.

FYI, FWIW, the small step just before the horn, on an anvil, if for horse shoes. Since a RR anvil is smaller, it is not really needed. I see them cut into small RR anvils and all they end up doing is limiting face area on an already small surface.

 

[harley jim]

S&A
I'll start posting here, maybe a mod could combine the two threads, sheep need hurding.

I was given this a few days ago, I'm not sure what shape it will take on yet, I need to look around a bit and listen a while first.

Bad pic, it says 1979. 1111-1111

7" high x 20" long

I have a standard anvil I would like to make something that would complement it.

 

[harley jim]

I have this one also, I cant remember where it came from.

It's only 14" long

 

[steaks&anvils]

S&A
I'll start posting here, maybe a mod could combine the two threads, sheep need hurding.

I was given this a few days ago, I'm not sure what shape it will take on yet, I need to look around a bit and listen a while first.

I suppose, this larger piece would do best somewhere you don't have to move it much. These things are truly dead weight.

The smaller one (14in) looks like it is finished more on the working face? Maybe you can use one for general beating on and one for more finished, refined work?

I have a few small RR anvils, they all have some kind of big dent in the face where the previous owner whomped on something and left a bad mark. I have been spending time cleaning up the face on one specific one (with a file), when done, it will only be used for fine work (copper/silver etc) that I don't want to have a mark transfer to my finished project. The others will be used for rough work, i.e. hammer out a stud or bolt, flatten a steel washer etc.

Since I have a few, the "fine finished" one goes on the jewelry bench, one on the basement workbench and one out in the garage.

FYI, I also have a very nice, bought new Cliff Carroll anvil, very heavy and the clean horn is great to bend bracelets over. I have many bench blocks and also a 20x12x3/4in nicely finished piece of steel. For me, I like having many choices for differing uses.

I may be an addict...

 

[redwrench60]

Look at all these anvils…

 

[harley jim]

I must be an addict also, I like lots of options. I do a lot of fabricating so I need lots of shapes to accomplish that. My plan is to build a pavillion styled roof on the back of the shop for the beating apparatus and blast cabinet to live in, under, that way they wont need to ever be moved.

 

[harley jim]

Redwrench60,
We need to get together and cut some anvils.
Where in east Tn are you.
I'm in Cleveland