RR Track Anvil

[Horsemint]

I needed a sturdy surface for doing rivets and such, and ended up with a free piece of railroad track. I abused my body shop employee privileges to get it fixed up.

As I got it:

After getting the tetanus ground off and being exfoliated in the blasting cabinet:

I had it painted and cleared with flakes, then the working surfaced polished again:

It is one sparkly sucker-- the pictures don't quite do it justice. I love the thing and am thrilled to have it taking up real estate on my tiny workbench.

(Don't look too close at the sheath, it was a quick and dirty excuse to play with the anvil.)

[YinTx]

sweeeet.  I bet that rough texture on the anvil really sets of the flake, allowing it to sparkle in all kinds of directions!

YinTx

[CowboyBob]

Looks so nice I'll bet you won't want to use it? (Might scratch it)

[Horsemint]

11 minutes ago, YinTx said:

sweeeet.  I bet that rough texture on the anvil really sets of the flake, allowing it to sparkle in all kinds of directions!

YinTx

Sometimes when it's dark in the room except for the one lamp, I can see it shining in the corner as I walk past. I wish more sun came through that window! Lol

10 minutes ago, CowboyBob said:

Looks so nice I'll bet you won't want to use it? (Might scratch it)

I made a point of not working all the imperfections out. It's got some drips and some huge pits in the metal (the thing has got to be 100 years old). I expect it to get some new scars over getting tools thrown on it. It's got that well-worn/loved look about it already 

Thanks!

[alpha2]

That's some shop bling! If I had a nickle for every time I said, "If I only had a candy-apple red metalflake anvil, I could really turn out the classy work!" 

Here's my sorry a$$ plain ol' rail. It's actually smaller than a standard rail. Makes it nice for my small shop. I think it needs more cowbell.

[motocouture]

Awesome! Love seeing old things given life again. Might have to try that candy red flake on my next Harley 

[JD62]

Cow bell   !!!!

[Horsemint]

19 hours ago, alpha2 said:

That's some shop bling! If I had a nickle for every time I said, "If I only had a candy-apple red metalflake anvil, I could really turn out the classy work!" 

Here's my sorry a$$ plain ol' rail. It's actually smaller than a standard rail. Makes it nice for my small shop. I think it needs more cowbell.

I think it's great. You can't ever have too much cowbell though!

[JRLeather2]

Great minds and all.....

[alpha2]

Ooh! Good idea! I'm going to put some leather on the bottom of mine. Just because I haven't screwed something yet doesn't mean I won't! 

[Wedgetail]

I feel like i am driving past this post with my windows down, wolf whistling and shouting "show us ya tracks!"

... i feel so dirty... But so right.

[RockyAussie]

You guys always embarrass me with your clean looking stuff but I am gonna say mine gets into tighter spots ...if you can see the point Ha ha

[alpha2]

I could have used that yesterday. Nice point.

[HaloJones]

I am currently working on a new train station, every time I go on site I am nowlooking for rail off cuts  

[JerseyFirefighter]

I need an anvil with an elongated horn in the worst way. Never thought about cutting down a longer section of track to make it happen. 

[Horsemint]

6 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

You guys always embarrass me with your clean looking stuff but I am gonna say mine gets into tighter spots ...if you can see the point Ha ha

Looks like some work went into that! Thanks for sharing ya'lls specimens...

 

I have mine sitting on a piece of 1/2" rubber mat to mute it somewhat. There's actually some foam mat between the floor and the workbench too-- It's on a second story with hard floors and tends to sound like I'm demolishing the apartment when I'm working. Or it did, using the anvil for punching instead of the bench top really cuts the noise down, besides making quicker work of it.

[Wedgetail]

Yeah, I'm pretty cheap and just use a garden paver that cost me $2 from the hardware store... it's heavy, makes punching easier, and reduces noise too. But you do need a nice scrap of leather between your work piece and the paver, or it'll scuff up badly.

For my pointed anvil, well... this is it:

 

[Breorius]

"You must always work on what you have" is what my grandfather used to say. Lethercraft is not my only hobby;) 

 

thats my bigest one... got about 10 diferent horn size to that A german anvil. Takes a lot of space in the workshop but its steady as hell;)

pic was made when i just got it - almost went for scrap metal :/ and took a tour with it for couple of blocks to my working place... peoples face - priceless

[YinTx]

3 hours ago, Breorius said:

thats my bigest one

Definitely a piece to be proud of.  And to have rescued it from the scrap heap, unbelievable.  Have you been able to determine the maker and the age? I don't know anvils, but that looks like a 400# at least!

YinTx

[Jake907]

@RockyAussie do you know how the square hardy hole was made in that anvil?

[RockyAussie]

1 hour ago, Jake907 said:

@RockyAussie do you know how the square hardy hole was made in that anvil?

Now you got me thinking hard...I have done them but I don't remember doing it to this. I can remember doing the tip shape as it has been refined many times over many years but the back spike I hardly ever have a use for it. I may have drilled it and filed it out or an old friend Jack may have cut it out on this chisel type machine that shaves little slices off a bit at a time. It may have even been there already when I got it.

[Breorius]

13 hours ago, YinTx said:

Definitely a piece to be proud of.  And to have rescued it from the scrap heap, unbelievable.  Have you been able to determine the maker and the age? I don't know anvils, but that looks like a 400# at least!

YinTx

Well I couldnt see no makers mark anywhere - not on the side and well you can see hows the bottom looking. About the weight - never had it on a proper scale ; but all friends that tryed to move it have a similar opinion thats something frome 180 to 200 kg. so you have a good eye

[Nuttish]

13 hours ago, Jake907 said:

@RockyAussie do you know how the square hardy hole was made in that anvil?

A square hole that deep would be drilled and broached.

[Nuttish]

Great minds think alike, eh.

From a section of old rail that was so work hardened from use it ate a horizontal bandsaw blade before I could correct things. Roughed the top flat on a vertical mill because I use it for whacking more things than rivets.

[Jake907]

52 minutes ago, Nuttish said:

A square hole that deep would be drilled and broached.

 

12 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

Now you got me thinking hard...I have done them but I don't remember doing it to this. I can remember doing the tip shape as it has been refined many times over many years but the back spike I hardly ever have a use for it. I may have drilled it and filed it out or an old friend Jack may have cut it out on this chisel type machine that shaves little slices off a bit at a time. It may have even been there already when I got it.

I'm pretty good on a metal lathe and familiar with most types of metal working, and since I'm working on a design for an anvil I asked a friend of mine who is a machinist and gunsmith about broaching a hardy hole like this, he told me that while it can be done, the time and experience it would take to broach a hole like this in 1 1/2" railroad steel, would be astronomical.

So I've changed my design to just feature a round hardy hole, since the intended purpose of this anvil is not blacksmithing, I'm just gonna be setting snaps and such on it, a round hole will work just fine for me. But I was curious anyway. Thanks guys.

I believe that chisel machine you're talking about Rocky is called a shaper, and that would make sense, I bet it would make short work of a square hole. 

P.S @Nuttish do you think I could rough it with a drill bit, then use a small diameter end mill bit, and cut out rounded "corners"? (I have a  very nice Smithy 3 in 1 here at the house)