Railroad Iron Anvil...A Start At Least

[bedwards]

I didn't flatten (machine) mine when I made it. I have used it as is. Do you think machining it will cut through to the softer metal underneath? I'd love to flatten the top of mine.


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[Tenn]

Whyemier I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one to mill a railroad rail for an anvil and I have to give my hearty agreement !! Sheesh !! They're tough !!!! "jawdrop:

 

[ScrapMetal]

Neat posts. Now I know that there are others besides myself that have "rails" around for anvils. I can only assume that my grandfather got them back in the '20s when he worked for the railroad for a time. I have been using them almost my entire life and hadn't really given them much thought 'til now.

-Ron

 

[bedwards]

So, I need carbide tooling to do this and probably expect to dull it when I do?



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[Tenn]

So, I need carbide tooling to do this and probably expect to dull it when I do?



be

hew: That... is an understatement !! But they do turn out pretty with a bit of patience. :high5:

 

[bedwards]

I have a Griz G1005z made in Taiwan. Its probably very similar to yours. It looks like it only goes down to 110 rpm. I have a Sheldon Model O horizontal that might do better with some Carbide tooling. What speed would you run it? It has a VFD on it so I can pretty much set the speed where I want.


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[Video_man]

@whyemer, clever use of the indexed tool bits....I have a fly cutter that will fit those, just wondering --- how well do those inserts hold up to an interrupted cut? I've been using M2 steel but I like the idea...

 

[Video_man]

Thanks for the info, looks like another trip to Harbor Freight...!:biggrin:

 

[churchjw]

I love seeing a track anvil in a shop. My very first real tool was one. I was about 12 when I dragged my dad down to a local scrap yard to find one. All I could find were these long lengths of track. I asked this guy working there if he could cut one. He handed me a propane oxy cutting torch and said I could have what ever I cut off. Can you imagine someone now handing a 12 year old a torch most scrap yards wont even let you walk around. Well it took me about an hour to finally cut the track but of course I had no idea of how heavy it was so I cut about 6 feet off. I couldn't even pick one end up :biggrin: So another almost hour I cut about 2 feet off then managed to drag it to the van. hew: I think everyone at the yard was watching by that point. But I got it. :biggrin: Used it to do a lot of blacksmithing over the years. My parents moved 3 times since I left for college and I had assumed my old anvil was long gone. Then about 4 years ago my wife and I were at my parents for I think Thanksgiving and we were talking about me doing crazy stuff as a kid. The anvil story came up and after everyone got a good laugh my mom asked if I still wanted my old anvil. We went outside and there in the garden was my anvil a little rusty but still there. Its now in my shop and maybe its time to surface it and mill out those bad torch cut marks.

Your post brought up a lot of great memories thanks.

Jeff

 

[irishwoodsman]

did you guys know its illegal to have a piece of railroad track in the united states:lmao: this law went into effect when the last spike went in the continental railroad and it is still on the books:lmao: