Rail Anvil

[rusty]

American Blacksmith, April, 1916 has this kewl anvil made from rail, in a form I never thought of..

[Papaw]

Easy enough to fab up, but would be heavy! It would stay put, though.

[keykeeper]

Only problem with the design is being able to stand properly next to the anvil, so there is proper form for hammering. The cross supports between legs would hamper being able to do that without stooping to use it.

I like the idea of a long surface, though. A person could grind different radiused sections, allowing for fullering, or drawing out of the stock being worked. Weld on an old 1" socket, upside down for a hardy hole for various tools such as home-made swages, bending jigs, hot cut, etc.

Kind of like a Brazeal type anvil-all you need within easy reach, just move up and down the anvil.

[Branson]

American Blacksmith, April, 1916 has this kewl anvil made from rail, in a form I never thought of..

Never thought of this permanent form, but I have seen a Civil War photograph showing a length of rail laid across two saw horses.  I 'spect such field expedient anvils were not uncommon.

[fliffy42]

Here is a similar idea that I have been meaning to make a version of but havent gotten around to yet. It is out of an old book I picked up at a yard sale earlier this summer called... Shopwork on the Farm by MM Jones 1945 (This book was produced in full compliance with the governments regulations fo the conserving papaer and essential materials). All sorts of good info in here..metal work, ropes, woodwork, painting (how to make your own white wash) hand tools, harness work etc....

[Stoney]

Cool !!!!!!

[john k]

An anvil like that could come in handy, but am thinking a second one, maybe shorter, 12-15 inches long, upside down, with the flat bottom of the rail available for flattening and straightening, cause the top of a rail is anything but flat.  Look around too, there are several weights of rail, from railyard to mainline, switching yards.   

[Branson]

I have a 15" section of rail -- I just put it on one of the rail plates that was also abandoned by the side of the rail road.  When I'm not using it (most of the time) I lift them both off the bench -- they don't move with light work.

[Branson]

Here is a similar idea that I have been meaning to make a version of but havent gotten around to yet. It is out of an old book I picked up at a yard sale earlier this summer called... Shopwork on the Farm by MM Jones 1945 (This book was produced in full compliance with the governments regulations fo the conserving papaer and essential materials). All sorts of good info in here..metal work, ropes, woodwork, painting (how to make your own white wash) hand tools, harness work etc....

Oooh!  I'd like to find a copy of that book!  And the illustration is terrific!  Thanks, Fliffy.

[anglesmith]

Branson
I have both the 45 and 55 (2nd ed) rail anvil is in both. 2nd ed has 140 more pages, both are classics and both of mine are ex college/high  school. You will find they are readily available secondhand (alibris for one) in US for as little as $6.00 +pp.
Graeme

[Aunt Phil]

Made up an 8 foot anvil from rail back in the 80s for straightening the needles of an industrial bailer.  Beat quite a few needles back with a 10# hammer until somebody in management decided the Manual Override button needed to be inoperative. 

[BruceS]

Word of WARNING   I have a 5' piece of RR track ( very old and super rusty) that I tried to Scrap.     The kid at the yard said  " I don't see that !!  and you better hide it.   It's a Federal offense to have it with out the proper paper work and bill of sale ! "    I checked it out !  He was right.     Even if a line was abandoned the RR still owns the rails,  Plates and spikes . 

[Papaw]

Branson, Amazon has that book available- http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_8?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=shopwork+on+the+farm&sprefix=shopwork

[Branson]

Branson, Amazon has that book available- http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_8?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=shopwork+on+the+farm&sprefix=shopwork

Thanks!

[johnsironsanctuary]

There is one in a very old sheet metal shop on the south side off Milwaukee that I saw many years ago. I think it was a heavy, like 1/2" thick, I Beam. They cut a long slot in the floor.  I'll guess it was 20 feet.  There was a large wooden beam in the basement to support it with 3 or 4 posts holding the wood beam up.  It was dead flush with the wood floor and they used it to hammer sheet metal seams flat on duct work. A bottom side up rail would have worked just as well.