Anybody here use a railroad-track anvil?

Daniel Koster

Daniel Koster

www.kosterknives.com
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 18, 2001
Messages
20,978
I'm headed out to pick a piece of track up.

Which route should I go? (what do you recommend)


Harden the top surface? (need to build a large temp forge/pit for this first, etc.)

Or weld a piece of hardened steel to it? (easier but perhaps uglier)




Either way, I plan on doing all my cutting/shaping first....save that for last.

Got any other tips?


Thanks,

Dan
 
I've got a few used peices of track (no comments on where I got it :eek: ;) ) and the top is pretty damn hard from the get go. I haven't done alot with them yet cause I haven't found a real good way to secure them. I need to weld some eyelets on the bottom so I can make em stay put. We've had em for years and done a fair amount of pounding on em and they haven't really dished or dinged too bad. I don't think you need to worry too much about it :confused:
 
Dan I use two to bang on but not as a forge anvil but I don't see why not..
it may be work hardened anyway if it's used take a file to it..
 
It has a pretty "tingey" ring to it.....high pitch.

I'm sure it's quite hard. Just don't want to be deaf at the end of the day.


Does the "hang a chain & weight on the end" trick work for these too?


I do plan on just "trying it out"....mostly cause I'm lazy!



Just wanted to hear from anybody else using them...
 
They hold up to the pounding of a railroad engine , why wouldn't they hold up to your miniscule pounding ??
 
For lack of a better anvil, I borrowed one from a friend and have been using it for a lot of things for months now and it is helding up surprisingly well. This one was just cut off from the alrger piece of track ina an anvil profile and had its horn rounded and a hole drilled in the table.
My only complaint is that it tends to bounce a bit and get itself loose from its post easily, but this can be corrected, too, using a stronger means of attachment.
 
How difficult will it be to drill-n-file a 1" hardie hole in it?
 
I've got them both ways. One I machined the top flat, and made a step in it, the other someone else welded a 1" thick piece of steel(probably 4340?), and I found it at a yard sale.
The welded top piece is the harder of the two.
The one that I machined the surface on dents quite easily, but both are used just to make small tools, and things. I don't forge knives on them.
 
I have one, too. Used an angle grinder to make a small step. Better than nothing. Wish I had a sharp corner to work on. Wanted to weld a piece on top, but the local scrap yard will only sell me a complete pair of forklift forks. Egad! that's a lot of steel.

I have a 70lbs block of mild steel welded underneath it. That helps quite a bit.

Like Mike said the top dings easily.

Steve
 
go to the local steel yard and pick up a piece of 3" - 4" x 1" cold rolled steel.
Have it welded to the top of the track so you'll have a good flat surface. while you still have it at the welders, unless you have a welder, burn 4 holes in the bottom edges of the track, then cut you a good chunk of log somewhere about 18"-24" in diameter at your prefered height and then lag bolt it down, helps kill the ringing and no more bouncing or moving around.
I used one for several years, and when I findly found my vulcan ( which so many say is a crappy anvil, but its plenty good enough for any knife making), I wished I had hunted harder for an anvil first off. There's nothing like working off a good, solid, heavy anvil.

Bill
 
First anvil I ever had (1960) was a 3 foot piece of track.One of my current anvils is a 30" track anvil.Its great for swords.I never hardened them,they seem pretty hard already.Probably work hardened.For the hardy ,cut three inches of the web out on the rear of the anvil,then drill a 1" hole through the top into the opening you cut out.Use a round tang on the hardioes you make,or file the hole square if you hate yourself.
 
I'm gonna go against the grain and reccomend something different. I reccomend putting it up on end like a post anvil so all the mass of the rail is directly under where you're hammering. Other then straightening (which you could use the plate you would have welded to the top for), you only need a few inches surface to hammer on, and with all the mass directly under it it'll act like a larger anvil.
 
:D :p :eek:


Found a guy with a late 1800s Johnston 100 lber for $225.....but, like you said...I'm a cheap bastid.

I figure I can start out with this track, make a few knives, and then go pick up the anvil (by then, I'm sure I'll be longing for it dearly....
 
Went out to get it, by the way - it was longer than expected - around 8 feet. Picked up a dozen or so spikes along the way.

This evening I'll get the truck and a friend and go back and get it. Another buddy has a cutting torch, so hopefully this weekend...might have 3 anvils....:rolleyes:
 
Daniel Koster said:
Went out to get it, by the way - it was longer than expected - around 8 feet. Picked up a dozen or so spikes along the way.

This evening I'll get the truck and a friend and go back and get it. Another buddy has a cutting torch, so hopefully this weekend...might have 3 anvils....:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

:eek: if it's 120 rail or up it will be a tad on the heavy side :D

now if I did that right 960 pounds? :confused: :eek: :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top