Rail anvil

S

Scriven

Joined
Mar 26, 2008
Messages
44
Howdy....


Just gots me a 4' section of heavy rail, but it looks like it has never been used before. I have heard that rail is work hardened and that is why it is suitable for an anvil. Is this true? If rail is unused, is it still suitable for an anvil? If not, and I harden it in a cool stream, will it warp?
 
Used one for years until a real anvil showed up. Get creative and find you some heavy steel cut off chunks that will fit in the web area. Weld them in tight and solid and it will almost double your mass plus kill a lot of that annoying ring. Even though it's not "used" and WH'd, it's still going to be harder than that 110#r that HF sells.
Just flatten the top with your sidegrinder and leave one edge sharp for a built in cut-off
hardie. Couple of different sized radius's and you're good to go.
 
I've been using a 6" section turn upside down held tight in fir blocks. I cut and carved a horn out on one end. This does for most blade work. I originally picked up 8' of the stuff. I made 2 smaller anvils. 1 dedicated to working adze heads and another for forging sockets and gouges. After I finished making the 2 smaller anvils I chained them up and lowered them into a charcoal fire then swung them into a pool of water to re harden.
When hammer marks begin repeating themselves in my blade I'll spend 10 minutes and dress the area on the rail surface. I've forged around 1500 tools on this rail.
Nothing like making your own tools.

Scott.

http://www.caribooblades.com/newknives.html
 
Last edited:
upside down? the light side of the rail to the top?

You do some really nice work for such a light anvil. I'm impressed!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top