Steel for an "anvil" from semi trailer?

R

Railrider1920

Joined
Dec 14, 2010
Messages
403
Hey folks,
I have been looking for an anvil or a big piece of steel to use as an anvil. I have found anvils for sale, but can't get any of them now because of cost. Someone in my area is dismantling a trailer from a semi truck. He said to come over and look to see if there is anything I could use. I will go look and check it out. Does anyone know if there is any pieces of a trailer like this that might be good to use as an anvil or for anything else for that matter?
Thanks,
Rob
 
Theye are making trailers lighter and lighter.

Very little will be solid steel.


I would have a look at the hitch pin, possibly an axle stub
and use it as a post anvil or like a sledgehammer anvil.


Brake drums as coal-charcoal forge bodies.
 
The brake drums make great stand bases. My buffer, a vise, and a small anvil all have semi brake drums for bases. Easy to roll out of the way when not in use.
 
I once used the back of an old army 6x6 for an anvil to fix my rifle during a hunting trip ,worked fine !! LOL But that was a bit different !
 
MadBug said:
The brake drums make great stand bases. My buffer, a vise, and a small anvil all have semi brake drums for bases. Easy to roll out of the way when not in use.
Click to expand...

There you go Rob get you a brake drum for a base and piece of frame rail to bing it up to height and then hit the scrap yards for a piece of steel like these chunks in this old post.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/536460-Post-Anvils

Mount you a chunk of steel on the top like one of those in this post and you got you a post anvil.
 
I was thinking that the axle might be of some use. Didn't even think of the drums. If I can find out where it's located I'm gonna go and take a look at it.

Dixieblade, I have been looking for a chunk like those. Every time I go near a scrap yard I look. I haven't found one yet. Any scrap yards you have been to have stuff like that? Are there any yards in your town? Or just in Pcola?

Thanks for the suggestions guys.
 
There is a small one outside of town he buys low and sells high. However there are several in the Pcola area. One I know of won't resale at all, but most will. Sometimes you can call but mostly it helps to be there because the folks who answer the phones usually don't have a clue what the company has bought and is in the scrap yard.
 
Now if you are messing around with a semi trailer leave the air brake canisters alone. they will probably be a two section canister with a band wrapping around the middle holding it together. DO NOT TRY TO DISSASSMBLE!! Inside is a compressed spring. Think of a car spring compressed down to about 4", and you let it loose in your face. Just leave it alone.
 
Thanks!! Not sure what they look like or the shape, but I thought that i would at least look at one. Maybe a body for a forge or something. Not going to now. Even if it's not one with the band in the middle. I never would have even thought twice about cutting it open. This thing is about 40 min away from me. I am going to try to get a look at it tomorrow.
 
MadBug said:
Now if you are messing around with a semi trailer leave the air brake canisters alone. they will probably be a two section canister with a band wrapping around the middle holding it together. DO NOT TRY TO DISSASSMBLE!! Inside is a compressed spring. Think of a car spring compressed down to about 4", and you let it loose in your face. Just leave it alone.
Click to expand...

That's not what I was talking about. This is:

a33d_35.JPG


They are just air tanks. No spring inside.
 
devilpig said:
That's not what I was talking about. This is:

a33d_35.JPG


They are just air tanks. No spring inside.
Click to expand...

Sorry for the confusion. I'm not talking about the air tank. It's okay. Cut away. The brake cans will be on the axle. I'm just saying that if you are messing around with semi trailers, and get curious about what is inside the air cans, you might die. Here is a pic off the web of what I'm talking about:
http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh452/king_obo/aircan.jpg

Okay, I forgot how to post a pic, this is the link
 
The axles are hollow. Not much on one that would make good use as an anvil honestly...
 
Thanks for the info on the air cans VS the air reservoir. The reservoir I would have looked at, but not the can. At least I know what to stay away from.
ssblood said:
The axles are hollow. Not much on one that would make good use as an anvil honestly...
Click to expand...
Thanks. I thought that it would have been solid. I was thinking about cutting it to about 2 ft lengths and welding them together side by side. Oh well. Maybe there will be some piece of steel on it I could use for something.
 
They are still pretty stout. The pin is a good solid piece of steel. Would make a nice, but small anvil.
 
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