![]() ![]() While the railroad track is not composed of the hardest steel, it still has a decent hardness level. But that feature alone is not enough the anvil should also be hard. The railroad track is usually tough, meaning it can withstand a lot of hammering. You can smooth the edges, so they don’t cut into the material and many other things to support your blacksmithing work. You can cut and shape the horn based on your needs. Multi-PurposeĪnother great thing about the railroad tracks is that they can be dressed and look like a “real “anvil. Contact everybody that you think they have one laying in their garage or around the house. The first great benefit of the railroad track is that it is relatively cheap to acquire, sometimes even free. What Are Railroad Track Anvils Made From?Īs we already said, the railroad track is the most common anvil alternative among blacksmiths, especially beginners. ![]() Benefits of Using a Railroad Track Anvil.They even solved the noise problem railroad anvils have because of their shape. I’ve ordered one purely for aesthetics, although I was surprised by how good it is for small to medium-sized projects. Railroad tracks are cheap and oftentimes you can even find them for free.īefore we dive into the main topic, here’s a cheap railroad track anvil on Amazon if you don’t want to spend time looking for a used one. Due to the lower hardness level than typical anvils, railroad tracks are ideal for small and medium-sized projects. The railroad track is an ideal anvil alternative for beginner blacksmiths since they don’t require expensive equipment. So, is a railroad track a good anvil alternative? In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about using a railroad track as an anvil. Some people say that the railroad anvil is not as good as a regular anvil. Depending on the size of the track, it can be used for small projects while others use it for larger projects. Now, you can spread the costs out by buying a little material and doing a little of the work at a time, using scrap or salvaged steel, and getting the buddy with a CNC table to slip the parts in one at a time over a few months so the boss doesn't notice.īut you're still going to have a great deal of time, welding rod and grinding discs into it.Railroad tracks are known as some of the most popular anvil alternatives in Blacksmithing for various reasons. I haven't run any numbers, but I wouldn't be surprised if the eventual total cost would be either very close to, if not somewhat more than, the cost of a ready-made anvil. The problem with that is, of course, it would still be quite expensive in welding rod, electricity, plasma-table time or torch gasses, and, naturally, the base metals. Take you rime, and grind it well, and most passersby might not even realize it's laminated steel. ![]() That way each plate is heavily welded to the top plate- not just around the periphery.Įach plate would leave a "step" on the outside (such as the profile of the horn) what could be filled with weld and ground down. (And, of course, to the first lamination.)Īnd keep doing that 'til the last plate. Bevel the top edge of the second lamination, lay it down and weld it to the top plate. The trick there is to weld it on while laminating the body- bevel the top edge of the first lamination, and weld the top plate at a 90 degree angle. The number of slices, of course, depending on the thickness of the material and the overall size of anvil you desire.Įach slice profiled, of course, so that the finished unit has the overall shape of a typical London pattern.Īn ideal method would be to CAD it out and get a buddy with a CNC plasma table to zap out the pieces for you, but the same thing can be done with a bit more effort with a gas torch.Įach "inner" plate should also have a pattern of holes for plug welding- therefore the centers of each plate are also thoroughly attached, not just the edges.Īnd, for the top plate, I figured I could get a nice thick chunk of something- A2? S7? at about 1/2" thick or so, and weld that on as well. I figured I'd draw up a layered profile of an anvil- with the "slices" vertical and arranged nose-to-horn. One plan, among the more workable ones in my opinion, was to laminate one, like you noted. Not terrible if someone's going to be doing commercial work, but pretty steep for a hobbyist. Same as you, anvil prices up here- partly because of the shipping weight- are astronomical. I toyed with an idea like this years ago, before I found an actual anvil. ![]()
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