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. I'll put it through an acid/electrolysis bath in the next few days and oil it up & it should clean up OK.Railroad tracks are known as some of the most popular anvil alternatives in Blacksmithing for various reasons. I made a 2 burner forge the other day so I can start making a few tools while I wait for the steel I ordered to arrive. It's not really what I was after but it's something to start working on. It's weighs just under 60kg (132#), has hardie & pritchel holes and has a nice ring to it. That wasn't obvious in the online pics they posted when they were selling it. Just going from the line where the face joins the body of the anvil it seems like it once had a hell of a sway or a severely rounded edge before it was repaired. I'm assuming that it's forged steel from the square holes on either end & it looks to have been repaired or refaced at some stage. I have no idea what make it is as there doesn't seem to be anything stamped on it except for some numbers that look to have been stamped upside down. I picked up an anvil today for $450, it's a bit of a toy but it's something to work on while I find something a bit more substantial. I suppose you could call it laziness or efficiency, I'd rather not waste time energy swinging a 4 pounder if possible. Given the funds most of us would like the biggest anvil we could get but I'm somewhat limited on funds so I'm just looking to get something that will give an efficient bang for my buck. If I capped the stump with 2" or 3" steel plate and then sat the anvil on top, I still think I'd mash the tiny 10kg anvil within a few months if I was swinging a 4 pounder on it. For instance I can get a 10kg anvil from my local hardware store (the only one they sell) and I fully believe I'd drive it through any hardwood stump I mounted it on within a few weeks. I tend to think there must be something like a baseline ratio where the mass of the anvil has enough inertia to give it a good feel under the hammer though. It could well be a bit of "Internet wisdom" not backed by any real world findings. In the vid he said "we know because of physics"(paraphrasing) but he didn't back it up with any studies or links for further reading ect. the all cast anvils will work they will just wear faster as far as the ring or rebound test I've spent alot of time making a base full of sand to quite mine and I don't see the point in rebound when your smacking a peice of soft steel on it besides your hammer really shouldn't hit the anvil if you can help it I was once told that someone has to die for an anvil to come up for sale makes sense since most people keep them for life keep looking and the right one will find you best of luck in your search MikeĬheers don't really believe their are any definite guidelines anywhere about such a ratio, an essential craftsman youtube vid about anvils was the first time I'd ever heard such a concept. my other thought is the anvils your looking at are priced close to a new entry level anvil if you can look for one with a tool steel top forge welded on. I would consider getting a four pound hammer and hit a stump 100 times and see how you feel that in mind I have a 180 lb anvil with a four inch wide face the weight is basically equal to what size face and Hardy you think you will need and my go to hammer is about three pounds with the handle and after a few hours it wears on me. I'll just say God bless you if you can swing a four pounder all day.
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