I use to work as an ultra-sound rail test car operator for the Chicago & North Western Railroad and Soo Line Railroad Companies back in the 1980s and into the early 90s. As pointed out by someone else commenting here, rail weight is determined by the weight of a three foot long section of that rail. Rail was generally rolled into 39 foot lengths to fit into or onto 40 foot long gondola or flat cars. The date the rail was rolled would be embossed on the "web" of the rail (the section of rail between the head and the base). An example of a piece of rail I have in my garage of about 60lb rail is embossed N.C.R.M. Steel Co. IIII .83. This translates to North Chicago Rolling Mill Steel Co., April, 1883. Rail also would be stamped with a heat (furnace tapping) number and ingot number (one of two digits) on the reverse side of the "web."
I have my Great Grandfather's Anvl. He was a Blacksmith by trade. His farm is about 35 miles South of me, and I'm about 7 miles South of Cincinnati. I drove down that way a while back, and I was happy to see the ole barn still standing! Have a nice weekend SC. ...Newk from Kentucky
I enjoy watching your videos love all the old school products you dig up, i know its alot of work for you. But keep up the great work. God bless stay strong brotherhood💪
Good job. This brought back memories. I use to be a welder for the railroad. I have made several track anvils from scrap pieces while waiting for trains to pass. I still have a couple of the ones I made probably 40 years ago. Keep up the good work.
John, thanks for doing this video! I recently acquired a rail anvil that is probably 28" long or so. I'll be going out into the shop later to see what it sounds like with a ball pein hammer. Great video as always!
Thanks for another great video. I knew about listening to a grinding wheel for a ping. But I never thought of listening to an anvil or anvil shaped object to evaluate its hardness.
That is a nice collection ASO's (anvil shaped objects). Having a variety is helpful for making sheet metal objects. Back in the day we would use a forklift fork. I kind of kick myself for not thinking to bring a chunk home. Once they broke we couldn't fix them. You have been enjoying that angle grinder. Mine finds a part in nearly every project.
Very interesting show today. I have a few R/R track anvils floating around here. There were two six or eight inchers in the garage when I bought this house but my favorite one is one that I made years ago by fly cutting the top of a Sixteen inch long standard gauge piece and then hand grinding a tapered horn on one end. Man that steel is tougher than the average Bear!
Nice save. I think a lot of the narrow tracks came from the old Interurban lines. I know most don't agree but that was the best system of travel for rural areas and it would be nice if the still had them. Sadly even if they had been rebuilt 20 years ago they would go down with the brick and motor stores. Sometimes I forget the early days of scrabbling for something to work with. Old sledge hammers and splitting mauls make a good small anvil.
If you live anywhere that you could make it to Seville Ohio, there is a nice interurban electric railway museum. I think it's called northeast Ohio railway museum. Something like that.
I woke up one morning, looked out the kitchen window and said "What the heck is that" in the yard, turned out to be a magnificent 12" long Rail road iron. I love that thing, and was heaven sent lol
I have two track anvils, one of which my father made back in the 1950's. One is about 8" long and the other is 10". They are a good size for a machinist. Both have had the tops and sides machined flat. One has a rounded horn (like a blacksmith's anvil) and the smaller has a horn that is flat on top and vertical sides. I keep one by each of the shop bench vices to reduce the temptation to hammer on the vice and ding the dickens out it. Horror Freight has a 15lb. cast iron anvil for $20 and you can get $4 off that with a coupon. Not the greatest anvil, but would be satisfactory for the home shop machinist while keeping an eye out for some track rail or a properly made small cast steel anvil. Cheers from NC/USA
Good informative video. When I was a youngster I remember many men having anvils, either they were using them, or had been their Dads, and were stored away at the end of the workbench. Now a days I hardly ever see real anvils any more. Then again , I dont see some guys that dont even have a workbench. Times do change things, but not having a workbench is unAmerican.
What I find interesting is a small segment of the twenty year old generation have taken up blacksmithing. It is as if they woke up and realized that there is value in tangible skills. I am convinced they have helped to drive up the price of anvils. My nephew started a shop in his bathroom at home. When I saw the drill press sitting there on the sink while he described how he was machining some part.,,I thought there might be hope for a generation not all dominated by video games.
nice score! i have a piece of track that belonged to my grandfather that i used for years. last year i decided to get a big anvil and found a beautiful 150 lb anvil for a good price. what a difference it makes to have all that mass. it's a joy to work with.
Hey buddy great video as always! I got me one of those little 2inch RR track anvils I picked up at a junk store for 5bucks...best thing ever! Also I'm sure you already know about this but those who don't wherever you have a bucket of some sort of fluid and you want to submerge something in it but it don't come all the way up to the top you can put a few bricks of something to take up the mass and make the fluid level rise.
I am binge-watching your videos. Thanks for these. And that is a good tip about the Muriatic acid. Hydrochloric acid ("muriatic" acid is a trading name for 30/70 mix water/ hydrochloric HCI ) first reacts with rust (Fe2O3) to make ferrous chloride, and then reacts with the Iron... but because "muriatic" acid is so dillute, it eats rust and the reaction can be stopped before it starts attacking the Iron.
Just acquired a 2' piece of rail for my shop anvil. I won't mention how it was acquired but if been hunting a piece for a while. Already used it a couple of times. Good video. Thx scout
Wow, that really is a nice chunk of steel! Good anvils have a hardened tool steel plate on their working surface. Over time, if the anvil is abused it can start to break loose and that will make an anvil "dead".
Made several railroad anvils over the years of various lengths and sizes, best ways I found was sand blasting and having top surfaces machined before painting. I enjoy all your videos.
ScoutCrafter Yes, happened to have a friend who ran a machine shop plus lived about a mile from a grave stone dealer who did sand blasting, all were done in the 1980’s. Long retired now but actually have one small rail anvil sitting on my closet floor looking like a piece of art.
Great video. I really like how you made the sides look with that blackish gray color. I bought a cheap anvil that literally crumbled after some light use. It was a cheap cast one. I will try looking for a piece of railroad and make one. Your knowledge of tools seems endless.
A half gallon milk jug with water 8n it works as well. The bricks could soften and dissolve in the acid. I once added a brick to the toilet tank to save water - worked well for the purpose but over time broke down and made a mess. Great video and excellent old-school info.
I’ve always been told the test of an anvil was to use the ball bearing and find the rebound and ping. I was told not to use the hammer for ping tests or rebound tests because you can influence the outcome adversely and not get a fair or impartial result of the tests. Just a thought......
Nice tutorial! My buddy and I are going to a local metal shop tomorrow to look for any scraps for anvils, etc. I hope they take cards. Have a great weekend, John.
Holy sh$t! I've been searching for years, I found the same cylinder buried near the tracks along with Edison glass bottles of oil, can't belive Scout Crafter would be the one to solve this mystery! Thanks😁 Also I have a 2' section of track I use as my anvil, I love the high tone ping I get out of it, I think I drives the neighbor crazy. Have a great weekend John.
Alex- At one time when steel was at a high price some morons were stealing track sections from active lines! Also they were taking manhole covers! Trying to sell them to scrappers!
Those small gauge rails were probably trolly car rail. Even smaller gauge rail was used as runners for overhead cranes and ore and coal cars in mines. Jacktown small engine show and flea market was canceled this summer. I was hoping to run into you there. I live only 30 minutes West of Bangor, Pa. Maybe in October. The Smothers Brothers had a song about John Henry.
CM- Bangor is a beautiful town- I think in the last 20+ years I donated more to your local fire department then most locals! LOL I hope to see you in the fall or even Winter!!
My Pop & I use to always change his tires before winter we would put his snow tires on for the Winter to travel back & forth to J.f.K Pan-Am great times as a kid with him.
Alan R I always dreaded putting on the snow tires! I used to put them on right after Thanksgiving! Lots of times people got lazy and didn’t remove them in March and just wore them out that Summer. 😃👍
@@ScoutCrafter ha ha ha so true.My Pop has his cheap Scottish roots.Yeah we kept them behind the heavy ass broken piece of wood from the old garage door. You remember those garage doors man when the spring broke it was like 50000 pounds
Another great video my friend. My anvil is a piece of I beam 10 inches tall 12 inches long. Mounted on 2 1x8s and i put casters on it. Roll it out use it and roll it back under my work bench. Personal note: Hope your back is better I've got two bad disk in mine i know back problems.
You could do an hours long video on the subject of things that can be used as an anvil. There are so many solutions to that problem out there. I think my personal favorite is cutting into a stump and sinking a sledgehammer head into it far enough to be stable. I watched a video on a khukri factory in Nepal that was nothing but buried sledgehammer heads for anvils. The ball bearing test for rebound is still in use today. Most guys consider 70% rebound to be very acceptable on a properly made anvil. I have a lot of love for the railroad track anvils. I haven't really worked on one myself (I'm spolied in that department) but they are cheap and effective.
Allan I bet you were surprised by the ring of that little track! The funny thing is tractor shows often have a couple anvils for sale.. One year I went and there were over 25 anvils for sale! Average was $60-$100, then the next show there was none! LOL Nobody likes lugging those things around if they don't sell!
I wasn't too surprised by the ring actually. Railroad track cap is usually a hardenable steel which is why it gets used to make hammers and other tooling. And Man At Arms Reforged has made a few huge swords out of it. You have a great little anvil there.
That RR track anvil was a great deal for $5 and came out awesome as well as the standard gauge one.Gotta love those surface grinders to make quick work on steel. When I saw your steel disc hanging from the scale I was thinking 35lbs. Just a lucky guess. Hope you're having a nice December ScoutCrafter. Looking forward to the holidays then the swap meet.
Hi Steve! =) I still think of your face when I picked up that track! =O You thought I was joking! =D I think that was the rustiest thing I ever cleaned up... The shop was covered in brown dust! My lungs are probably magnetic! =) The ring on that track makes it all worthwhile! =) Thanks Steve!
Hi John , I Just Found Out Something Pretty Cool . I Have An Old Pair of 8" End Nippers . Been Using Them . One Handle is Bent But , Well They Are Carew Pat. 1882-1891 ! I Don't Think I'll Use Them Anymore . WOW !
Your RR anvil turned out great! They make leveling washers (aka beveled washers) for I-beams to help with clamping - I wonder if they would work on your RR tracks?
Fantastic video John I have been trying to find a big thick cutoff Like you got so hard to find how did you find it ,even the train Track is expensive it’s crazy it came up great love the pitted sides I just got a sand blaster such a great tool for cleaning up steel Ect god bless take care 🇳🇿🇺🇸👏🛠
Nice informative video tonight John. I have a small piece of track but it looks like now I’m gonna go out to find me a new larger lively one. This will go great with the marble hunting knife I just purchased at an estate sale today. I need to quit watching your videos because it’s costing me a fortune lol, I was just kidding about that last comment I truly enjoy seeing what you can do hopefully my knife will turn out as good as yours and I need to make a leather sheath for mine I have a bunch of Leather that I can put to good use
The process for big anvils run into serious money, I was lucky. I managed to buy an anvil made from a piece of track fir only one dollar. By the way, I think that machinists call this cut off pieces "drops".
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Your flat rate postal service is great.Here in the UK buying steel by post is expensive.It doubles the price.
Tony You are so right, Flat rate shipping really was a smart idea, just like forever stamps. However postal rates have skyrocketed in the past year... 😃👍
Joseph Turk is correct that gauge is the distance between rail heads and rail size is the size of the rail. Our company built a standard gauge track with 20 lb rail including a turnout for a 4-wheeled push car to be able to get fishing boats around two sills along the Pearl River between LA and MS in 1971. Steel rail has been rolled in 8 lb to 155 lb sections and crane rail from 105 lb to 175 lb sections. The 8 lb rail is 1 9/16 high by 1 9/16 in wide on the base to 155 lb is 8 in high by 6 3/4 in wide on the base. Crane rail has a Tee shape but the top is flat and the sides of the ball or head are vertical for double flanged wheels. If you will give me the height, base, web, and width of head of each of your rails, I think I can tell you what the rail sections are. A piece of H-beam or I-beam will also make a decent anvil. If a piece of steel is hit and can bounce it won't ring as well as if it well supported or hung.
Way back when coal wagons were pulled by horses from the mine to the warf in Wales the rails were cast from cast iron in 3 foot lengths and most of them had a flat running surface and an arched riser which kept the wagon wheels(just like the wheels for on the roads) on. They were supported by stones such the risers were on the inside of the track. This was before Trevithick made the Pennydarren locomotive in 1803.
I always keep my eye out for large pieces of steel for that purpose. I even have a nice smooth rock that I use in some applications. The next time I see you I have something you might like for you.
Great info. I don't think you mentioned the high quality steel grafted onto the tops of anvils to increase their strength as well as the tool bounce.. Will start looking for some track steel in my area. Track anvil looks great for smaller projects. Take Care.
Hey Scout I got a tip for you with your bucket of vinegar jugs of water in with it and it will raise the level of the vinegar or anything else that will take up space then you can cover the railroad track thank you so much for all your videos I learned so much every time I watch and we do like the longer videos and Merry Christmas
My grandfather was an engineer for the B&O and he had a small piece of track he used as an anvil. Sadly it got lost over the years. I remember that thing being heavy, gosh I wish I still had it.
Great video buddy! I've been looking for an anvil for well over a year but they are so dang expensive by me. I think I might have to look for a railroad track now LOL thanks for the info!
Yes! However I believe they will drop again... Blacksmithing became real popular as UA-cam videos showed how much fun it is but it soon wears off, especially when all that work produces mostly primitive stuff! =)
Excellent anvil video. I had not been around them enough to know of the ping test. And of course I personally like anything having to do with an RR, so I like the new anvil you got! Wonder what kind of insulators were on the line where that track was in use?😄
Ugh clam shell packaging don't you just hate that stuff lol. The railroad stuff is always so neat. I've seen some really nice knives made from the spikes. Have a great weekend thanks Scout =D
Thought you were going to play a tune on those pieces of rail. Nice ring on the five dollar find! Do I win a prize, I guessed 30 lb when I saw that slice. Not far out
Some rail tracks are made of "mangalloy" which work hardens crazily under impact. Wikipedia isn't a "real source" but it's what's at hand: "[Mangalloy] will achieve up to three times its surface hardness during conditions of impact, without any increase in brittleness which is usually associated with hardness". This may be why some rail tracks make really really great anvils, while others are anywhere from "alright" to barely-alive.
@@ScoutCrafter I googled "railroad track for hangar doors" and got a few places that still build them like that. Most modern door systems use hydraulics or bifold doors with electric motors and steel cables. When they built the ones I have worked in they leave the scrap pieces of rail at the building instead of hauling it off.
I was going to say 25# but that's what I get for saying. I don't bang on my bvise but very little. I can frail on the 'H' beam on the wood splitter and no worries there. I have a solid block but never think of using it. Most of my exploits are too big for it. And a new Estwing framming hammer has a NICE ring to it! Thanks, CS and Hi 2 Smiley!
Hello SC. I recently won two 4 foot sections of rail at an auction Not sure what I will do with all of it but I know I want to make an anvil. What is the best size for a small shop anvil? I am thinking about going with 1 foot. The 4 foot pieces are too heavy to move but one foot should be around 40 pounds. Manageable but still heavy enough to not to not move when I beat it. Is there any point in putting a horn on one? I understand horns are handy for making bends. However the horn on a train track anvil would be so small that I'm not sure it would be practical. Thanks for the great videos!
Hey that episode gives me an idea, how about some kind of anvil challenge? Only blacksmiths give much care to their anvil. That video seems to be inspiring the rest of us to do something with our old anvils. Maybe just a before and after shot (all our favorite part) of how we made our anvils at least more presentable, if not over the top. What do you think?
I have my grandpa's piece of railroad track, (New York Central), just a tad larger than the one you showed and in it invaluable, when not used as an anvil it makes a great paper weight. LOL
The double headed nails w re used to make concrete and other forms. The first head held the form together. The upper nail was used to tear the forms apart.
Hi Laura, I get mine from tractor shows... There is almost always a flea market section at every show. The funny thing is it's always hit and miss...Either there will be a bunch for sale or none at all! LOL
I have a few different sized pieces of steel that I use as anvils. I also have a couple semi tractor engine piston pins given to me by a neighbor when I was a kid. They are smallish as an anvil, but the ends a very flat and they are very Haaaard. BTW. At 4:10 when you show the bucket o' vinegar, you can see an old liquid tide laundry detergent bottle. I work for the company that molds the bottles for Tide, and that bottle (200oz) has not been molded for probably fifteen years or more. I saw a video you made about making your own laundry soap, do you put it in that old Tide bottle and keep reusing it?
@@ScoutCrafter Actually I'm referring to the one you resurfaced at the end. Earlier in the episode you hit it and it sounded better than the vice anvil and better than the smaller anvil, but not as good as the one you restored. Then you resurfaced it and I was wondering if you "pinged" that one to see? (still could - if you do, let us know if your resurfacing made an improvement) THanks!
Great video i always learn something. But i have a question what is cold rolled steel and tooled steel maybe you could address that some time. Again great video. Thanks Don
Hi Don! In a nutshell depending on the ingredients added to the mix of a steel it will have certain properties like hardness, strength, edge retention... Tool steel is a higher grade of steel that is more expensive to produce but is great for making all sorts of tools, the cold rolled steel is your run of the mill steel that is less expensive and made for more general use. Things like carbon content and tensile strength are all considered when making steel.. I have found that a good tool steel can cost 4 times regular run of the mill steel! -=)
When you grounded a new surface on that old track piece, did the hardness change? I heard RR tracks get work hardened by trains traveling over them. As a result, the layer of the work hardened steel is very thin. Don't know if that is true, but it does make sense. Basically, does it "ring" as before?
I only checked the ring when it was finished, seems very good! I have a few anvils but they are heavy and this is a really good size for lots of smaller work. The flap wheel is very good for only removing rust, the grinding wheel removes much more metal! Thanks!!!!!
When you refer to narrow gauge it’s not the height or size of the rail narrow gauge is the width of the tracks from one rail to the other. Standard gauge is 4’ 8 1/2” The difference is size of the rail it’s self is 85lbs 90 lbs 112lbs 115 and so on up to about 141lb rail which means every three feet of rail weighs that much and of course the the ball gets bigger with bigger rail. It does make a decent anvil but keep in mind it’s bridle because of the harness so if it cracks or chips it can be dangerous.
Joseph Turk Pennsylvania railroad supposedly had a 155 lb rail in the 50’s much of which is owned by Norfolk Southern now I don’t know if any still exists
I use to work as an ultra-sound rail test car operator for the Chicago & North Western Railroad and Soo Line Railroad Companies back in the 1980s and into the early 90s. As pointed out by someone else commenting here, rail weight is determined by the weight of a three foot long section of that rail. Rail was generally rolled into 39 foot lengths to fit into or onto 40 foot long gondola or flat cars. The date the rail was rolled would be embossed on the "web" of the rail (the section of rail between the head and the base). An example of a piece of rail I have in my garage of about 60lb rail is embossed N.C.R.M. Steel Co. IIII .83. This translates to North Chicago Rolling Mill Steel Co., April, 1883. Rail also would be stamped with a heat (furnace tapping) number and ingot number (one of two digits) on the reverse side of the "web."
I have my Great Grandfather's Anvl. He was a Blacksmith by trade. His farm is about 35 miles South of me, and I'm about 7 miles South of Cincinnati. I drove down that way a while back, and I was happy to see the ole barn still standing! Have a nice weekend SC. ...Newk from Kentucky
Awesome Newk!
I just brought a piece home that is welded to a cast iron base. It was cut with a torch. I have some clean up to do. I have enjoyed all your videos.
I enjoy watching your videos love all the old school products you dig up, i know its alot of work for you. But keep up the great work. God bless stay strong brotherhood💪
Good job. This brought back memories. I use to be a welder for the railroad. I have made several track anvils from scrap pieces while waiting for trains to pass. I still have a couple of the ones I made probably 40 years ago. Keep up the good work.
That must have been a great job! Welders always were the guys who saved the day in my shop!
John, thanks for doing this video! I recently acquired a rail anvil that is probably 28" long or so. I'll be going out into the shop later to see what it sounds like with a ball pein hammer. Great video as always!
I was surprised to hear the ring from the track. It sounded like a steel anvil. This was a very interesting tutorial. Thanks for sharing this.
John! Me too! When I first hit it I was smiling from ear to ear! =)
Thanks for another great video. I knew about listening to a grinding wheel for a ping. But I never thought of listening to an anvil or anvil shaped object to evaluate its hardness.
That is a nice collection ASO's (anvil shaped objects).
Having a variety is helpful for making sheet metal objects.
Back in the day we would use a forklift fork. I kind of kick myself for not thinking to bring a chunk home. Once they broke we couldn't fix them.
You have been enjoying that angle grinder. Mine finds a part in nearly every project.
A fork lift fork would make a great shop aid! They are super strong!
Very interesting show today. I have a few R/R track anvils floating around here.
There were two six or eight inchers in the garage when I bought this house but my favorite one is one that I made years ago by fly cutting the top of a Sixteen inch long standard gauge piece and then hand grinding a tapered horn on one end. Man that steel is tougher than the average Bear!
Nice save. I think a lot of the narrow tracks came from the old Interurban lines. I know most don't agree but that was the best system of travel for rural areas and it would be nice if the still had them. Sadly even if they had been rebuilt 20 years ago they would go down with the brick and motor stores. Sometimes I forget the early days of scrabbling for something to work with. Old sledge hammers and splitting mauls make a good small anvil.
Hi Philip! I think after a good vise everyone should have a small piece of track, I use mine all the time. Even as a weight for glue-ups! =)
If you live anywhere that you could make it to Seville Ohio, there is a nice interurban electric railway museum. I think it's called northeast Ohio railway museum. Something like that.
I woke up one morning, looked out the kitchen window and said "What the heck is that" in the yard, turned out to be a magnificent 12" long Rail road iron. I love that thing, and was heaven sent lol
I have two track anvils, one of which my father made back in the 1950's. One is about 8" long and the other is 10". They are a good size for a machinist. Both have had the tops and sides machined flat. One has a rounded horn (like a blacksmith's anvil) and the smaller has a horn that is flat on top and vertical sides. I keep one by each of the shop bench vices to reduce the temptation to hammer on the vice and ding the dickens out it.
Horror Freight has a 15lb. cast iron anvil for $20 and you can get $4 off that with a coupon. Not the greatest anvil, but would be satisfactory for the home shop machinist while keeping an eye out for some track rail or a properly made small cast steel anvil.
Cheers from NC/USA
They are so handy around the shop! Even for glue-up weights! =D
Good informative video. When I was a youngster I remember many men having anvils, either they were using them, or had been their Dads, and were stored away at the end of the workbench. Now a days I hardly ever see real anvils any more. Then again , I dont see some guys that dont even have a workbench. Times do change things, but not having a workbench is unAmerican.
Ron- Imagine not having even a small workbench!? That is just crazy! Thanks!!!!!!!!
What I find interesting is a small segment of the twenty year old generation have taken up blacksmithing. It is as if they woke up and realized that there is value in tangible skills. I am convinced they have helped to drive up the price of anvils. My nephew started a shop in his bathroom at home. When I saw the drill press sitting there on the sink while he described how he was machining some part.,,I thought there might be hope for a generation not all dominated by video games.
nice score! i have a piece of track that belonged to my grandfather that i used for years. last year i decided to get a big anvil and found a beautiful 150 lb anvil for a good price. what a difference it makes to have all that mass. it's a joy to work with.
You are so right! Mass and Hardness are a wonderful combination and until you experience it you have no idea what you are missing! Great stuff!!!!!!!
Hey buddy great video as always! I got me one of those little 2inch RR track anvils I picked up at a junk store for 5bucks...best thing ever! Also I'm sure you already know about this but those who don't wherever you have a bucket of some sort of fluid and you want to submerge something in it but it don't come all the way up to the top you can put a few bricks of something to take up the mass and make the fluid level rise.
I am binge-watching your videos. Thanks for these. And that is a good tip about the Muriatic acid. Hydrochloric acid ("muriatic" acid is a trading name for 30/70 mix water/ hydrochloric HCI ) first reacts with rust (Fe2O3) to make ferrous chloride, and then reacts with the Iron... but because "muriatic" acid is so dillute, it eats rust and the reaction can be stopped before it starts attacking the Iron.
Michael- You know your chemistry!!!!! Thanks much!!!
THANK YOU...for sharing. Watched and very much enjoyed.
Just acquired a 2' piece of rail for my shop anvil. I won't mention how it was acquired but if been hunting a piece for a while. Already used it a couple of times. Good video. Thx scout
They are more handy then you think! I use mine all the time! Even as a glue-up weight!
Wow, that really is a nice chunk of steel! Good anvils have a hardened tool steel plate on their working surface. Over time, if the anvil is abused it can start to break loose and that will make an anvil "dead".
Excellent video as always, learned a lot about Anvils! 👍
Made several railroad anvils over the years of various lengths and sizes, best ways I found was sand blasting and having top surfaces machined before painting. I enjoy all your videos.
Hi Charles! This is the best time to have a buddy with a surface grinder! 😃👍
ScoutCrafter Yes, happened to have a friend who ran a machine shop plus lived about a mile from a grave stone dealer who did sand blasting, all were done in the 1980’s. Long retired now but actually have one small rail anvil sitting on my closet floor looking like a piece of art.
Great video. I really like how you made the sides look with that blackish gray color. I bought a cheap anvil that literally crumbled after some light use. It was a cheap cast one. I will try looking for a piece of railroad and make one. Your knowledge of tools seems endless.
When you don’t have quite enough liquid to cover something add some bricks or rocks to raise the level.
MrDoeboy356 Cliff, I used to add a few rusty tools but wound up leaving a few behind! 😂
Lol. Wire hangers over the side.
A half gallon milk jug with water 8n it works as well. The bricks could soften and dissolve in the acid. I once added a brick to the toilet tank to save water - worked well for the purpose but over time broke down and made a mess. Great video and excellent old-school info.
I’ve always been told the test of an anvil was to use the ball bearing and find the rebound and ping. I was told not to use the hammer for ping tests or rebound tests because you can influence the outcome adversely and not get a fair or impartial result of the tests. Just a thought......
Nice tutorial! My buddy and I are going to a local metal shop tomorrow to look for any scraps for anvils, etc. I hope they take cards. Have a great weekend, John.
Brian! Honestly countless thousands of anvils and vises were scrapped during the war and even after!
I think it looks good. Thanks for sharing my friend.
Holy sh$t! I've been searching for years, I found the same cylinder buried near the tracks along with Edison glass bottles of oil, can't belive Scout Crafter would be the one to solve this mystery! Thanks😁
Also I have a 2' section of track I use as my anvil, I love the high tone ping I get out of it, I think I drives the neighbor crazy. Have a great weekend John.
You know there are old "dumps" that have been long covered up that are worth big money if dug up today!
Good review of anvils. I just received a Peter Wright 163#, very nice anvil.
That is a great size! They are ridiculously expensive now!
Great episode! I have a hunk of track that i want to clean up now, thanks for the inspiration. Cheers
Joe, I can only imagine the great stuff you are finding everyday!!!!!
Very interesting, great channel 👍🇺🇸
Over here even the railroad tracks are real pricy... You convinced me tough, I need a piece. Have a great weekend!
Alex- At one time when steel was at a high price some morons were stealing track sections from active lines! Also they were taking manhole covers! Trying to sell them to scrappers!
Out of curiosity where is over here?
Very Informative Mate!! Well Done!!☺
Those small gauge rails were probably trolly car rail. Even smaller gauge rail was used as runners for overhead cranes and ore and coal cars in mines.
Jacktown small engine show and flea market was canceled this summer. I was hoping to run into you there. I live only 30 minutes West of Bangor, Pa. Maybe in October.
The Smothers Brothers had a song about John Henry.
CM- Bangor is a beautiful town- I think in the last 20+ years I donated more to your local fire department then most locals! LOL I hope to see you in the fall or even Winter!!
Love your videos. I've always used a lump hammer or a sledgehammer/maul as a portable anvil
After thought: The ring of the anvil made me think of "The Anvil Chorus" in Verdi's "Il Trovatore".Yeah ... the anvil as a musical instrument ...
Great show today. Love the old RR track anvil. 👍
Hi John Another Great Video ! Now I Need An Anvil Too ! Wiley Coyote : Super Genius ! Didn't Know Acme Was Made By Roadrunners ! 😂😂
My Pop & I use to always change his tires before winter we would put his snow tires on for the Winter to travel back & forth to J.f.K Pan-Am great times as a kid with him.
Alan R I always dreaded putting on the snow tires! I used to put them on right after Thanksgiving! Lots of times people got lazy and didn’t remove them in March and just wore them out that Summer. 😃👍
@@ScoutCrafter ha ha ha so true.My Pop has his cheap Scottish roots.Yeah we kept them behind the heavy ass broken piece of wood from the old garage door.
You remember those garage doors man when the spring broke it was like 50000 pounds
Another great video my friend.
My anvil is a piece of I beam 10 inches tall 12 inches long. Mounted on 2 1x8s and i put casters on it. Roll it out use it and roll it back under my work bench. Personal note: Hope your back is better I've got two bad disk in mine i know back problems.
You could do an hours long video on the subject of things that can be used as an anvil. There are so many solutions to that problem out there. I think my personal favorite is cutting into a stump and sinking a sledgehammer head into it far enough to be stable. I watched a video on a khukri factory in Nepal that was nothing but buried sledgehammer heads for anvils. The ball bearing test for rebound is still in use today. Most guys consider 70% rebound to be very acceptable on a properly made anvil. I have a lot of love for the railroad track anvils. I haven't really worked on one myself (I'm spolied in that department) but they are cheap and effective.
Allan I bet you were surprised by the ring of that little track! The funny thing is tractor shows often have a couple anvils for sale.. One year I went and there were over 25 anvils for sale! Average was $60-$100, then the next show there was none! LOL Nobody likes lugging those things around if they don't sell!
I wasn't too surprised by the ring actually. Railroad track cap is usually a hardenable steel which is why it gets used to make hammers and other tooling. And Man At Arms Reforged has made a few huge swords out of it. You have a great little anvil there.
Great video john i have a few pieces of track kicking around
Danoh! If you clean up the face you will be shocked at how fast they sell!!!
That RR track anvil was a great deal for $5 and came out awesome as well as the standard gauge one.Gotta love those surface grinders to make quick work on steel. When I saw your steel disc hanging from the scale I was thinking 35lbs. Just a lucky guess. Hope you're having a nice December ScoutCrafter. Looking forward to the holidays then the swap meet.
Hi Steve! =) I still think of your face when I picked up that track! =O You thought I was joking! =D I think that was the rustiest thing I ever cleaned up... The shop was covered in brown dust! My lungs are probably magnetic! =) The ring on that track makes it all worthwhile! =) Thanks Steve!
Absolutely! That is one sweet ring! You never back down from a challenge no matter how rusty!👍
I think I was more surprised about the bolt. Lol🤣
Hi John , I Just Found Out Something Pretty Cool . I Have An Old Pair of 8" End Nippers . Been Using Them . One Handle is Bent But , Well They Are Carew Pat. 1882-1891 ! I Don't Think I'll Use Them Anymore . WOW !
Wow! That is OLD! Some nippers made years ago were super high quality! For Music wire and such! Great score!
Your RR anvil turned out great! They make leveling washers (aka beveled washers) for I-beams to help with clamping - I wonder if they would work on your RR tracks?
357magdad I usually let it bounce around the bench! 😂
Fantastic video John I have been trying to find a big thick cutoff
Like you got so hard to find how did you find it ,even the train
Track is expensive it’s crazy it came up great love the pitted sides
I just got a sand blaster such a great tool for cleaning up steel
Ect god bless take care 🇳🇿🇺🇸👏🛠
Hi Matt! Yes! I too have a cabinet blaster but not hooked up right now! LOL
Nice informative video tonight John. I have a small piece of track but it looks like now I’m gonna go out to find me a new larger lively one. This will go great with the marble hunting knife I just purchased at an estate sale today. I need to quit watching your videos because it’s costing me a fortune lol, I was just kidding about that last comment I truly enjoy seeing what you can do hopefully my knife will turn out as good as yours and I need to make a leather sheath for mine I have a bunch of Leather that I can put to good use
Hi Allen! I found a beautiful NOS US Govt. leather sheath on ebay for $7- They are all over! Great buy on the Marbles! =) Thanks Allen!
I'm remembering singing in the anvil chorus in Il Trovatore! That one chunk of track there really rings!
Bill! I bet you too were surprised by the ring! Thanks !!!!
@@ScoutCrafter Actually, Yeah! Very consistent, pitched ring! It has musical qualities! A very nice piece o' steel!!
The process for big anvils run into serious money, I was lucky. I managed to buy an anvil made from a piece of track fir only one dollar. By the way, I think that machinists call this cut off pieces "drops".
Your flat rate postal service is great.Here in the UK buying steel by post is expensive.It doubles the price.
Tony You are so right, Flat rate shipping really was a smart idea, just like forever stamps. However postal rates have skyrocketed in the past year... 😃👍
Especially the Acme anvil 😁
Awesome video 💯
Joseph Turk is correct that gauge is the distance between rail heads and rail size is the size of the rail. Our company built a standard gauge track with 20 lb rail including a turnout for a 4-wheeled push car to be able to get fishing boats around two sills along the Pearl River between LA and MS in 1971. Steel rail has been rolled in 8 lb to 155 lb sections and crane rail from 105 lb to 175 lb sections. The 8 lb rail is 1 9/16 high by 1 9/16 in wide on the base to 155 lb is 8 in high by 6 3/4 in wide on the base. Crane rail has a Tee shape but the top is flat and the sides of the ball or head are vertical for double flanged wheels.
If you will give me the height, base, web, and width of head of each of your rails, I think I can tell you what the rail sections are.
A piece of H-beam or I-beam will also make a decent anvil.
If a piece of steel is hit and can bounce it won't ring as well as if it well supported or hung.
Hello Roy! All great information! There is a lot to know about tracks! Is a section still a yard or will it change to a meter?
@@ScoutCrafter Our classification is pounds per yard. In most of the rest of the world it is Kg per meter.
Way back when coal wagons were pulled by horses from the mine to the warf in Wales the rails were cast from cast iron in 3 foot lengths and most of them had a flat running surface and an arched riser which kept the wagon wheels(just like the wheels for on the roads) on. They were supported by stones such the risers were on the inside of the track. This was before Trevithick made the Pennydarren locomotive in 1803.
I always keep my eye out for large pieces of steel for that purpose. I even have a nice smooth rock that I use in some applications. The next time I see you I have something you might like for you.
Hi Joe! Hopefully we will have a meeting around Jan 7th!
Great info. I don't think you mentioned the high quality steel grafted onto the tops of anvils to increase their strength as well as the tool bounce.. Will start looking for some track steel in my area. Track anvil looks great for smaller projects. Take Care.
Anvils are so diverse! There are wrought iron, cast iron, cast steel, solid, laminated... I wish I knew more!
Hey Scout I got a tip for you with your bucket of vinegar jugs of water in with it and it will raise the level of the vinegar or anything else that will take up space then you can cover the railroad track thank you so much for all your videos I learned so much every time I watch and we do like the longer videos and Merry Christmas
My grandfather was an engineer for the B&O and he had a small piece of track he used as an anvil. Sadly it got lost over the years. I remember that thing being heavy, gosh I wish I still had it.
Great video buddy! I've been looking for an anvil for well over a year but they are so dang expensive by me. I think I might have to look for a railroad track now LOL thanks for the info!
Madstiles Jim- The full size tracks make great anvils... The funny thing is either you see 10 of them or none at all! 😃👍
Really interesting. It is crazy what has happened to the price of anvils!
Yes! However I believe they will drop again... Blacksmithing became real popular as UA-cam videos showed how much fun it is but it soon wears off, especially when all that work produces mostly primitive stuff! =)
Good job. A most useful tool . Use mine all the time.
Good suggestion for a video. Very interesting. I need to look for a piece of railroad track. Not sure where. Thanks for the video.
Tony! Jacktown!!!!!!!! =)
Excellent anvil video. I had not been around them enough to know of the ping test. And of course I personally like anything having to do with an RR, so I like the new anvil you got! Wonder what kind of insulators were on the line where that track was in use?😄
Lee, Did you ever imagine going back in time, Like "The time machine"? =D
Wile E coyote, super genius!
=D ACME was his brand!
Thanks for the shout out! Another good video.
Eddie! Everyone is remembering your Grandfather today! Thanks for the inspiration! =)
Thank you so much. Another great video.
Thank you. I think that is street car rail cool video
Love your vid ! I been wanting an anvil for some time, now I know what to look for. Thanks for the info!
Ugh clam shell packaging don't you just hate that stuff lol. The railroad stuff is always so neat. I've seen some really nice knives made from the spikes. Have a great weekend thanks Scout =D
Thought you were going to play a tune on those pieces of rail. Nice ring on the five dollar find!
Do I win a prize, I guessed 30 lb when I saw that slice. Not far out
Great guess! That is really heavy for such a piece!
like your idea of bolting vice and anvils down to wood board then clamp to work bench and
Interesting comparison to the rebound effect.
where does the time go...good stuff
Some rail tracks are made of "mangalloy" which work hardens crazily under impact. Wikipedia isn't a "real source" but it's what's at hand: "[Mangalloy] will achieve up to three times its surface hardness during conditions of impact, without any increase in brittleness which is usually associated with hardness". This may be why some rail tracks make really really great anvils, while others are anywhere from "alright" to barely-alive.
On buildings with large doors (like hangars) the smaller RR track is used for the wheels to ride on. It works great until the cast wheels wear out!
I wonder where you can get longer pieces?
@@ScoutCrafter
I googled "railroad track for hangar doors" and got a few places that still build them like that. Most modern door systems use hydraulics or bifold doors with electric motors and steel cables. When they built the ones I have worked in they leave the scrap pieces of rail at the building instead of hauling it off.
I was going to say 25# but that's what I get for saying. I don't bang on my bvise but very little. I can frail on the 'H' beam on the wood splitter and no worries there. I have a solid block but never think of using it. Most of my exploits are too big for it. And a new Estwing framming hammer has a NICE ring to it! Thanks, CS and Hi 2 Smiley!
Estwing! Nice!!!!
Excellent. Thanks.
Call thanks for the tips on how to make an anvil
Hello SC. I recently won two 4 foot sections of rail at an auction
Not sure what I will do with all of it but I know I want to make an anvil.
What is the best size for a small shop anvil?
I am thinking about going with 1 foot.
The 4 foot pieces are too heavy to move but one foot should be around 40 pounds.
Manageable but still heavy enough to not to not move when I beat it.
Is there any point in putting a horn on one?
I understand horns are handy for making bends.
However the horn on a train track anvil would be so small that I'm not sure it would be practical.
Thanks for the great videos!
I always get some good outta your videos. Thanks you sir
Hey that episode gives me an idea, how about some kind of anvil challenge? Only blacksmiths give much care to their anvil. That video seems to be inspiring the rest of us to do something with our old anvils. Maybe just a before and after shot (all our favorite part) of how we made our anvils at least more presentable, if not over the top. What do you think?
James! I would love it but I wonder how many people we have that own an anvil? =) I have 2
My thought is that we could use whatever we are using as an anvil. Like a piece of rail, or other hunk of steel.
I have my grandpa's piece of railroad track, (New York Central), just a tad larger than the one you showed and in it invaluable, when not used as an anvil it makes a great paper weight. LOL
You are so right! So many uses!
Nice clean up. What did you paint the track with after cleaning it with acid? Thanks.
great video, very educational. thank you, You are amazing!
Great videos please keep making more!
$5 for that track seems like a really good deal!
I've heard some people frowning on using tracks for anvils. I don't remember why though.
David, Tracks have been used for over 100 years as small shop anvils... How can anyone argue with a "track" record like that!? =D
@@ScoutCrafter groan!
The double headed nails w re used to make concrete and other forms. The first head held the form together. The upper nail was used to tear the forms apart.
Hi John! I bought a lot of nails once and got a bunch (pounds) of double headed nails.. Can't find them now! =/
Hi John , Those Double Headed Nails Are Commonly Known As Duplex Nails . Did Foundation Work Too !
We used to call them "Duplex" nails, used always for temp jobs.
I always wondered if that huge round piece came with the Dake, apparently not.
I love the pieces of railroad track. Do you just find them on the side of the tracks? They're just so cool to have even! Great videos. Thanks again.
Hi Laura, I get mine from tractor shows... There is almost always a flea market section at every show. The funny thing is it's always hit and miss...Either there will be a bunch for sale or none at all! LOL
Do you use a double wheel bench grinder or just a motor with a wheel? Also show us how you do lawnmower blades thanks!
I have a few different sized pieces of steel that I use as anvils. I also have a couple semi tractor engine piston pins given to me by a neighbor when I was a kid. They are smallish as an anvil, but the ends a very flat and they are very Haaaard. BTW. At 4:10 when you show the bucket o' vinegar, you can see an old liquid tide laundry detergent bottle. I work for the company that molds the bottles for Tide, and that bottle (200oz) has not been molded for probably fifteen years or more. I saw a video you made about making your own laundry soap, do you put it in that old Tide bottle and keep reusing it?
Wow! James! You have great eyes!!!! Yes! I keep using those older Tide bottles because they held a lot (200oz!) How cool is that!?!?! WOW!
12:20 I've been working on the railroad
,
All the live long day.
I've been working on the railroad,
Just to pass the time away…
Remember John Henry?
I am curious if the last anvil would've sounded differently after you resurfaced it. Great video.
Hi Ben! I didn't even think of tapping it before... Usually tracks don't ping like that! =)
@@ScoutCrafter Actually I'm referring to the one you resurfaced at the end. Earlier in the episode you hit it and it sounded better than the vice anvil and better than the smaller anvil, but not as good as the one you restored. Then you resurfaced it and I was wondering if you "pinged" that one to see? (still could - if you do, let us know if your resurfacing made an improvement) THanks!
You said you painted the side of the track after the muriatic acid treatment. What did you use to paint the sides? Great video!
Great video i always learn something. But i have a question what is cold rolled steel and tooled steel maybe you could address that some time. Again great video. Thanks Don
Hi Don! In a nutshell depending on the ingredients added to the mix of a steel it will have certain properties like hardness, strength, edge retention... Tool steel is a higher grade of steel that is more expensive to produce but is great for making all sorts of tools, the cold rolled steel is your run of the mill steel that is less expensive and made for more general use. Things like carbon content and tensile strength are all considered when making steel.. I have found that a good tool steel can cost 4 times regular run of the mill steel! -=)
I use a women's heart I found that to be the hardest surface known to man!
When you grounded a new surface on that old track piece, did the hardness change?
I heard RR tracks get work hardened by trains traveling over them. As a result, the layer of the work hardened steel is very thin.
Don't know if that is true, but it does make sense. Basically, does it "ring" as before?
I only checked the ring when it was finished, seems very good! I have a few anvils but they are heavy and this is a really good size for lots of smaller work. The flap wheel is very good for only removing rust, the grinding wheel removes much more metal! Thanks!!!!!
When you refer to narrow gauge it’s not the height or size of the rail narrow gauge is the width of the tracks from one rail to the other. Standard gauge is 4’ 8 1/2”
The difference is size of the rail it’s self is 85lbs 90 lbs 112lbs 115 and so on up to about 141lb rail which means every three feet of rail weighs that much and of course the the ball gets bigger with bigger rail.
It does make a decent anvil but keep in mind it’s bridle because of the harness so if it cracks or chips it can be dangerous.
Joseph Turk Pennsylvania railroad supposedly had a 155 lb rail in the 50’s much of which is owned by Norfolk Southern now I don’t know if any still exists
I’ll bet you have more than a couple of anything! Haha great video
another interesting video as usual
Hold it, hold it HOLD IT. I think me heard jingle bells being played on the anvils! C'mon try it again. ACME Anvils rock!
ACME!!!!!!!