Great idea! I went out and found a piece of rail just laying on the ground. It was part of a rail that seemed to go on for miles but I still managed to cut out a 14" piece. It'll be perfect!
As a blacksmith, and an accomplished Knife Maker, I would say this isn’t a good idea without being a snob. The main job of a good anvil is to reciprocate the force of your hammer blows back up through your work piece. This cannot happen with railroad track because of the width of the rail beneath the actual track surface. The energy transfer of an anvil occurs due to the mass of the surface directly beneath the the face of the anvil. If you wanted to actually get a reciprocal hit from your anvil, your best bet would be to turn the railroad track on its end, long ways up and down and then work on that 1.5x 3“ surface of the actual rail on its side. As it is, railroad track is perfectly fine for doing things like adding on snap toggles and the like, but for any kind of real forging you will simply wear your elbow out using something like this. Buy a 75 pound anvil and throw it up on a cube made from 9 4x4 lengths of about 28-34 inches. The anvil face should be about the same height that your knuckles are, resting on the surface if you were standing next to it. Trust me, saving $300 to do something like this rather than just getting a proper work. surface is not worth blowing your elbow out two years down the road.
@@dundas9222 all the same, you want the anvil doing the work, not your elbow. Whether you make knives or just bend metal for projects, you should take care of the most important tool, your body :)
yea that was my First thought as well...as someone Who Worked on a Farm and Pounded on an Anvil with a Sledge Hammer ...sure it is Great if your making little things.
I built one of these a little over seven months ago for my shop just south of Unity, OH, and it's been a game changer. Rail wasn't readily available locally so I had to get creative, but it all worked out in the end. Thanks!
My Father-in-law gave me a piece of track (1971) and told me that it will come in handy at some point in my life. I have been using it for almost 50yrs.
I have had a rail anvil for 65 years. I tapered one end on top to a very long tapered point. One end on the bottom is cut square to approximately a 25 degree angle. Don’t use it often, but extremely handy when needed, often for sheet metal type work. The wood block absorbs energy, but reduces ring. I sent it in a vice when I want to use the bottom. Recently used both side to make a downspout adaptor that needed a square corner on one end and a rounded corner on the other end. Have a regular anvil for forging type work.
In engineering, (and mathematics) the simplest possible answer to a problem is always considered the most "elegant" or "beautiful". This is the most elegant rail-tie anvil I have ever seen.
@@grahambeer8179 Sorry to be blunt, but BS. You've been reading too many mission statements! :) (Effort isn't 'simple' or 'complicated' - neither make sense. Effort is quantified, not qualified. The *task* may be simple or complicated, of course.)
@@johnbb99 thanks. I agree with your description regarding effort. I worked in maths. Elegance was always the result of many hours of effort trying to reduce understanding to its most essential components
26 years ago. I was walking along an abandoned length of railroad while on a lunch break. And I found a foot and half long, rusty piece of rail that had been cut off and tossed to the side of the tracks. I picked it up, and carried that thing on my shoulder all the way back to where I was working. Been using it as an anvil in my garage ever since. One of my most important tools.
This was cool, I went out to the back yard this afternoon and chopped a few feet of track, came back in and made this, just about when I was done I heard this loud horn and a big rumbling, and it felt like we had an earthquake!! Then all I heard was screams and sirens etc, must have been a huge car crash or something. Anyhow the paper weight is great I love it
That is just masterful thinking, - When you removed it, and re-inserted it upside down to the flatter bottom section, it was sheer brilliance, so good, Thank you.
🆔ⓈⒺⓍⓈⒽⓄⓅ🔞↷ᶜˡⁱᶜᵏˡⁱⁿᵏ👇 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🔞 👉 NUDE.SNAPGIRLS.TODAY/PIIT ❤ UA-cam: This is fine Someone: Says "heck" UA-cam: Be gone однако я люблю таких рыбаков Интересно забавно девушка смешная 垃圾 ライブ配信の再編ありがとうです！この日のライブ配信は、かならりやばかったですね！１万人を超える人が見ていたもんね（笑）やっぱり人参最高！まさかのカメラ切り忘れでやら1かしたのもドキドキでした！今後は気を付けないとね. . ! 💖🖤 ❤️#今後は気をライブ配信の再編あり がとうです！#この日のライブ配信は、#かならりやばかったですね！#１万人を超える人が見ていたもん（#笑）#やっぱり人参最高！#まさかのカメラ切り忘れでやら1かしたのもドキドキでした,.💖🖤 #在整個人類歷史上，#強者，#富人和具有狡猾特質的人捕食部落，#氏族，#城鎮，#城市和鄉村中的弱者，#無`'#守和貧窮成員。#然而，#人類的生存意願迫使那些被拒絕，#被剝奪或摧毀的基本需求的人們找到了一種生活方式，#並繼續將其DNA融入不斷發展的人類社會。.#說到食物，#不要以為那些被拒絕的人只吃垃圾。#相反，#他們學會了在被忽視的肉類和蔬菜中尋找營養。#他們學會了清潔，#切塊，#調味和慢燉慢燉的野菜和肉類，#在食品市場上被忽略的部分家用蔬菜和肉類，#並且學會了使用芳香的木煙（#如山核桃，#山核桃和豆科灌木 #來調味食物
Cool ideal. I have a 18" piece of track I have been saving for 20 years. I'm going to copy this idea now that I have my shop built. Thanks for the video.
It took me a hellish long time to hacksaw a piece down at the local rail yard. ..in the dark made it a lot harder. But, a small section makes a spectacular solid surface when pounding the life out of something is required; a lot better than hands-n-knees on concrete. Yours is very elegant compared to my raw-rail. Congrats. Jim
I used to work for a railway company and got an off cut before they went back to the foundry for recycling. It was about 8 inches long, perfectly shiny and weighed a ton, (not literally, but it was very heavy). I used it as an anvil for many years, but it got lost in the last move. I don't have a complete workshop to back up needless projects that only seem to exist to fill up the creator's time.
Nice project but as a blcaksmith I can tell you that a piece of railroad track works better as an anvil if you mount it vertically rather than horizontally. It puts more steel and mass under the point of impact. All you really care about is the area directly under the hammer blow. Try taking the rail out of the mounting block and setting it on end. Then try using it vertically and horizontally to experience the difference. It is a bit counter intuitive but it really works better vertically.
Sounds logical; more mass under more stable. His shure Looks nice' & also looked great for smaller moldings stuff. Convenient swinging handles too. My shit too heavy for any portability!
I love this Idea. I already use a piece of track as an anvil, but the support to use the top and bottom of the track is awesome. 2 suggestion for you and your viewers: 1) Angle one side of the top of the track into a dull point. This will help when working with some cone or canister shaped items. 2) For eliminating rust (even all the way into those pits) I like to soak any rusty steel or stainless steel in distilled white vinegar for 24 to 48 hours (about $2.00 per gallon). Then broom off with stiff non-metal brush; rinse with water; immediately spray with 90% or greater Isopropyl Alcohol; then dry off with towel or compressed air. It will look new, except for those clean pits. Now ready to be primed and painted with no worry of rust ever bubbling up under the paint. DO NOT use vinegar with alloys or soft metals; the vinegar will eat some of those away or turn it black.
BRILLIANT idea! LOVE IT! Regular anvils are far too expensive for common people to afford and this would be PERFECT for a garage shop and takes up FAR less space!
Railroad track has been used for small anvils for a many of years, but you found a way to make them look nice, easy to move around, and the flipping over idea is just brilliant! Plus I assume being wrapped in wood helps take some of the loud ring and ping out of it, but not so much that it deadens it completely. Quality work!!!
@@fishhuntadventure it's an anvil. Not a piece of furniture. It's going to get beat up. LOL. You think that some burnt areas are going to make a difference. That the difference about people who get things done, and prone who make content for mouth breathers to watch on UA-cam. The difference between "oDdLy sAtiSfYiNg" videos on UA-cam and actual work being done.
i have a 22inch piece of track myself. I went to local rail yard and asked if they had any small pieces. Told them i wanted to make an anvil out of it. They gave that to me. People on here act like it's some unattainable thing. This is great idea, because right now i'm just turning it upside in my vise to hold it.
My railroad track has been on my work bench for over 40 years now. It's certainly not as pretty as yours but every bit as functional. Thanks for sharing your project.
I just made a railroad track piece into the shape of an anvil. It's useful for hammering mild steel and non ferrous metals. Tried hammering rebar cold and it gouged the track. Tried hammering the rebar when it was red hot and while it did eventually get hammered into shape correctly, it took way too much work to do it because the track is specifically formulated to REDUCE vibration which means that it has very low rebound. These types of non-anvils are very useful especially for hammering bent steel sheet, but the aren't good blacksmith anvils. Currently a one foot length of 3in 4140 heat treat is running about ten percent the cost of a good new anvil, and mounted vertically next to the train track anvil will pretty much do anything a beginner needs.
My dad worked for the "H.B.&T R.R. for many yrs. And yes he had a piece of RR for an anvil, nothing like this however. That piece of metal was undistuckable. Thanks for the video.🇺🇸😎
Sweeeeeeeeeeet! I spent one summer before college laying tracks in Ohio for the B&O. After that no work was ever hard! lol Very creative, my friend. I really enjoyed watching you make that anvil. I wish now that I'd kept a slice of that rail. ;-)) Shalom/gw
@@pbc1951 Hi Paul. From your pic, you could be my old boss's brother. LOL Do you believe in fate? As a kid all I wanted was airplanes, my first love. But my dad would only buy me trains, because he wanted me to play guitar and was afraid I would cut my fingers off on the prop. My first summer job was trackman. The next summer I was fireman on a switcher in a Youngstown steel mill. Talk about boring! I had my sights set on aviation. But it wasn't to be. I ended up spending my entire career designing and building electric trains...REALLY BIG ONES! And I married a railroad conductor's daughter. :-)) Merry Christmas. P.S. I did eventually get a private pilot licence and have flown RC planes for fifty years. Oh, and I put myself through school playing lead guitar in a rock band and played in churches since.
When I was a jeweler I had a foot long piece of rail I used for an anvil. It wasn’t quite as fancy as this but I did take it to a machine shop to get the top perfectly smooth and highly polished. Nice video, thanks! And Happy New Year!
The jeweler's rails I've seen included leather on one side, with various notches for different applications. But I like the portable nature of the one in this video.
Eugene! I love that! Especially that you made it to invert. I wondered why you cut out that curve where the flat bottom of the rail would be. Very smart, and very well done!
Congratulations. I have watched man videos of this type, but this is the first one where i was impressed enough to think that I really needed one of those in my life. Out to the scrap pile now. To busy to write anything more. Bye Many thanks oh wise one.
At first I thought, why build the wood container, UNTIL you flipped it over to have the large flat base. Genius. The only negative would be if the heads of those internal bolts ever decide to spin in their cutouts, then there is no fixing it. Nice video overall.
Awesome job! I have an anvil ( anvil shaped object, ASO,) that I made from a piece of rail track, it took me a few weekends to shape it but jeez it has been a handy bit of kit in the workshop. We’ll done to you for an ingenious design and use of the rail track. I’m inspired to make one. Cheers cobber
I think it looks beautiful and has a lot of uses but I also think the wood comes up so high around the side of it that it makes the side of the anvil less available and I think the side is important for shaping things.
I bought a chunk of railroad track from the flea market this summer for 15$, it’s about 10” long, I think I’ll be making me one of these this spring just for fun!
My dad had a 14 inch piece of railroad iron that he forged a knife with that and a Weber kettle grill, and a 2.5lb engineer hammer. I still have that knife to this very day. He used a bar from a chainsaw because it was good steel and heat treated already. It was innovation like that that led me to understand that you can do damn near anything if you apply yourself.
@@chrisp9046yes and yes. Or if you flatten the surface completely with a diamond hone, you can use it as backing for sandpaper while you sharpen your chisels and plane irons. Having a high mass object to absorb impact is nice for shaping metal or repairing tools that are in need of slight ‘persuasion’. Aluminum plates will bounce and can possibly deform, but it’s hard to deform steel that is heat treated and made to withstand trains.
Hi Eugene, That was a very interesting project, I may make one myself, One thing I like to do with a Rusty piece of steel is spray it with WD-40 before using a wire wheel or a Brush to kill the Dust, >Joe, Baltimore MD.
B&O museum is in Baltimore & my great great grandfather was engineer of royal Blue he lived in Baltimore up high overlooking the harbor - my Dad used to cut up rail & put in on walnut honorary plaques -
🆔ⓈⒺⓍⓈⒽⓄⓅ🔞↷ᶜˡⁱᶜᵏˡⁱⁿᵏ👇 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🔞 👉 NUDE.SNAPGIRLS.TODAY/PIIT ❤ UA-cam: This is fine Someone: Says "heck" UA-cam: Be gone однако я люблю таких рыбаков Интересно забавно девушка смешная 垃圾 ライブ配信の再編ありがとうです！この日のライブ配信は、かならりやばかったですね！１万人を超える人が見ていたもんね（笑）やっぱり人参最高！まさかのカメラ切り忘れでやら1かしたのもドキドキでした！今後は気を付けないとね. . ! 💖🖤 ❤️#今後は気をライブ配信の再編あり がとうです！#この日のライブ配信は、#かならりやばかったですね！#１万人を超える人が見ていたもん（#笑）#やっぱり人参最高！#まさかのカメラ切り忘れでやら1かしたのもドキドキでした,.💖🖤 #在整個人類歷史上，#強者，#富人和具有狡猾特質的人捕食部落，#氏族，#城鎮，#城市和鄉村中的弱者，#無`'#守和貧窮成員。#然而，#人類的生存意願迫使那些被拒絕，#被剝奪或摧毀的基本需求的人們找到了一種生活方式，#並繼續將其DNA融入不斷發展的人類社會。.#說到食物，#不要以為那些被拒絕的人只吃垃圾。#相反，#他們學會了在被忽視的肉類和蔬菜中尋找營養。#他們學會了清潔，#切塊，#調味和慢燉慢燉的野菜和肉類，#在食品市場上被忽略的部分家用蔬菜和肉類，#並且學會了使用芳香的木煙（#如山核桃，#山核桃和豆科灌木 #來調味食物
@@dolphincliffs8864 I used to work in a shop and one of the guys used hydrochloric acid on Friday evening to etch/clean something and when we returned on Monday, all our machine tools were ruined. Mills, lathes, and surface grinders had rusted ways. Apparently, the shop being closed up tight left the vaporized acid in the air to attack the bare steel of the machine tools. We also had a few instances of corroded electrical connections. It was a complete disaster! I occasionally use acid to etch/clean, but only outdoors or with forced air ventilation.
@@cornpop7805 That surface rust is a bitch! There is definitely a learning curve with HCL! I did that ONCE! Laughing with you for sure! Outside use only and have the piece with soaked towels or in a bucket but damn sure outside! Wrecked all kinds of stuff one day!
Good idea, I need to use your idea. I have a piece of RR track about the same size. Have been using it for about 40 years. My dad used it before me and his dad before him. Pay no attention to the whiners below. They blob out on the couch all day and lack the strength to use a piece of track, that is why they are so envious and bitter. Stay positive.
The anvil from Rail Road track rail is something we've made may times in several USAF Machine Shops. Depending on the type of rail used, we would make some really nice small anvils that looked like the larger Blacksmith Types. By type of rail, I'm talking about the height of the rail. I believe the US SAE Rail Specifications call it "Rail Depth", that is the height of the rail. They can be from 1 9/16 to 6 1/8 inches tall. The width of the base, the flat part that sits on the ties, will be as wide as it is tall or the same as the depth of the rail. The smaller ones would either be used for a desk display or used for small items, much like a Jewelers Anvil. But I do like the one featured here as well. The plywood shell or base he made for this would probably work best with the short to medium height rails. The taller rails can get a bit heavy and we always drilled mounting holes in the base for them. To make the horn on the anvil on these rails takes a lot of grinding. But these RR rails are made from some of the best steel you can get.
Former USAF machinist here myself. Never made an anvil unfortunately, we were usually too busy pulling out all of the stripped screws from the panels on our F16's. Never underestimate the destructive capabilities of a crew chief with a speed handle. 🤣
@@AllThingsMech Same in the RAAF, all too many times an Avionics Technician would strip panel fasteners then seek help from an Aircraft Technician when it's too late.
@@coronalight77 I was responding to the original comment, not the video...but hey, thanks for the even more useless comment about my comment. Well done! Run along now, be sure to get a cookie from your mom.
I had NO idea where this was going, but that was the half the fun of it. Great idea, who would have ever thought of going beyond just using the raw rail piece as an anvil? Only this guy!
Nice project. Looks very professionally finished. I might personally have used full lengths of threaded rod and welded them to the handle strap at one end (Or turned up some plain rod and threaded the last 30 or so millimetres), then possibly used wing nuts on the unwelded end...... but it was your project, so you get to choose how to do it.
Wonderful and so satisfying to see excellent work performed by master craftspeople with the right tools. Also, your ideas are really clever and the results so attractive. This one would make an excellent gift and I want one, too. Your no-nonsense videos with good views, good lighting and pace are a real joy to watch. Thank you for taking the time, adding a becoming sound track and sharing.
I’ve been using a piece of rr track as an anvil for a few years now. Just In my bs little home work station. Really like what you did with your setup. Mine I just found in the at the local public shooting area and took home but it has a lot of craters. This makes me want to get a clean pice and try to recreate what you have done
I bet the craters give it personality though. I kinda like stuff like that. Maybe you could clean it up and do what he did but leave some of the craters? I feel like its part of the patina.
hit up your local rail yard, they are usually more than happy to give away cutoffs of both old and new track. If you're lucky and know someone who works for a rail company even easier. I got a nice clean cutoff through a buddy, but he told me they give away chunks all the time.
I'm an amateur knife maker and what i did for an anvil is I went to my local steel supplier and asked if they had any large off cuts I could buy. I found a 1 square foot block of mild steel that is nearly 3 inches thick. It cost me 40 bucks
Great idea and cool design. Rail is great for light duty jobs as you demonstrate in your video. I have two anvils and also a rail in my shop. They all have their applications and advantages. Thanks for sharing!
terrific. My father was a " boss " on a railroad. he had the machinist make a 100Lb. ( Rail is called by 100, 120 ,150 , lb. weight in 3' of rail" FYI..)piece of rail into the shape of an ANVIL. but this has given me a chance to give it more life , great idea...!
@@ОйЁмаё it seems you're a very accomplished Craftsman with a 20 ton press in your garage. I'm sure a piece of railroad track would never be useful to an industrialist like you. If you bend a nail, you can just melt down your collection of bent nails and make new nails!
Wow. Certainly an example of fine craftsmanship. I guess I never gave my avil a second thought, I just throw minel upside down in my bench vise when I need it like that and then throw it under the workbench when done.
I had been thinking of ways to get my first anvil and considered the rail method but thought it would be clunky and was just considering trying to buy a cheap anvil somewhere. But this interests me a lot more, I already do a little bit of woodworking so I can just do the rail anvil in the stand like you did here and I’d get to avoid the possible issues with just the plain rail Because this one I can move around and put away when it’s not needed a bit easier I’d think since I can mount this to one of my worktops, I dunno all of the benefits really so I might just be spouting nonsense and there’s no actual difference between this and a normal anvil, but I’m assuming this one is lighter, and it definitely looks prettier and has a shape that seems easier to store. I can make my the banded shield I was thinking about making now with this
There are dozens of differences between this and a real anvil. I have both; started with a rail. It got me by for a short time but I quickly outgrew it.
I've used several rail anvils, but never thought to make a frame - it was easy to find a flat surface and put down some padding (like a towel) to quiet things and protect the surface. I ground rail sections into different shapes for different jobs. An important factor was what the rail had been used for. Prolonged use on a freight line can work-harden the rail to unbelievable toughness. Great for anvils, but it makes shaping the anvil difficult. Light use, it's easier to modify.
I was wondering the whole video “what the hell could this thing possibly do to be THAT essential?” Then it is so obvious at the end…and so obviously essential for any serious metal working. The suspense/intrigue was palpable😂!
Well, I'd still argue that a vice is more essential. A good vice even has enough of an anvil on it that you could do the things shown here. Still, this is one of the most useful and well excuted diy tools I've seen on youtube.
I have found the piece of rail I have useful for straightening bits of sheet metal by using the corners along the bottom. Sometimes older sheet metal objects need a reforming along a right angle and an old rail base is just the tool.
Nice work, seems like just as much enjoyment building it as it using it. Especially like the fact you can customize the build to whatever length you may need, but this example seems like a very practical length for most uses & still very portable. 👍👏
Great project and very useful. However you need to be more safe when using power tools. Especially your table saw. Losing fingers will not help your projects.
Now WHERE can I find a one foot length of track? Never seen such an animal. Of course you can easily find lengths of track lying around abandoned, but they are always much too long/heavy.
I don't know about the bottom of the rail but be warned that when you hit the top of any rail hard enough it can and will chip and send pieces of metal flying fast enough to put an eye out and even imbed into your skin. It has happened to me. Wear goggles and be sure no one is close by. Your creation is beautiful! Good job!
I'm an old body mechanic and that was my anvil of choice on the cheap. That guy was awesome, but did you know you could build a super break for bending thick plate with those rails. 👍
incredible. I have a piece that was my grandfather farm anvil that I have used and I love the idea about cleaning it up and making it a more attractive tool. I do think I will cut my grandfathers down to size as it is 2 feet long so it's a chunk to move. Thanks for great idea.
Don't forget PPE (hearing protection), that high frequency ringing can damage your hearing. Dan Gelbart's channel has a segment on damping ringing on an anvil
Thats awesome, I knew I saved that piece of railroad track from my grandfathers garage for a reason lol I am going to follow this guide and do the same thing you did, thanks!
My dad made me one of these many years ago. It's still in my shop and at my age ( 72 ) it still makes me think of that talented man.
Great idea! I went out and found a piece of rail just laying on the ground. It was part of a rail that seemed to go on for miles but I still managed to cut out a 14" piece. It'll be perfect!
Hopefully the next train won't have any problems getting past the missing section 🤣
@@comfortablynumb9342 haha!
Wow that’s amazing! With that much rail you could make an anvil road!
Whats the worst that could happen
So your the guy to blame for me being late to work today
As a blacksmith, and an accomplished Knife Maker, I would say this isn’t a good idea without being a snob. The main job of a good anvil is to reciprocate the force of your hammer blows back up through your work piece. This cannot happen with railroad track because of the width of the rail beneath the actual track surface. The energy transfer of an anvil occurs due to the mass of the surface directly beneath the the face of the anvil. If you wanted to actually get a reciprocal hit from your anvil, your best bet would be to turn the railroad track on its end, long ways up and down and then work on that 1.5x 3“ surface of the actual rail on its side. As it is, railroad track is perfectly fine for doing things like adding on snap toggles and the like, but for any kind of real forging you will simply wear your elbow out using something like this. Buy a 75 pound anvil and throw it up on a cube made from 9 4x4 lengths of about 28-34 inches. The anvil face should be about the same height that your knuckles are, resting on the surface if you were standing next to it. Trust me, saving $300 to do something like this rather than just getting a proper work. surface is not worth blowing your elbow out two years down the road.
Well you taught me something. Thanks!
What you say is true, But I don't think he made it to forge knives.
@@dundas9222 all the same, you want the anvil doing the work, not your elbow. Whether you make knives or just bend metal for projects, you should take care of the most important tool, your body :)
@@ThePerpetualStudent
yea that was my First thought as well...as someone Who Worked on a Farm and Pounded on an Anvil with a Sledge Hammer ...sure it is Great if your making little things.
I built one of these a little over seven months ago for my shop just south of Unity, OH, and it's been a game changer. Rail wasn't readily available locally so I had to get creative, but it all worked out in the end. Thanks!
Oh no lol
Loved it. Went and cut me a 24 inch piece off the track about a mile from here that runs through our woods.
Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha 😅😂🤣😅😆😄☺️😏😉 absolutely hysterical 🤣😅😂!!!!!
My Father-in-law gave me a piece of track (1971) and told me that it will come in handy at some point in my life. I have been using it for almost 50yrs.
I have had a rail anvil for 65 years. I tapered one end on top to a very long tapered point. One end on the bottom is cut square to approximately a 25 degree angle. Don’t use it often, but extremely handy when needed, often for sheet metal type work. The wood block absorbs energy, but reduces ring. I sent it in a vice when I want to use the bottom. Recently used both side to make a downspout adaptor that needed a square corner on one end and a rounded corner on the other end. Have a regular anvil for forging type work.
Me too. I prefer it bolted to my bench.
my mechanics made one a couple of years ago. It really is a piece of art:
ua-cam.com/video/UB1KBBWWeYg/v-deo.html
In engineering, (and mathematics) the simplest possible answer to a problem is always considered the most "elegant" or "beautiful".
This is the most elegant rail-tie anvil I have ever seen.
Yes it is.
Yes, the elegance comes from the simplicity. This is anything but simple.
@@johnbb99 the effort required to achieve elegance is never simple. Simplicity is always the result of arduous thinking and preparation.
@@grahambeer8179 Sorry to be blunt, but BS. You've been reading too many mission statements! :)
(Effort isn't 'simple' or 'complicated' - neither make sense. Effort is quantified, not qualified. The *task* may be simple or complicated, of course.)
@@johnbb99 thanks. I agree with your description regarding effort. I worked in maths. Elegance was always the result of many hours of effort trying to reduce understanding to its most essential components
26 years ago. I was walking along an abandoned length of railroad while on a lunch break. And I found a foot and half long, rusty piece of rail that had been cut off and tossed to the side of the tracks. I picked it up, and carried that thing on my shoulder all the way back to where I was working. Been using it as an anvil in my garage ever since. One of my most important tools.
This was cool, I went out to the back yard this afternoon and chopped a few feet of track, came back in and made this, just about when I was done I heard this loud horn and a big rumbling, and it felt like we had an earthquake!! Then all I heard was screams and sirens etc, must have been a huge car crash or something.
Anyhow the paper weight is great I love it
I was wondering how to get my hands on a piece of rail
You win the internet today!
That is just masterful thinking, - When you removed it, and re-inserted it upside down to the flatter bottom section, it was sheer brilliance, so good, Thank you.
🆔ⓈⒺⓍⓈⒽⓄⓅ🔞↷ᶜˡⁱᶜᵏˡⁱⁿᵏ👇 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🔞 👉 NUDE.SNAPGIRLS.TODAY/PIIT ❤
UA-cam: This is fine
Someone: Says "heck"
UA-cam: Be gone
однако я люблю таких рыбаков Интересно забавно девушка смешная 垃圾
ライブ配信の再編ありがとうです！この日のライブ配信は、かならりやばかったですね！１万人を超える人が見ていたもんね（笑）やっぱり人参最高！まさかのカメラ切り忘れでやら1かしたのもドキドキでした！今後は気を付けないとね. .
! 💖🖤 ❤️#今後は気をライブ配信の再編あり
がとうです！#この日のライブ配信は、#かならりやばかったですね！#１万人を超える人が見ていたもん（#笑）#やっぱり人参最高！#まさかのカメラ切り忘れでやら1かしたのもドキドキでした,.💖🖤 #在整個人類歷史上，#強者，#富人和具有狡猾特質的人捕食部落，#氏族，#城鎮，#城市和鄉村中的弱者，#無`'#守和貧窮成員。#然而，#人類的生存意願迫使那些被拒絕，#被剝奪或摧毀的基本需求的人們找到了一種生活方式，#並繼續將其DNA融入不斷發展的人類社會。.#說到食物，#不要以為那些被拒絕的人只吃垃圾。#相反，#他們學會了在被忽視的肉類和蔬菜中尋找營養。#他們學會了清潔，#切塊，#調味和慢燉慢燉的野菜和肉類，#在食品市場上被忽略的部分家用蔬菜和肉類，#並且學會了使用芳香的木煙（#如山核桃，#山核桃和豆科灌木 #來調味食物
Yes 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Pure masterclass thinking and skills
O
Beautiful piece of functional piece of work,mine was just drilled four holes on the flat part and screwed on a piece of wooden plank
Cool ideal. I have a 18" piece of track I have been saving for 20 years. I'm going to copy this idea now that I have my shop built. Thanks for the video.
Q
@Repent to Jesus Christ! yes, but do you have anything to say about the anvil, numbnuts?
@@catspaw3815 that guy must dress in black and cry at parties 🎉
@@flintdavis2 lol
@jesusislord6545Who?
Thats an awesome anvil. Made completely from scrapped parts found around work shop. Absolutely genius.
It took me a hellish long time to hacksaw a piece down at the local rail yard. ..in the dark made it a lot harder. But, a small section makes a spectacular solid surface when pounding the life out of something is required; a lot better than hands-n-knees on concrete. Yours is very elegant compared to my raw-rail. Congrats. Jim
I used to work for a railway company and got an off cut before they went back to the foundry for recycling. It was about 8 inches long, perfectly shiny and weighed a ton, (not literally, but it was very heavy). I used it as an anvil for many years, but it got lost in the last move. I don't have a complete workshop to back up needless projects that only seem to exist to fill up the creator's time.
Nice project but as a blcaksmith I can tell you that a piece of railroad track works better as an anvil if you mount it vertically rather than horizontally. It puts more steel and mass under the point of impact. All you really care about is the area directly under the hammer blow. Try taking the rail out of the mounting block and setting it on end. Then try using it vertically and horizontally to experience the difference. It is a bit counter intuitive but it really works better vertically.
So what about just a tuna can shaped fat cylinder of steel as an anvil? Or anvil base.
Sounds logical; more mass under more stable.
His shure Looks nice' & also looked great for smaller moldings stuff.
Convenient swinging handles too.
My shit too heavy for any portability!
@@wilbrennan7717 Slap some wheels under it
I'd be curious to see how t rebounds with a ball bearing
@@Magnacharger07 just make the wheels retractable :D
Fyi, for those wishing to use this, the head of the rail (the rounded side) is harder metal and will take much more hammer abuse than the flat side.
I love this Idea. I already use a piece of track as an anvil, but the support to use the top and bottom of the track is awesome. 2 suggestion for you and your viewers: 1) Angle one side of the top of the track into a dull point. This will help when working with some cone or canister shaped items. 2) For eliminating rust (even all the way into those pits) I like to soak any rusty steel or stainless steel in distilled white vinegar for 24 to 48 hours (about $2.00 per gallon). Then broom off with stiff non-metal brush; rinse with water; immediately spray with 90% or greater Isopropyl Alcohol; then dry off with towel or compressed air. It will look new, except for those clean pits. Now ready to be primed and painted with no worry of rust ever bubbling up under the paint. DO NOT use vinegar with alloys or soft metals; the vinegar will eat some of those away or turn it black.
@Repent to Jesus Christ! you're in the wrong place at the the wrong time!
You can use muriatic acid for the rust and it will clean all for few minutes like white metal.
@@christianpaulroldan4010
I like how the comment immediately following the Jesus comment is actually a 'Christian'!
@@christianpaulroldan4010 Phosphoric acid is a bit less harsh and works quite nicely too.
Edited to remove reference to sulphuric acid.
@Repent to Jesus Christ! Holy shit, what are you doin here???
Best door stopper I ever seen, really!
Honestly I wasn’t sure how this idea was gonna turn out, incredible job! Very well done!
BRILLIANT idea! LOVE IT! Regular anvils are far too expensive for common people to afford and this would be PERFECT for a garage shop and takes up FAR less space!
Common people? Damn you must be broke as fuck
Railroad track has been used for small anvils for a many of years, but you found a way to make them look nice, easy to move around, and the flipping over idea is just brilliant! Plus I assume being wrapped in wood helps take some of the loud ring and ping out of it, but not so much that it deadens it completely. Quality work!!!
What he said ^^^^^^
Awesome
Maybe put some rubber sheet on the bottom
@@АйбулатИсхаков maybe sand out the blade burns
@@fishhuntadventure it's an anvil. Not a piece of furniture. It's going to get beat up. LOL. You think that some burnt areas are going to make a difference. That the difference about people who get things done, and prone who make content for mouth breathers to watch on UA-cam. The difference between "oDdLy sAtiSfYiNg" videos on UA-cam and actual work being done.
Anvil was just the excuse, to demonstrate inspiration, multiple tool use and great craftsmanship. Really enjoyed it 😊
You must have missed the blade burn on the side.
i have a 22inch piece of track myself. I went to local rail yard and asked if they had any small pieces. Told them i wanted to make an anvil out of it. They gave that to me. People on here act like it's some unattainable thing. This is great idea, because right now i'm just turning it upside in my vise to hold it.
An old railroad spike has been one of my favorite masonry chisels for years, when it gets dinged up I just grind a new edge.
My railroad track has been on my work bench for over 40 years now.
It's certainly not as pretty as yours but every bit as functional.
Thanks for sharing your project.
I just made a railroad track piece into the shape of an anvil. It's useful for hammering mild steel and non ferrous metals. Tried hammering rebar cold and it gouged the track. Tried hammering the rebar when it was red hot and while it did eventually get hammered into shape correctly, it took way too much work to do it because the track is specifically formulated to REDUCE vibration which means that it has very low rebound. These types of non-anvils are very useful especially for hammering bent steel sheet, but the aren't good blacksmith anvils. Currently a one foot length of 3in 4140 heat treat is running about ten percent the cost of a good new anvil, and mounted vertically next to the train track anvil will pretty much do anything a beginner needs.
Why not use rail as is?
The most amazing thing about this video was when you flipped the RR track over! Mind blown! It’s made almost symmetrical, I’d never guessed that.
My dad worked for the "H.B.&T R.R. for many yrs. And yes he had a piece of RR for an anvil, nothing like this however. That piece of metal was undistuckable. Thanks for the video.🇺🇸😎
Sweeeeeeeeeeet! I spent one summer before college laying tracks in Ohio for the B&O. After that no work was ever hard! lol Very creative, my friend. I really enjoyed watching you make that anvil. I wish now that I'd kept a slice of that rail. ;-)) Shalom/gw
Work on the GM&O..... Many years... And in 1972 merge with IC... 2 years was on a tie gang.... Yep never had a hard job since.
@@pbc1951 Hi Paul. From your pic, you could be my old boss's brother. LOL Do you believe in fate? As a kid all I wanted was airplanes, my first love. But my dad would only buy me trains, because he wanted me to play guitar and was afraid I would cut my fingers off on the prop. My first summer job was trackman. The next summer I was fireman on a switcher in a Youngstown steel mill. Talk about boring! I had my sights set on aviation. But it wasn't to be. I ended up spending my entire career designing and building electric trains...REALLY BIG ONES! And I married a railroad conductor's daughter. :-)) Merry Christmas. P.S. I did eventually get a private pilot licence and have flown RC planes for fifty years. Oh, and I put myself through school playing lead guitar in a rock band and played in churches since.
When I was a jeweler I had a foot long piece of rail I used for an anvil. It wasn’t quite as fancy as this but I did take it to a machine shop to get the top perfectly smooth and highly polished. Nice video, thanks! And Happy New Year!
The jeweler's rails I've seen included leather on one side, with various notches for different applications. But I like the portable nature of the one in this video.
Don't suppose you know someone who wants to buy a kiln that runs on 220. I'm downgrading to a 110
@@918Mitchell never downgrade
Eugene! I love that! Especially that you made it to invert. I wondered why you cut out that curve where the flat bottom of the rail would be. Very smart, and very well done!
Congratulations. I have watched man videos of this type, but this is the first one where i was impressed enough to think that I really needed one of those in my life. Out to the scrap pile now. To busy to write anything more. Bye Many thanks oh wise one.
Coming from a blacksmith- that is called an ASO (anvil shaped object) because it is not designed in any way to absorb hammer blows. Looks nice tho!
At first I thought, why build the wood container, UNTIL you flipped it over to have the large flat base. Genius. The only negative would be if the heads of those internal bolts ever decide to spin in their cutouts, then there is no fixing it. Nice video overall.
Awesome job! I have an anvil ( anvil shaped object, ASO,) that I made from a piece of rail track, it took me a few weekends to shape it but jeez it has been a handy bit of kit in the workshop. We’ll done to you for an ingenious design and use of the rail track. I’m inspired to make one. Cheers cobber
I think it looks beautiful and has a lot of uses but I also think the wood comes up so high around the side of it that it makes the side of the anvil less available and I think the side is important for shaping things.
I bought a chunk of railroad track from the flea market this summer for 15$, it’s about 10” long, I think I’ll be making me one of these this spring just for fun!
Very good work!
Good for small things not for forging. Very nice shop also.
My dad always kept a slab of 1” steel on his work bench and so do I. Simple and very handy.
To do blacksmithing or just something solid to beat on?
@@chrisp9046 Just a solid surface for straightening nails, forming metal, etc. Dad was a tool and die guy - very handy.
My dad had a 14 inch piece of railroad iron that he forged a knife with that and a Weber kettle grill, and a 2.5lb engineer hammer. I still have that knife to this very day. He used a bar from a chainsaw because it was good steel and heat treated already. It was innovation like that that led me to understand that you can do damn near anything if you apply yourself.
@@chrisp9046yes and yes. Or if you flatten the surface completely with a diamond hone, you can use it as backing for sandpaper while you sharpen your chisels and plane irons. Having a high mass object to absorb impact is nice for shaping metal or repairing tools that are in need of slight ‘persuasion’. Aluminum plates will bounce and can possibly deform, but it’s hard to deform steel that is heat treated and made to withstand trains.
Hi Eugene, That was a very interesting project, I may make one myself,
One thing I like to do with a Rusty piece of steel is spray it with WD-40
before using a wire wheel or a Brush to kill the Dust, >Joe, Baltimore MD.
Drag it down a dirt road to clean the rust from the iron.
B&O museum is in Baltimore & my great great grandfather was engineer of royal Blue he lived in Baltimore up high overlooking the harbor - my Dad used to cut up rail & put in on walnut honorary plaques -
@@libertylarry7775 Great memento of the working days...
Thank you for the very nice video!
A knotted wire brush attachment for a 100mm angle grinder would remove the rust really well and only take a minute.
🆔ⓈⒺⓍⓈⒽⓄⓅ🔞↷ᶜˡⁱᶜᵏˡⁱⁿᵏ👇 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🔞 👉 NUDE.SNAPGIRLS.TODAY/PIIT ❤
UA-cam: This is fine
Someone: Says "heck"
UA-cam: Be gone
однако я люблю таких рыбаков Интересно забавно девушка смешная 垃圾
ライブ配信の再編ありがとうです！この日のライブ配信は、かならりやばかったですね！１万人を超える人が見ていたもんね（笑）やっぱり人参最高！まさかのカメラ切り忘れでやら1かしたのもドキドキでした！今後は気を付けないとね. .
! 💖🖤 ❤️#今後は気をライブ配信の再編あり
がとうです！#この日のライブ配信は、#かならりやばかったですね！#１万人を超える人が見ていたもん（#笑）#やっぱり人参最高！#まさかのカメラ切り忘れでやら1かしたのもドキドキでした,.💖🖤 #在整個人類歷史上，#強者，#富人和具有狡猾特質的人捕食部落，#氏族，#城鎮，#城市和鄉村中的弱者，#無`'#守和貧窮成員。#然而，#人類的生存意願迫使那些被拒絕，#被剝奪或摧毀的基本需求的人們找到了一種生活方式，#並繼續將其DNA融入不斷發展的人類社會。.#說到食物，#不要以為那些被拒絕的人只吃垃圾。#相反，#他們學會了在被忽視的肉類和蔬菜中尋找營養。#他們學會了清潔，#切塊，#調味和慢燉慢燉的野菜和肉類，#在食品市場上被忽略的部分家用蔬菜和肉類，#並且學會了使用芳香的木煙（#如山核桃，#山核桃和豆科灌木 #來調味食物
Hydrochloric acid works better,no dust. Fumes suck but the black oxide comes of easy when wet.
HCL takes mill scale off real nice too.
@@dolphincliffs8864
I used to work in a shop and one of the guys used hydrochloric acid on Friday evening to etch/clean something and when we returned on Monday, all our machine tools were ruined. Mills, lathes, and surface grinders had rusted ways. Apparently, the shop being closed up tight left the vaporized acid in the air to attack the bare steel of the machine tools. We also had a few instances of corroded electrical connections. It was a complete disaster!
I occasionally use acid to etch/clean, but only outdoors or with forced air ventilation.
@@cornpop7805 That surface rust is a bitch! There is definitely a learning curve with HCL!
I did that ONCE! Laughing with you for sure!
Outside use only and have the piece with soaked towels or in a bucket but damn sure outside!
Wrecked all kinds of stuff one day!
@@cornpop7805 I heard you were a bad dude.
Good idea, I need to use your idea. I have a piece of RR track about the same size. Have been using it for about 40 years. My dad used it before me and his dad before him. Pay no attention to the whiners below. They blob out on the couch all day and lack the strength to use a piece of track, that is why they are so envious and bitter. Stay positive.
I have to admit that's absolutely genius.
That is the nicest looking diy anvil I've seen of late!
When I need an anvil, I just go to the rail line and pound away between the trains that use the same track.
@@rooftopvoter3015 sometimes I just have the train do the work.
Truly impressive work. The finished product looks fantastic.
The saw cutting through the anvil was like a hot knife through butter.
I'd guess, that that was presented in higher speed.
The anvil from Rail Road track rail is something we've made may times in several USAF Machine Shops. Depending on the type of rail used, we would make some really nice small anvils that looked like the larger Blacksmith Types. By type of rail, I'm talking about the height of the rail. I believe the US SAE Rail Specifications call it "Rail Depth", that is the height of the rail. They can be from 1 9/16 to 6 1/8 inches tall. The width of the base, the flat part that sits on the ties, will be as wide as it is tall or the same as the depth of the rail. The smaller ones would either be used for a desk display or used for small items, much like a Jewelers Anvil. But I do like the one featured here as well. The plywood shell or base he made for this would probably work best with the short to medium height rails. The taller rails can get a bit heavy and we always drilled mounting holes in the base for them. To make the horn on the anvil on these rails takes a lot of grinding. But these RR rails are made from some of the best steel you can get.
Former USAF machinist here myself. Never made an anvil unfortunately, we were usually too busy pulling out all of the stripped screws from the panels on our F16's. Never underestimate the destructive capabilities of a crew chief with a speed handle. 🤣
@@AllThingsMech Same in the RAAF, all too many times an Avionics Technician would strip panel fasteners then seek help from an Aircraft Technician when it's too late.
@@AllThingsMech thanks for that useless comment that doesn't pertain to this vid. Lol the dept of transportation
Forma lobi orecchie
@@coronalight77 I was responding to the original comment, not the video...but hey, thanks for the even more useless comment about my comment. Well done! Run along now, be sure to get a cookie from your mom.
I had NO idea where this was going, but that was the half the fun of it. Great idea, who would have ever thought of going beyond just using the raw rail piece as an anvil? Only this guy!
GREAT JOB!! And your nice workshop makes me jealous. Wonderful.
You got my subscribe when you started tossing collected scraps onto your bench! ;)
Nice project. Looks very professionally finished.
I might personally have used full lengths of threaded rod and welded them to the handle strap at one end (Or turned up some plain rod and threaded the last 30 or so millimetres), then possibly used wing nuts on the unwelded end...... but it was your project, so you get to choose how to do it.
I've done this many times over the years.
Strangely, everytime I make one of these, there's a mysterious train wreck shortly thereafter.
Most essential....proceeds to flatten solder and bend a square tube....
Amazing
Utter genius!
Railway line or girder can be used.
🤔👏👏👏👍
What a great idea! I'll have to do this with my little length of rail as well!! Thank you!
Wonderful and so satisfying to see excellent work performed by master craftspeople with the right tools. Also, your ideas are really clever and the results so attractive. This one would make an excellent gift and I want one, too. Your no-nonsense videos with good views, good lighting and pace are a real joy to watch. Thank you for taking the time, adding a becoming sound track and sharing.
Yes you said it, the right tools 👍,
Tools are half of the Job 😀
And we can add to it another big tool: a good amount of patience
I’ve been using a piece of rr track as an anvil for a few years now. Just In my bs little home work station. Really like what you did with your setup. Mine I just found in the at the local public shooting area and took home but it has a lot of craters. This makes me want to get a clean pice and try to recreate what you have done
Oooooooo
I bet the craters give it personality though. I kinda like stuff like that. Maybe you could clean it up and do what he did but leave some of the craters? I feel like its part of the patina.
hit up your local rail yard, they are usually more than happy to give away cutoffs of both old and new track. If you're lucky and know someone who works for a rail company even easier. I got a nice clean cutoff through a buddy, but he told me they give away chunks all the time.
One of the most ingenuous ideas I've seen in years. Thanks!
I'm an amateur knife maker and what i did for an anvil is I went to my local steel supplier and asked if they had any large off cuts I could buy. I found a 1 square foot block of mild steel that is nearly 3 inches thick. It cost me 40 bucks
Waow! Simple but amazing, you're a genius and the result is really pleasant for the eyes. Thanks a lot for your vids
👌👍🖖
You could use threaded rod throughout plywoods. İt would support the glue to hold together the woods. Nice works
@Repent to Jesus Christ! O am not native English speaker or Christian. İ didn't understand what you mean. İs it a joke?
A suggestion for removing the rust from the rail without sanding would be an electrolytic bath - it also works great for cleaning cast iron cookware.
Sand blasting as well.
Great idea and cool design. Rail is great for light duty jobs as you demonstrate in your video. I have two anvils and also a rail in my shop. They all have their applications and advantages. Thanks for sharing!
terrific. My father was a " boss " on a railroad. he had the machinist make a 100Lb. ( Rail is called by 100, 120 ,150 , lb. weight in 3' of rail" FYI..)piece of rail into the shape of an ANVIL. but this has given me a chance to give it more life , great idea...!
You made a great design, and built a very useful tool for your shop. Excellent job!!
What is the use of that tool? 100 years ago people used rail cuts to straighten up bent nails. What do you need it for now in your home?
@@ОйЁмаё - Of course you could use it for making bent nails straight. Or use it as a small anvil while working with metal.
@@barrylitchfield250 Where can I find bent nails nowadays? And if I need to straighten up metal I use vise and 20 ton press in my garage.
@@ОйЁмаё it seems you're a very accomplished Craftsman with a 20 ton press in your garage. I'm sure a piece of railroad track would never be useful to an industrialist like you. If you bend a nail, you can just melt down your collection of bent nails and make new nails!
Интересная идея!!!
Too much work involved, I’d just clamp the rail in a large vice, great idea but a lot of effort required.
Wow. Certainly an example of fine craftsmanship. I guess I never gave my avil a second thought, I just throw minel upside down in my bench vise when I need it like that and then throw it under the workbench when done.
A big ass chunk of rusty railroad tie was the first tool I had in my first shop that I didn't share with someone else and I still use it today!
There’s 8 minutes of my life I won’t get back
I had been thinking of ways to get my first anvil and considered the rail method but thought it would be clunky and was just considering trying to buy a cheap anvil somewhere. But this interests me a lot more, I already do a little bit of woodworking so I can just do the rail anvil in the stand like you did here and I’d get to avoid the possible issues with just the plain rail
Because this one I can move around and put away when it’s not needed a bit easier I’d think since I can mount this to one of my worktops, I dunno all of the benefits really so I might just be spouting nonsense and there’s no actual difference between this and a normal anvil, but I’m assuming this one is lighter, and it definitely looks prettier and has a shape that seems easier to store.
I can make my the banded shield I was thinking about making now with this
There are dozens of differences between this and a real anvil. I have both; started with a rail. It got me by for a short time but I quickly outgrew it.
I've used several rail anvils, but never thought to make a frame - it was easy to find a flat surface and put down some padding (like a towel) to quiet things and protect the surface. I ground rail sections into different shapes for different jobs. An important factor was what the rail had been used for. Prolonged use on a freight line can work-harden the rail to unbelievable toughness. Great for anvils, but it makes shaping the anvil difficult. Light use, it's easier to modify.
I was wondering the whole video “what the hell could this thing possibly do to be THAT essential?” Then it is so obvious at the end…and so obviously essential for any serious metal working. The suspense/intrigue was palpable😂!
I said the same thing.
Well, I'd still argue that a vice is more essential. A good vice even has enough of an anvil on it that you could do the things shown here. Still, this is one of the most useful and well excuted diy tools I've seen on youtube.
EXCELLENT 111 EXCELLENT 111 Just a great idea to make the rail tie so versatile as an anvil !!!! A great addition to any shop !!!! Thank you
I have found the piece of rail I have useful for straightening bits of sheet metal by using the corners along the bottom. Sometimes older sheet metal objects need a reforming along a right angle and an old rail base is just the tool.
Nice work, seems like just as much enjoyment building it as it using it. Especially like the fact you can customize the build to whatever length you may need, but this example seems like a very practical length for most uses & still very portable. 👍👏
That was 8 minute and 15 seconds totally and completely wasted....
Great project and very useful. However you need to be more safe when using power tools. Especially your table saw. Losing fingers will not help your projects.
First thing I noticed.. Really detracts from the video when you realize the creator is a moron.
*_"The most essential tool for your garage or workshop!"_*
LEAST essential.
Now WHERE can I find a one foot length of track? Never seen such an animal. Of course you can easily find lengths of track lying around abandoned, but they are always much too long/heavy.
I have several chunks of rail and now I know what to do with them!! Thank You!
I don't know about the bottom of the rail but be warned that when you hit the top of any rail hard enough it can and will chip and send pieces of metal flying fast enough to put an eye out and even imbed into your skin. It has happened to me. Wear goggles and be sure no one is close by. Your creation is beautiful! Good job!
I'm an old body mechanic and that was my anvil of choice on the cheap. That guy was awesome, but did you know you could build a super break for bending thick plate with those rails. 👍
I love how he makes a rock solid anvil, uses it on a table better used as a trampoline.
i like this. i hate hammering on my vice because it is the only solid chunk of steel in the shop. good idea!
so creative! Congratulation for incorporating plywood perfectly well 👋👋👋
I just love the beauty and simplicity of it.
Yeah, what a great idea... I have 2 pieces of track much smaller that I use as anvils, clamping them in a vise... Thanks for the inspiration...
Love these videos from Europeans/Russians, etc. Most Americans would just go buy the tool being made. I do really like this one.
This is a great idea! I have stacks of old rails in the attic that I’ve been looking for a use for
Very wise! You saved the steel from being thrown making it very useful!
Someone just told me about this video and it just popped up when i woke up this morning. Sweet build
Practical and cool!
incredible. I have a piece that was my grandfather farm anvil that I have used and I love the idea about cleaning it up and making it a more attractive tool. I do think I will cut my grandfathers down to size as it is 2 feet long so it's a chunk to move.
Thanks for great idea.
Don't forget PPE (hearing protection), that high frequency ringing can damage your hearing. Dan Gelbart's channel has a segment on damping ringing on an anvil
I actually have an old piece of track just like this laying around. Thanks for the idea!!
Absolutely Brilliant!
and I'm impressed that you still have all your fingers.
I'm impressed with your saw plate.
I was going to write, "just go buy an anvil!" But then I checked the price of an anvil.
Thats awesome, I knew I saved that piece of railroad track from my grandfathers garage for a reason lol
I am going to follow this guide and do the same thing you did, thanks!