A new small Anvil

**jhovel** · Sep 5, 2015, 07:30 AM

Here is my latest little project.
I always been looking for a small anvil, but they were either too expensive, too far away or the wrong size - when they did become available. So I've continued bashing metal on a 6" length of railway line and various other lumps of steel...
A few of days ago I came across a 11" piece of heavy rail in my favourite junkyard and decided now or never. I also saw a stub axle which looked like an anvil horn to me nearby.... and they followed me home.
I made a few cuts to tidy the rail up on the badsaw, drilled some large holes through its web to give it some shape and ground away everything that didn't look like an anvil.
Then I cut and turned the stub axle into an anvil horn on the lathe and stick welded the pair together. Full tickness 1-3/4" diameter.... but it came out good. No slag inclusions, no visible faults. I also welded (built-up) the edges of the top of the rail, because there was significant wear and curvature. A lot of 'angle grinder fettling' and then onto the surface grinder. I got the geometry nearly right. The horn ended up a smidgeon high with a subsequent flat spot....
Then drilled 4 holes to bolt it down - if required, and a lick of paint to make it all shiney.