Anvil Homemade

Cheapskate shop equipment is possible on a shoe string budget. In a war a anvil would be used 24-7. One of the tools that everyone wishes they had from time to time is a good anvil. Old rail road = (RXR) track, small or large gauge, street car track scraps, or even 4X4 block structural steal all make a superior anvil. The RXR anvil lower right was made by me long ago when younger. RXR track is a very hard high carbon steel. Really RXR anvils in some cases is a better anvil than you can buy because of the high carbon content in the steel. An anvil is an occasional use tool yet a powerful addition to any shop. With a chisel you can cold or hot cut metal. By tipping the RXR anvil on its side you can use the open aria to hammer bend arches. By using a flat spot you can flatten a curve.You can shape hot metal, bend right angles or straighten out a bend. The RXR track was given to me by the foreman on a RXR repair crew where I saw them working. The RXR track was deformed and a scrap cut off. I called a steel shop to get it cut at $5 a cut. 3 cuts would have given me 4 anvils. When I got there he wanted one so he said he would make the cuts for free for one. Returning home I cut off the sharp corners on the base plate with my chop saw which was practical but it also gives the anvil a finished look, and cleaned up the sharp edges with my hand grinder. For the average home shop you do not need the the tongue I made on mine which was a considerable amount of work. If you look at some of my older posts you will see me shaping metal with the anvil above in helping to making an electric 90 lb capacity lead casting pot(to see the old posts on making the melting pot click here). I made the above new anvils as Christmas present for 2012 but I could not post them before Christmas. I had some black paint and spray primer left over from another project but bought the red paint for $1.49 -- so after tax I have a little over 50 cents in each anvil. Its a proud addition to any shop. Just keep an eye out for RXR track scrap!

Richard W Norman Junk- Ologist 

 If they pass laws against guns then you will either make your supplies at home, salvage or do without. American Handbook on Guns Ammo and Freedom