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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 13,190 Likes: 1163
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 13,190 Likes: 1163 |
Good post, Ted. My old Columbian doesn't have an anvil surface. I'm glad. I might be tempted to use it when there is a big, real anvil on the concrete floor 5 feet away.
Another bit of trivia ....... anybody ever seen a little anvil handmade out of a section of railroad rail? They may not be all that useful, but they are cute.
SRH
May God bless America and those who defend her.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,774 Likes: 758
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,774 Likes: 758 |
I have seen those. Ive always wondered if acetylene and/or high speed hacksaw blades were ever cheap enough to make the endeavor of producing rail anvils profitable, or, even doable.
Best, Ted
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 13,190 Likes: 1163
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 13,190 Likes: 1163 |
The one I remember seeing was so many years ago that I'm sure it was done by hand. It had to be a labor of love. I've got enough old railroad iron to make hundreds of them ............ but no incentive. SRH
May God bless America and those who defend her.
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 7,464 Likes: 212
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 7,464 Likes: 212 |
I've seen a few of those rail track anvils, and watched part of the process of one being made. The fellow used a 2x72" belt grinder with decent horse power and pretty high revs. The stuff that doesn't look like an anvil grinds away fairly quickly.
I think if it's for using, it might best be used as a specialty bench block. Even though they have a little heft, they bounce around uselessly if the work is struck with more than a little tap. If they're firmly attached to some base, then they lose convenience and may as well be switched out for a conventional anvil.
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 11,348 Likes: 392
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 11,348 Likes: 392 |
Another bit of trivia ....... anybody ever seen a little anvil handmade out of a section of railroad rail? They may not be all that useful, but they are cute.
I have seen those. Ive always wondered if acetylene and/or high speed hacksaw blades were ever cheap enough to make the endeavor of producing rail anvils profitable, or, even doable.
Best, Ted I'll try to remember to take a pic of a little one I made at work years ago out of a piece of overhead crane trolley rail. I vividly recall spending almost an entire midnight shift scooting across both bridge girders about 50 feet above the ground, without a safety harness, burning the welded rail clips off to remove the worn out rails. Somehow, this work was considered an Electrician's job. My co-workers were smart, and said they weren't all that good with a torch, and the boss knew I could burn well. The acetylene torch tip was about shot from idiots using it to hammer slag, and there was no replacement in the store-room. When acetylene repeatedly ignited inside the tip, popped, and blew droplets of molten metal down my shirt collar or into my boot tops, I had to be very careful not to jerk away and fall to the floor. There is nothing soft to land on in a steel mill. Fun times I never wish to go back to! As I said, my little anvil/paperweight was made in my spare time between electrical calls at work. We called those little projects "Government Jobs". I roughed it out with a somewhat better acetylene torch, and ground it close to finished shape with the biggest bench grinder I ever used. Finished it with files and emery cloth. All you have to do is cut, grind, and file away everything that doesn't look like an anvil. I can't imagine doing this cheap enough to be worthwhile, but it served to entertain me. The vast majority of little salesman sample anvils were cast, and investment casting would probably be the way to go today. I did some electrical work at a small family owned foundry that is in a neighboring town about 15 years ago. Interesting to see, but the casting floor was no place I'd want to spend a lot of time... hot, dirty, and dangerous. They cast a lot of smaller items, but also had a 100 ton electric furnace, and produced up to 90-plus ton cast steel hubs for huge wind generators. I entertained the thought of contracting them to cast anvils and black powder cannon barrels as a sideline, but life and my job got in the way.
A true sign of mental illness is any gun owner who would vote for an Anti-Gunner like Joe Biden.
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,672 Likes: 4
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,672 Likes: 4 |
Getting back to vises. I have a Wilton,Emmert and Tucker pattern maker vises that swivel 360 degrees and have different jaws for different applications.I doubt these could be improved on altho' a bit pricey.I had a 5 inch Wilton bullet that was used for 30 years by a top notch stock maker but ended up selling it as I really like being able to rotate my work.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,774 Likes: 758
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,774 Likes: 758 |
Wilton, then, and now, will sell you the swivel and base for a round bar. Pretty sure Reed and Morgan will, too. One thing Morgan doesnt have is smooth jaws. Easy enough to make, on the surface grinder, with a set of serrated jaws. Agreed, more than one vise, in more than one size, is best. Best, Ted
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,672 Likes: 4
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,672 Likes: 4 |
Pattern makers vises swivel so the top becomes the bottom as if you were turning a steering wheel and not the usual way as in the front goes to the back. I hope that is clear.
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 15,456 Likes: 86
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 15,456 Likes: 86 |
I ran up on this Wilton vise on ebay...put it in my watch list and the guy offered it to me for $39.99. ebay Just passing it along
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,672 Likes: 4
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,672 Likes: 4 |
Well, there are Wilton vises and there are Wilton vises. The spread in Wiltons is kinda like the spread in L.C.Smith shotguns.You have the Fulton and then there are the A3 and Deluxe grades.
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