2021 POTD Thread Archive

[wachuko]

Face mill should be fine. Start out easy, and see what it likes as far as DOC and feed. If you go with the end mill route, 2 flute would work best for this job. Mike

I think cutting the top of the track is a poor idea. Presumably, that area is work hardened, from tough service, so will hold up to hammering well and be difficult to cut with light equipment. If you want/need a flat surface to beat on, two options. Make a cradle to hold the track inverted or get a piece of plate stock.

I’ve heard the same thing about track being very tough and also that you’d have a better anvil by turning the track on end so that there is more mass under the hammer.

I am doing this to avoid using the anvil on the vise... and because it just looks so cool to have a piece of railroad track on the bench . I can try heat treating it afterwards...

This is what I am going for:



I do not think that I want to make a jig to place it upside down...

Son: "What is that?"
Me: "Well Son, that is a piece of an old railroad track that I turned into an anvil"
Son: "But Dad, you destroyed a piece of American history to just bang it with a hammer?"
Me: "Shut up!"

 

[extropic]

I do not think that I want to make a jig to place it upside down...

View attachment 385783

To each his own.

I thank you for posting that picture and video link. That wooden base is MUCH better than what I was thinking of and is going directly into my "project" file.

 

[jwmelvin]

This is what I am going for:

You might consider milking flat only a portion of the top rail, so that you have a curved portion remaining. The curve would be very useful at times, like the horn of an anvil. Also, the step between the lower, flat portion and the upper, curved portion would be useful. I use both of those features on my anvil regularly.

 

[NCjeeper]

Wrapped up the milling today.

 

[wachuko]

You might consider milking flat only a portion of the top rail, so that you have a curved portion remaining. The curve would be very useful at times, like the horn of an anvil. Also, the step between the lower, flat portion and the upper, curved portion would be useful. I use both of those features on my anvil regularly.

Great idea. Something like this? Making a smooth transition to the curved side... Less milling as well...

 

[jwmelvin]

Wrapped up the milling today.

I really enjoy seeing your mill in action. Its enviable.

 

[Doug Gray]

Check out this vid

 

[jwmelvin]

Great idea. Something like this? Making a smooth transition to the curved side... Less milling as well...

I was actually thinking of a step as seen from the side, such that about a quarter of the rail’s length is untouched (preserve history, right?), and then steps down to your machined, flat section. But your idea is an improvement further, to leave one edge with a radius. The benefit is to get a large variety of shapes to beat something against. Each shape moves the metal in a different way.

 

[wachuko]

I was actually thinking of a step as seen from the side, such that about a quarter of the rail’s length is untouched (preserve history, right?), and then steps down to your machined, flat section. But your idea is an improvement further, to leave one edge with a radius. The benefit is to get a large variety of shapes to beat something against. Each shape moves the metal in a different way.

Understood. Will do that as well. Agreed, good to have multiple surfaces for whatever I am in need of shaping. Cool, thank you.

 

[wachuko]

Check out this vid

Doug,

That was hilarious!