I Turn a Railroad Track into an Anvil! DIY Project using Basic Tools!

I fabricated this anvil out of an old piece of railroad track. I did the whole project using only basic tools- 5inch grinder, 9inch grinder, power drill, hand file, die grinder and a drill press. The finished anvil polished up nicely with a bit of metal polish, an old rag and a little elbow grease. I made this anvil for the purpose of displaying it, rather than for use in my workshop, and I'm very happy with how the finished product turned out!

[@zapa1pnt]

This has been don 100s of 1000s of times. My grandfather did it, back in the 40s when all he had was a hacksaw. I still have it.

[@jjohnson2553]

I'm not sure which impressed me the most. The amount of effort you put in to making the anvil or that you took the wife's table out to the pasture to shoot the final scene. BTW I think you've got the best looking railroad anvil I've seen on youtube. And I even have a piece of track I wanted to make an anvil with. But after watching your video, I can't imagine putting that much work in to mine to get that anvil. Having serious second thoughts here now. LoL

[@Mike-2422]

I have one my father made 78 years ago ! Surprisingly No rust on it.

[@DK-jg5vk]

I have watched a lot of videos about carving an anvil out of a piece of railroad track. Your anvil is the very best one I've seen. You really went the extra mile.

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thank you! Glad you like it!

[@malsoonsakit4786]

Wonderful piece of art that will take me ages to do. It took me 15 years to locate a bent train rail. I stored it in my garage. One summer day I stumbled over it and fell from way up my height on my better shoulder. That caused lots of pain and nerve pinching in the auxiliary arm which in turn delayed the making of the anvil. It may take me a few months in the coming summer to start and finish my anvil. I'm 79 and still eager to own an anvil

[@caleb6988]

I have a piece of track rail and want to make an anvil but didn't know how, Thank you for the video.

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. It was a fun project.

[@ta3355]

Excellent!! Well done and looks like a piece of art. Love to have it!

[@GTrauer]

Certainly what impressed me was the cut to make it straight at the top, I think about the amount of time invested in this part. fantastic work.

[@pa6390]

Nice grinding

[@thimitri1]

What a work out..! Beautiful anvil

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thanks 👍

[@lovedbabygirl]

Best looking RR anvil on youtube! Good job!

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thank you

[@leah1186]

The finished product looks amazing!

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thank you! Glad you like it

[@richardmahan4197]

Beautifully crafted, Well done, sir.

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thank you, glad you like it!

[@franciscoalbertocastillo9752]

¡Hermoso yunque!. ¡Saludos desde Acapulco Guerrero, México!...

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thanks, glad you like!

[@Al-Muhtadi]

Wow very nice job

[@kirkhenry3867]

This craftsmanship is right on track!!

[@samhackney5977]

Best looking anvil I’ve seen in a long time! All those curves in the steel really make look awesome! WOW.

[@davidbrown-55]

Best one yet on the tube, kicks azzzz! Very nice

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thank mate, glad you liked it!

[@vrod1a]

Awesome 👍

[@kimnielsenthewordyvikingett159]

Wow you must have an absolutely massive amount of time on your hands!!! And even though RR tracks are hardened I'm afraid 1914sweet has a fairly decent point get it red and toss it in ice water but then it might be susceptible to cracking during use so maby air conditioned room temp oil just may suffice!! Or outside winter weather temp oil may just be the ticket!!!

[@sticksofsteel1509]

This one is only a display piece.

[@CharlesStevens-vi7ky]

the rail is massive enough that water quench is fine, in fact a steep pocket will form slowing the quench. historically large anvils were quenched under a stream of water from a tower to over come this. As to cold oil, warm oil actually produces a desperate quench as the thinner oil moves heat away from the hot steel faster

[@manufacturingandrepairingskill]

Nice video

[@jwwills6842]

Very good looking anvil

[@homemadetools]

It came out beautiful. We shared this video on our homemade tools forum this week 😎

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thank you, I appreciate it!

[@paulgreen6148]

Beautiful

[@arneminderman3770]

Beautyfull! ❤❤

[@othmanothman-nl9mn]

Good job

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thanks

[@plachdilna]

Good Job. Super video 👍🏼⚒️

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@vadimmirzoev4997]

Я такую наковальню у себя в гараже еще лет 20 назад вырезал из хорошего куска рельса,но вот отверстия в нём сверлить очень непросто,ни одно сверло по металлу не сверлит рельс,а вот победитовое сверло сверлит,но крошится.Нужны именно свёрла с советскими твёрдосплавными напайками,точить рог тоже не одного часа работы.Чтобы из куска рельса выпилить наковальню с круглым рогом надо не меньше двух дней работы,плюс нужный инструмент: болгарка,электродрель и расходники (отрезные круги,твердосплавные свёрла,лепестковые шлифовальные круги).

[@guruprasadkrishnamoorthy9284]

Great job 👍👍👍👍🙏🙏👍

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thank you 👍

[@48grizzly]

Impressive in Every way !

[@Strive1974]

Man how I wish I had freetime

[@389Lee]

That is a work of art.

[@pedroescalante3430]

Gracias. Gracias. Gracias 😊

[@javanthomas4122]

Nice work

[@adnacraigo6590]

Beautimous!

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thanks!

[@mwailes11]

Awesome!

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@user-sg6dr9lt5r]

Well done.

[@ScottLynn-gz2hl]

Love it man! I'll take 2 to go.😁

[@AverysMan1105]

Super cool, I'm doing it now

[@ulissesdacunhafilho9740]

Very good

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thanks!

[@alexandrsherbakov9878]

Отличная работа. Респект.

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thank you

[@steveaumann6335]

A most awesome job bro👍👍👏..you skill is on a higher level.

[@marciofernandobarci]

beautifull work - thanks. Best of this, is the steel of railroad - high manganese - it do not deform in any circunstances... The best for it.

[@ANGELAMARIA-cz1iy]

Olha so como foi fabrecada essa bigorna um. ferramenta para medidas nobre

[@antoniopedrosa53]

Uma obra de arte 👏😀

[@jeffreysnethen9586]

One issue, way too nice to use it now :)

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thanks!

[@julianogoulart8909]

Show!👍👊

[@michael98277]

Looks fantastic! Was kinda hoping you were going to build a temporary forge big enough to hold it, heat it cherry red, and quench it, then temper it a bit in an oven, so it had the proper hardness for real use.

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thanks! Yes, this one is just for display

[@jakeschisler7525]

Now if you had the way to use it in a mold and pour it into a new piece and then sell them

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Glad you like it!

[@manufacturingandrepairingskill]

Good

[@devinteske]

Huh. Pritchell but no Hardy? I probably would have blued the non-working surfaces. Could also use some holes in the base for easy anchoring.

[@dikdikjakaria]

Good 👍

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thanks

[@gabrieltramarim4523]

Parabéns essa ficou top muito bonita

[@clutch5sp989]

I bought an anvil from a guy made from a 16" piece of RR track. It was machined/milled top & sides of the top perfect for what I needed one for in my shop. I wonder if it needs hardened or heat treated. Every time I clear land and have huge amount of wood, can it be heated up and quenched in used motor oil I keep around?

[@anatoliyvyrashchikov3598]

Очень красиво. Поставь себе её на кровать и смотри на неё. А может под подушку положи. 😂😂

[@BastiOWL]

Bosch rocks!

[@ronwalli796]

im not even half done watching and I have to say this person is a beast with a grinder!!!

[@mitchhornback1013]

What is the overall length of it? After watching this video I think I'm finally gonna make one out of a piece of track that's been under my bench for the last few years.

[@sticksofsteel1509]

This one is 350mm long.

[@mitchhornback1013]

Thanks so much! You did a really really good job on this one by the way.

[@sticksofsteel1509]

@@mitchhornback1013 Thank you

[@hamiltonsoldasbh7554]

simplesmente incrível

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thank you!

[@mrez1991]

Grind master how many disc did you use

[@sindyvanstaden9976]

Looks awesome, but how many cutting discs was used....😱

[@user-fu6os5vx5q]

cool

[@ruanff6529]

👏👏👏👏

[@duanepierson4375]

Is there enough carbon in a rail to heat treat it?

[@baronamru5893]

Is it an anvil or a sculpture?❤

[@quocvietle7196]

Rất đẹp và tốt 👍, để trưng bày vù niềm đam mê chế tác , dùng hơi bị uổng , 😊

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thank you! Glad you like it

[@barryminbiole6199]

How many hours of cutting/grinding?

[@johnperry5960]

Do you sell these and if so what would you get for one

[@thesmokyunicorn619]

could you use it on another video?

[@sticksofsteel1509]

This one is only a display piece.

[@user-gt9ed5hr9e]

Этот кусок рельса, даже и не представлял что из него могут сделать скучающие люди....))

[@ManMountainMetals]

How many grinder discs sacrificed themselves 😮

[@facasartesanalmartinussi]

Gostei quanto você cobraria pra fazer uma pra mim desse jeito ae mas com 40 centimetro de trilho grande

[@guruprasadkrishnamoorthy9284]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@sticksofsteel1509]

Thanks

[@user-cc7pw8pg5u]

Наверно на караблях якоря точил

[@bernardhill1622]

Executed magnificantly..i'd be to afraid to use it if it was mine..but it looks great, all sayed and done..!!

[@tanhtran8192]

👍

[@michaeldose2041]

can someone please bounce a ball bearing off the face? Is this an anvil or a paper weight?

[@johnjude2685]

Like a knife that doesn't hold a edge... Rail Road isn't going to have good rebound so it just an pretty paper weight ? Interested but lacking function I built something much like a anvil but not.

[@sticksofsteel1509]

This one is only a display piece

[@richklee5464]

Me likey 😎🇺🇸✌🏽

[@dungkha9366]

San pham nay phai co gia

[@jorgegonzalez8646]

Que líquido es el que le pone

[@rhandbhf4ever]

He made it too pretty to beat on.

[@dungkha9366]

Khong biet gia ho khong dang ky

[@darrellpelfrey2370]

Took to much weight out

[@sticksofsteel1509]

This one is only a display piece.

[@iamburl2667]

That inside corf is not even nessasary just cosmetic and weaken anvil

[@CharlesStevens-vi7ky]

The web of the rail has a lot of flex , the General consensus among smiths is to orientate rail vertically and forge on the end of the head. This gives you a 1-1/2x3” surface, but that is plenty for a 2# hammer. Viking era annals weren’t any bigger. Here is an example. www.iforgeiron.com/topic/42290-another-rail-road-iron-anvil/

[@CharlesStevens-vi7ky]

Damn adaptive text, “anvils” ‘

[@user-dc8do7fo4u]

👍