Do you have an Anvil?

[chopnhack]

That looks real cool Lee, how will you clamp it? Do you think the polishing helps to prevent rusting of the surface?

[phrog]

Hey Hank, while practicing dentistry I used to occasionally make jewelry and dealt with Rio Grande Jewelry Supply. Perhaps, they might have something that would help you such as:

http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Dur...s/112052?pos=5

or

http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Fre.../112635?pos=25

They have different sizes and prices. Also, they have an entire tool section in their online catalog. You might need something more substantial but it is fun to look. The aforementioned are listed under "Tools and Equipment" and then "Metal Forming."

Edit: Sorry, I just saw your last post after posting this and didn't realize that you had already discovered the jewelry tools.

[LCHIEN]

I'm lucky enough to have railroad maintenance facility in my area. Never had a problem getting a cut off if I needed one. A steel fabricator might have cut offs also. I worked for a summer building sidings when I was a student and, if I remember correctly (small chance at my age) rail was sized by the weight per lineal foot. The stuff I usually worked with was light. I think 20 lbs. per foot. Hard to remember that stuff, it was fifty years ago.

Also, look around demo companies, you'll probably find some scrap you can take a torch to and cut to size.

Good luck.

I think i read there were two main standards, 50 and 60 lb rail (per foot).

[vaking]

How about this:
http://www.garrettwade.com/hand-held...er/p/61S01.01/

[leehljp]

Hey Hank, while practicing dentistry I used to occasionally make jewelry and dealt with Rio Grande Jewelry Supply. Perhaps, they might have something that would help you such as:

http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Dur...s/112052?pos=5

Richard, That one looks like it would do! I like the fact that it is 6 inch square.

Alex, That looks like it would be very sturdy. I am going to look it over some more but I like the one that Richard noted is 6 inches square.

That looks real cool Lee, how will you clamp it? Do you think the polishing helps to prevent rusting of the surface?

Most of the pieces are smaller and I have a strong table. I don't WHACK those parts too often, more or less like driving a small nail in oak - carefully but with mild power. Most of the time, when I flatten a piece of .5 mm brass, it takes 5 or 6, or even 10 good taps. My previous small anvil would dent more than the brass.

I still want a foot of railroad iron.

[LCHIEN]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Prim...ht_1120wt_1238

http://www.ebay.com/itm/14-Length-An...#ht_906wt_1004

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-RAIL...#ht_500wt_1021

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-U-S-...#ht_500wt_1255

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANVIL-SMALL-...#ht_500wt_1255

actually there's a lot more listed on eBay...

[phrog]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Prim...ht_1120wt_1238

http://www.ebay.com/itm/14-Length-An...#ht_906wt_1004

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-RAIL...#ht_500wt_1021

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-U-S-...#ht_500wt_1255

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANVIL-SMALL-...#ht_500wt_1255

actually there's a lot more listed on eBay...

I never realized that you could buy a railroad track on eBay. Now, if I could only find a locomotive.

[Russianwolf]

http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Lar...l/113812?pos=4

try this

[leehljp]

Thanks Mike, Loring for the links. I looked long and hard at the different links but finally decided to order the small but hardened bench anvil from LeeValley.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/pag...=1,43456,43465

[phrog]

Thanks Mike, Loring for the links. I looked long and hard at the different links but finally decided to order the small but hardened bench anvil from LeeValley.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/pag...=1,43456,43465

Let us know how that works out, Hank. Many of us are into pen-making, etc. and might have an interest. Thanks.

[LCHIEN]

I never realized that you could buy a railroad track on eBay. Now, if I could only find a locomotive.

at one time i found a complete british aircraft carrier for sale, planes not included. after that a railroad loco is nothing.
http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...rcraft+carrier

[chopnhack]

That looks really cool Lee!! Best of luck with it. For that price, I might get one myself. I will have to set a reminder before the end of the month. Its small, but there really is no substitute for an anvil when you need to form some metal.

[leehljp]

Let us know how that works out, Hank. Many of us are into pen-making, etc. and might have an interest. Thanks.

Will do! I use .5 mm brass sheets and make brass rings from them for my segments. I take a sheet of brass approx. 6 X 10 inches, put it between two 1/2 in sheets of ply and screw the ply together. Then I drill holes to the size of the tubes on the pens. Next, I take unscrew the ply, take the brass out and it looks like an organized swiss cheese sheet. Then I take my shears and cut around the holes leaving about 1/4 in space. Of course this deforms the brass considerably!. This is why I need a small anvil - to flatten the deformed brass.


My "brass ring" use in pen segments can be seen here:

http://www.penturners.org/photos/ima...1_Best_pen.jpg

http://www.penturners.org/photos/ima...l_Bushings.jpg

That looks really cool Lee!! Best of luck with it. For that price, I might get one myself. I will have to set a reminder before the end of the month. Its small, but there really is no substitute for an anvil when you need to form some metal.

Agreed. I have been looking online for some time and then got the email on that one from LeeValley just before posting the request for info from this forum. I thought it might be too small at first but looking at the price of case hardened anvils, the small size of jewelers blocks, I decided on the LV one. The clincher was that it was Case Hardened. I got frustrated with the one I had in Japan due to its softness. It was a small HF one that was about 5 or 6 inches long that HF used to offer - back in 2005 or 2006, but no longer. I also have a small paper weight HF anvil that I bought in 2000 when I visited my first HF in Reno NV. It too is soft!

[LinuxRandal]

Also keep your eyes out on vises. While they (most of them) have an anvil section, I have an OLD anvil that has a 2" vise in the end of it. (garage sale find) By no means is it as heavy duty as my regular vise, or a piece of rail, but it is probably better then a lot of those anvil shaped objects that HF and the like sell.

EDIT: They look something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/very-rare-bl...1#ht_500wt_901

(don't think that is a realistic price though)

I am also wondering if you have any farrier supply places, as I would think that may be an option.

[leehljp]

Also keep your eyes out on vises. While they (most of them) have an anvil section, I have an OLD anvil that has a 2" vise in the end of it. (garage sale find) By no means is it as heavy duty as my regular vise, or a piece of rail, but it is probably better then a lot of those anvil shaped objects that HF and the like sell.

EDIT: They look something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/very-rare-bl...1#ht_500wt_901

(don't think that is a realistic price though)

I am also wondering if you have any farrier supply places, as I would think that may be an option.

I am also in the market for a good vise but I am not in a hurry - 6 months to a year or so. I am getting my shop up and running slowly but surely. Thanks for the tips.