"I Beam " Anvil?

Willing Pell · Post by **Willing Pell** » Fri Sep 27, 2002 5:27 am

I'm window shopping in my favorite Norton Supply catalog and I come upon this. Hot rolled steel I beam cut to length. Height 10", flange 5" and thickness 9/16" for 26.03 per foot. So I'm thinking, instant light duty anvil for armouring. It even has that handy dandy lower flang for mounting. Has anyone ever used one of these for an anvil and if so, how did it work out.

Galileo · Post by **Galileo** » Fri Sep 27, 2002 9:00 am

sounds like an oversized chunk of railroad track.

freiman the minstrel · Fri Sep 27, 2002 9:07 am

Big difference. A piece of I beam is flat on top. A piece of railroad Iron is rounded (mostly). You can shape metal into round curves (like for vanbraces) on a railroad iron. It's not the "right tool for the job" but it will work in a pinch. I beam is good for bending and riveting, but it has less "options".

You can do some things on a railroad tie that can be done on an anvil horn. You can do some things on a piece of I beam that you might think of doing on the face of an anvil.

This where I note that there are a ton of smiths a LOT better than me on this list, but they hadn't posted yet.

wcallen · Post by **wcallen** » Fri Sep 27, 2002 9:21 am

The other thing to remember is that railroad track is HARD - really hard.

I-beam (plain, hot rolled mild steel) is probably a little softer than most of the steel you will be trying to shape, so it will dent a lot. I wouldn't personally use it as an anvil.

Track really is a good material. I wouldn't use it as an anvil (but I own 5 real ones), but it is a very good raw material for some really good armouring stakes. I use a piece, Mac has a piece, Tom uses something of a similar shape.... Even though we all have anvils and stakes too.

Just a personal opinion.

Wade

Steve S. · Post by **Steve S.** » Fri Sep 27, 2002 10:02 am

My first anvil was an I-beam anvil. It worked, but man does it ring! You will want to duct-tape a bunch of rags around the webbing.

Steve

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Forth Armoury
Highly authentic, affordable riveted maille.

Airth · Post by **Airth** » Sat Sep 28, 2002 11:23 am

I aquired a small chunk of I-beam to use as an anvil, and Steve is right--it rings like a bell! Because the entire surface is flat, it's difficult to do anything other than something flat on it, and after some use the flat areas begin to turn downward. I've since retired it from anything heavy, and now only use it for setting rivets.

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"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

--Mohandas "Mahatma" Ghandi

Owain Cadarn · Post by **Owain Cadarn** » Sun Sep 29, 2002 2:30 am

I used an i-beam as well for an anvil for a while. It was a failure. It was loud, unstable, and lacked anything that resembled a horn like on a proper anvil. I say go out and get yourself a $40 anvil from any tool supply or metal working store.

oCd

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"Veni Creator Spiritus!"

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Mon Sep 30, 2002 10:41 am

A crappy ASO will probably do you just as good as an I beam and it'll be heavier.

And about the same price.

On the other hand you can never have too many hunks of wierd shaped steel around.

If you're gonna get some go to a scrap yard. it'll be a lot cheaper.

Also be forewarned that the surface will not be smooth. It probably weighs in at maybe #12 or something around there per foot.

Some railway track is up to #145 per metre.

Plus the surface is smooth and it's hardened. Especially used.

Anyway it's something to have around just don't go buy it new. By cut to length they don't really mean 1 or 2 feet either. They're talking about things like 10-60 foot pieces. Remember it's structural steel.

Should be fairly common at a scrapyard though.

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The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory

Drake Orion · Post by **Drake Orion** » Mon Sep 30, 2002 10:49 am

I found a piece of railroad track, but it's about 30 feet long!

Armour Guy · Post by **Armour Guy** » Mon Sep 30, 2002 9:01 pm

I found a peice of RR track that had a flat, machined, smoothed face at my local scrapyard, about a foot or so long, and bought it for like $18. It works better than the 70# cast ASO I have, and only marginally worse than the 55# Fisher anvil that I bought at a flea market for $15. My favorite part about it is the nice, crisp, sharp corners it has - perfect for creasing gorgets, spaulder lames, etc.

Long story short, avoid a chunk of I-beam unless you're cutting one flat peice off and making a tool that has to be stuck in a vice - There's plenty of better options available for less money.

Edric · Post by **Edric** » Mon Sep 30, 2002 9:46 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Steve -SoFC-:
My first anvil was an I-beam anvil. It worked, but man does it ring! You will want to duct-tape a bunch of rags around the webbing.

Steve

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ditto, after I got my chunk of rail, the I beam as been collecting rust and dust. The thing rings like a bell and annoys the shit out of the neighbors and me.

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--Edric de Aldebury--
edric@edricsrose.com
http://www.edricsrose.com

Flos est puellarum, quam diligio, et rosa rosarum, quam sepe video.
"My love is a flower among virgins, and a rose among roses"

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Tue Oct 01, 2002 9:58 am

I beam U beam we all beam for anvil beam!

Sorry saw the title of the thread again and just couldn't resist.

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The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory