Author Topic: Making a baby.  (Read 13161 times)

Offline one_rod

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Making a baby.
« on: February 15, 2010, 05:40:21 PM »
A baby anvil, that is.

For some jobs a small anvil can be even more useful than a full size one, so here’s how I went about making one.

Possibly a  little bit “left field” for the precision machinists and fine-scale workers around here,  but I took few photos while I did it.  So for what it’s worth, here we go…..


Starts with a bit of railway rail.

There is an anvil in there somewhere;




Mr. Rail, meet my friend  Mr. Gas Axe.




The result;



Then grind, and grind, and grind, and grind............




Next stage will be heat treatment.
Don't suppose this is the only way to do it, or even the best way, but it works for me. (Usually)

First job is to anneal.

This little hearth is made from insulating fire brick, I usually use it for brazing and soldering. The heat source is a cheap propane weed burner from Machine Mart. Fairly low flame temperature but an impressive heating output. Excellent for "soaking" jobs like this.



Several noisy, sweaty minutes later. (My favourite photo of this set).




Buried under a pile of coke ash, and then fire bricks on top. Left overnight to cool slowly.




To harden the face;

This steel rod noose is bent around the anvils waist. You'll see why soon.




Enclosed in bricks with just the face showing, this keeps the heat just where you want it. The weed burner does its stuff, again.



A long steel rod with a bent end is hooked through the noose and used to lift the hot anvil and than lower it, face first, into the oil tub.
Not quite quickly enough this time, hence the "flash-up".



Fished out of the oil, this is how she looks.



A few minutes with a powered wire brush, and then a fine flap disk soon gets the shine back, and she’s ready for work.






one_rod.
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Baldrocker

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Re: Making a baby.
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2010, 06:07:37 PM »
Brilliant :bow:
BR

Offline DMIOM

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Re: Making a baby.
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2010, 06:28:04 PM »
great write-up (and great title too!) and after that  :beer:

one query - you've implied you're not (always) working at the fine-scale end of things - how "micro" an anvil will you be annealing with this burner ?  :scratch:


Offline websterz

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Re: Making a baby.
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2010, 06:50:45 PM »
Beautiful piece of work!! I have no real need for a baby anvil but seeing how cool yours turned out I now have to make myself one!  :bow:
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Offline Bernd

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Re: Making a baby.
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2010, 08:26:31 PM »
Nice post one-rod.

I've got a piece of rail that needs that treatment also. But I need to wait till it get's a bit warmer out. Although I could add to the global warming right now. :lol:

Did the railroad company miss the piece of rail?  :lol:

Bernd
Route of the Black Diamonds

Offline Brass_Machine

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Re: Making a baby.
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2010, 08:50:41 PM »
...
Possibly a  little bit “left field” for the precision machinists and fine-scale workers around here,  but I took few photos while I did it.  So for what it’s worth, here we go…..
...

No such thing. Everything is welcome here.

BTW, great write up! My wife is very interested in blacksmithing... I will show this to her.

Eric
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Offline Space Fan

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Re: Making a baby.
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2010, 08:56:06 PM »
Nice craftsmanship.
Barry

Offline J. Tranter

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Re: Making a baby.
« Reply #7 on: February 15, 2010, 11:23:34 PM »
A little OT here but where can one get railway track?

John T.

Offline dsquire

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Re: Making a baby.
« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2010, 12:02:29 AM »
one_rod

That was a great project that you presented us with. The pictures were really great as well. Thanks for showing it to us. :ddb: :ddb:

That what is so great about this forum. One day its blacksmithing and the next day it could be hi-tech electronics or anything in between. If there isn't something here for everyone, they haven't been looking hard enough. :lol: :lol:



Cheers  :beer:

Don
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Offline Dean W

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Re: Making a baby.
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2010, 01:31:02 AM »
That's a smashing anvil!
:)

Seriously, it looks really nicely done.  I'll bet it has a lot more bounce than those fake cast iron things, too.
Good work.

Dean
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Offline jatt

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Re: Making a baby.
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2010, 05:16:49 AM »
Last seen gas axing a section of track down at the station.  Wonder if anyone will notice?

definetely beats the bodgy H beam one I have outside the shop.
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Offline Artie

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Re: Making a baby.
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2010, 06:22:43 AM »
Oh baby!

Im in.... just the ticket and I know where i can get my hands on a piece of line (its not even being used by state rail). Ill sit it in the foundry for the heating bit....

Thanks mate great write up!

Artie
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Offline Bernd

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Re: Making a baby.
« Reply #12 on: February 16, 2010, 10:16:17 AM »
A little OT here but where can one get railway track?

John T.

There's lots of it out there. I bet you've driven over some of it sometime in your travels. Just bring along a "gas axe" for cutting to proper length.  :)

Seriously though. You might be able to get some from the maintenance department of the railroad. Other places where you might find some is a railroad tourist line or abandoned rail line.

Bernd
Route of the Black Diamonds

Offline one_rod

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Re: Making a baby.
« Reply #13 on: February 17, 2010, 05:38:34 PM »
Thanks for all the replies. Glad you like it.

Brass_Machine, let your wife go for it, mate. Pounding your will into a lump of red-hot iron is the best stress reliever there is. It's the reason most smiths are such calm, placid people.  :thumbup:


one query - you've implied you're not (always) working at the fine-scale end of things - how "micro" an anvil will you be annealing with this burner ?  :scratch:



Not saying.  ::)
But here's a clue. This is the hammer I'll be using........




one_rod.
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Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Making a baby.
« Reply #14 on: February 18, 2010, 04:08:48 AM »
What a great post Rod!  :clap:

Love the glowing pic......  :thumbup:

Thanks for showing!

David D
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Offline Powder Keg

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Re: Making a baby.
« Reply #15 on: March 08, 2010, 11:26:57 AM »
Great job!!! Thanks for sharing that :wave: :wave: :wave:
Wesley P
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Offline Pelallito

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Re: Making a baby.
« Reply #16 on: March 15, 2010, 12:26:34 PM »
Very, very nice! :clap: :ddb:
Fred