Making My Anvil: Railroad Track to Frankanvil!

My Website, contact me for commissions/etc!:
www.BennettMarschner.com
My instagram, sneak peaks of what's next!:
/ bennett_the_smith
My Patreon, help me stick it to the man!:
/ bennettthesmith
I've been working on this silly anvil since I bought it off Ebay for 50$. At 45 pounds it was plenty good enough to make the Bat'leth sword on. But then, I made it better!
A second piece of Railroad track, a forklift tine, and a lot of welding and grinding later, I had stage two of my anvil done. Now 80 pounds with a hardie hole, horn, and pritchel hole, it was pretty great. But now, I'm making it even better!
My website: www.BennettMarschner.com
And here are some other videos on anvils that I've found interesting and helpful:
DF - In the Shop:
• Blacksmithing For Begi...
• Blacksmithing For Begi...
PurgatoryIronWorks:
• Forget An Anvil! Get y...
Essential Craftsman:
• How to Repair An Anvil

Пікірлер: 390

  • @nickreagin9585
    @nickreagin95854 жыл бұрын

    Making My Anvil, as narrated by a young Steve Buscemi.

  • @kingpen

    @kingpen

    4 жыл бұрын

    I was gonna say Orlando Bloom, lol~!

  • @jesuscarrillo8889

    @jesuscarrillo8889

    4 жыл бұрын

    I think that's his son he even looks like him

  • @techronmattic5876
    @techronmattic58765 жыл бұрын

    Good Job, well presented can't wait to see what projects you make on that anvil

  • @ronwalsh
    @ronwalsh5 жыл бұрын

    I have to say you have the most entertaining videos concerning anvils that I have watched in quite a while. I think it is the fact that you are not taking yourself more seriously than some channels do. I think you have an excellent project going there, and remember even if your welds are not the prettiest, use your grinder-fu to make them perfect. Thanks for posting.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    5 жыл бұрын

    Glad you enjoy the haphazard serendipities that guide me through these projects :D

  • @andyshriner5443
    @andyshriner54434 жыл бұрын

    The "don't lean over your work" thing is great advice. I have been afraid of hitting my face with my hammer for a while now that I have an actual steel faced anvil that has rebound, and it wasn't until I asked online and someone brought this up recently that I realized that was the issue. Thanks!

  • @markmclaud7518
    @markmclaud75184 жыл бұрын

    You have a ton of time in that project and you are to be comended... Nice functional anvil and an entertaining video... Good job!

  • @C_Beaty
    @C_Beaty5 жыл бұрын

    Let's take a moment to appreciate that you use your anvil to work on pieces that will get added to...your anvil. It's very meta :)

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    5 жыл бұрын

    Much metal, very meta, wow! :D

  • @kucigal8993

    @kucigal8993

    4 жыл бұрын

    kzread.info/dash/bejne/dXeKuriQepnTkto.html

  • @rachelbrianna7063
    @rachelbrianna70635 жыл бұрын

    That's quite the anvil you got there. Glad I don't have to carry it around :p

  • @notyrants
    @notyrants4 жыл бұрын

    I love your attitude and sense of humor.

  • @pavelbaranov8360
    @pavelbaranov83604 жыл бұрын

    Looks good! I also need to force plate on my rail, so thanks for idea how to do this!)

  • @shotgunsam23
    @shotgunsam233 жыл бұрын

    The only thing I wished you had is a stick welder.

  • @ntobergta
    @ntobergta4 жыл бұрын

    Preheating and wrapping in welding blankets and then maybe even fiberglass insulation would help with the cracking. Also perfect place for SMAW.

  • @McGowanForge
    @McGowanForge2 жыл бұрын

    At my job, there's like 10 forklift bits just laying around as well as tons of anvil shaped objects, if my boss ever sells em I'm definitely going to make a anvil out of one

  • @whome6764
    @whome67644 жыл бұрын

    Tenacious... I like it! 👍

  • @scottmcclung83
    @scottmcclung834 жыл бұрын

    You need a stick welder bo

  • @oBseSsIoNPC
    @oBseSsIoNPC3 жыл бұрын

    A project like that is always a great teacher! I am sure you learned a lot making it!

  • @squrilebrain
    @squrilebrain4 жыл бұрын

    thank you for the idea of the chain wrap for large objects

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    It worked very well! Just remember to do a dry run if you’re getting things hot. That helped us get the chains adjusted correctly.

  • @CandSMINING
    @CandSMINING5 жыл бұрын

    Good job, nice video, thanks for sharing.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    5 жыл бұрын

    Thank you! It’s my pleasure.

  • @carriestearns7665
    @carriestearns76654 жыл бұрын

    If it keeps you out of trouble im happy for you my friend i need a good peice of that forklift tine 😊

  • @cheekon1814
    @cheekon18144 жыл бұрын

    nice video. I watched the whole thing without skipping anything.

  • @Hammerandhilt
    @Hammerandhilt4 жыл бұрын

    Loved the build on this video Bennett, very ingenuitive. One of my first anvils was a forklift tine I cut into 4 parts and welded together. The fact you managed to heat treat it like you did was pretty immence. I find it hard to believe you haven't got twice as many subscribers.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! Once I thought of a way to do the heat treat, I knew I had to try it. I slowed down making videos a bit because I’m spending all my time trying to make enough to pay the bills. But I’m getting there!

  • @Hammerandhilt

    @Hammerandhilt

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@BennettTheSmith I understand it's tough to keep a nice balance, either way was a great video.

  • @planbuilduse5994
    @planbuilduse59945 жыл бұрын

    Great video!

  • @archamedesgadafi7181
    @archamedesgadafi71815 жыл бұрын

    That’s a cool one, wouldn’t want be moving it much though haha

  • @jimcoyle7262
    @jimcoyle72625 жыл бұрын

    great job! I am sure it will serve you for many years! with all that weld I doubt the horn will fall off :) Liked !!

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    5 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! I'm just worried about any hidden stress cracks that may have already been in the railroad track pieces when I got them.... but I'm sure it'll be fiiiiine...

  • @stokeburner6730
    @stokeburner67305 жыл бұрын

    I like your anvil and I enjoyed watching you make it. Your entertaining and funny. Even if its not the greatest anvil ever built you built it yourself and should be really proud. I know I would be. Good Job!

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    5 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! :) I am proud of it. It might not be the best ever, but I've made a Bat'leth, an axe, and a whole bunch of knives on it. It'll do for now :D

  • @stokeburner6730

    @stokeburner6730

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@BennettTheSmith Did you make videos?

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@stokeburner6730 Sure did! I'm editing the last of the Axe videos as I type this. The Bat'leth is from a few years ago, so the video isn't as good as my new stuff, but still pretty cool. I also have a pair of videos on a knife from Destiny.

  • @fourgedmushrooms5958
    @fourgedmushrooms5958 Жыл бұрын

    Wow nice work. Making a steak anvil at the moment, I have a couple of anvils but not very flat or square edge anymore. Made heaps of cool hardy tools though work ausome

  • @chatorosales3905
    @chatorosales39055 жыл бұрын

    You’re crazy, bro, but in a good way! Awesome video!!

  • @NKG416
    @NKG4164 жыл бұрын

    this is basically my anvil big brother haha

  • @EvandroLuizgcm
    @EvandroLuizgcm4 жыл бұрын

    Deu trabalho, hein! Parabéns!

  • @allenhonaker4107
    @allenhonaker41073 жыл бұрын

    I feel your pain with blowing breakers. I've got the same problem.

  • @suminagum6605
    @suminagum6605 Жыл бұрын

    That was interesting to whatch and I actually learned a lot. You were committed to it and I understand completely, I’m the same way when I start a project. Still turned out pretty good. 👍

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    Жыл бұрын

    I still use this anvil. It’s got excellent rebound. :D

  • @alaskanken2132
    @alaskanken21323 жыл бұрын

    Very cool. I bet that you have learned a lot during this process.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    3 жыл бұрын

    Yep! Especially the "slowing down and rounding up helpers instead of trying to do it all yourself on a whim" lesson. I had plans for a lever thingy to lift the anvil all by myself. That would have been dumb.

  • @zoyastorykeeper
    @zoyastorykeeper5 жыл бұрын

    1) I reeaaaally enjoyed this video. So many things happening! 2) So much dust on that floor, gracious. 3) Patreon account? Yes. 4) (whispers) what's the really cool new project?

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    5 жыл бұрын

    It's a secret! Also ALL of that dust was from just one small part of the cutting and grinding on the anvil. That floor was clean directly before XD

  • @zoyastorykeeper

    @zoyastorykeeper

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@BennettTheSmith Secrets are fun! (whispers) but what if you gave us a sneak preview though

  • @markfryer9880

    @markfryer9880

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@zoyastorykeeper If he tells you the secret, then he has to kill you. It's the rules!

  • @A_J_kim
    @A_J_kim4 жыл бұрын

    You did a great job.

  • @richardpalmer6196
    @richardpalmer61964 жыл бұрын

    Lumpy welds . The driving force behind the invention of the abrasive disc .

  • @samplum4150
    @samplum41505 жыл бұрын

    Why did you harden the anvil in the end? would that not be a brittle and potentially deadly anvil if you miss a strike?

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    5 жыл бұрын

    Just like with knives etc, tempering back the hardness reduces how brittle/increases the toughness of the steel. Anvils commonly have a hardened face, to increase wear resistance and the amount of energy dispersed in the work piece. It’s a balancing act of getting the best performance but also best durability you can. And yes striking the anvil, especially on the edge, can be bad. Just look at any old antique anvils and you’ll see chipped out edges all over.

  • @sharperprospecting6980
    @sharperprospecting69804 жыл бұрын

    Once I ended up with the balmpien in the forehead ... Though have seen another Smith do it several times on one day 😂

  • @jjforeal2
    @jjforeal24 жыл бұрын

    I was waiting for the loud *tink* sound when I saw the trash can full of water.

  • @ratchbrg3882
    @ratchbrg38824 жыл бұрын

    I too use a Frankenvil. Mine is done differently. I have the Steel from switch track stuff and cut them into plates and made a big sandwich. with a 2inch thick piece from a Gym Bleacher on the top. it's being modified but, I can move steel. FYI the best way to use track is to go vertical. it's difficult to transcribe techniques to when you're learning but it can get you stared. I moved to a frankenvil because when you're still learning and everything you consume is taking into account techniques on an actual anvil face, it's best to have a similar tool to learn the techniques. If I was to remake my anvil from scratch, I would cut the plates into strips and weld them in like bricks. I would have the maximum weld penetration so it wouldn't crack or anything. the only thing I'm really missing on the Anvil is a Hardened Steel face. I have some leaf springs but they're not wide enough to make a single plate, and I would need to special order the Welding rods that's hardenable steel rods.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    I know what you mean about using the rail on end. I’ve recommended that to many. You can point people at videos of people using Viking style post anvils for technique reference. :) I can recommend using a solid slave of forklift tine for the top. It’s thick enough you don’t really need to worry about hardenable weld material. And it’s about the right width for an anvil.

  • @lemix69
    @lemix693 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the video, gives me some pointers for when I put my anvil together. I stick weld, but other than that it'll be somewhat similar to your project. The only things I'll do differently is I'm going to harden the top plate before welding it on top of the anvil, and I'm going to try to forge weld the top on using Iron Mountain flux powder. I'm going to try some smaller forge welding projects first to get a better handle on the process and I'm also going to look on KZread to see if anyone else has done this yet. Thanks again for the video. Keep them coming. 🖖😎⚒

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    3 жыл бұрын

    I'm glad seeing my process (and mistakes!) is helping to inform your plan, I couldn't hope for more. I'm a little confused though, do you mean you're going to forge weld the top plate on . . . after hardening it? Hardening a 1"+ thick plate before arc welding it on would preserve the hardness and temper easily, but the heat of forge welding would completely undo any prior heat treat. Or am I not quite getting what you meant?

  • @lemix69

    @lemix69

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@BennettTheSmith No, your right, I guess I'll have rethink my process, thanks.

  • @johnlieske8908
    @johnlieske89084 жыл бұрын

    GREAT JOB.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @figurita67
    @figurita675 жыл бұрын

    Muy bueno , yo hice lo mismo, aunque vos la mejoraste mucho con el templando !

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    5 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! How is yours holding up?

  • @figurita67

    @figurita67

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@BennettTheSmith fantástico e hecho muchos trabajos , como hobby esta bien !kzread.info/dash/bejne/qHmnt65mY728lKw.html , saludos desde argentina

  • @itz_beavis7674
    @itz_beavis76744 жыл бұрын

    Okay best advice for welds dont hold the trigger for so long its pulling too much power Weld like youre stacking dimes (tack welds over and over and over) so you are welding by pull trigger Release Pull trigger Release Pull trigger Release It works

  • @itz_beavis7674

    @itz_beavis7674

    4 жыл бұрын

    But behold frakenanvil!!

  • @dakota-joel7590
    @dakota-joel75904 жыл бұрын

    I'm in the process of building my own anvil. Started with a chunk of forklift tine and just ran with it lol Somehow I convinced myself I would be saving money to build one. Definitely not the case for me! Lol Looks cool though man and I cant believe you actually heat treated the anvil, that's like the stuff of legend right there. Again nice job and I'm sure it will outlive us all!

  • @eduardosampoia5480

    @eduardosampoia5480

    4 жыл бұрын

    I did the same thing...I spent 160 dollars on steel...30 dollars on electrodes and maybe 40 dollars on cutting discs. It was definitely worth it.

  • @dakota-joel7590

    @dakota-joel7590

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@eduardosampoia5480 Hahaha it adds up fast! I have spent(so far) 200$ on mild steel(for the body) 50$ on a forklift tine(for the face) I'm currently on my third 10lb box of 6011 electrodes still on my first box of 7018. It's been a wild ride to put it lightly. Lol

  • @eduardosampoia5480

    @eduardosampoia5480

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@dakota-joel7590 you should put up a link ...do you have a video?

  • @herscheltaylor7919
    @herscheltaylor791911 ай бұрын

    I am hoping to put together my own little anvil 😊 but I don't have a welder or help or a lot of resources.wish me luck.🤞

  • @AriesArriesgado
    @AriesArriesgado3 жыл бұрын

    I like it!

  • @Tvngsten
    @TvngstenКүн бұрын

    I mean, it's cool, but for the same price and less work you can get an anvil that is heavier, bigger, harder, and doesn't have a void between the face and the body. But hey, making that kind of stuff is always amazing.

  • @jaydarrensmith09
    @jaydarrensmith094 жыл бұрын

    I enjoyed that video. I enjoy fabricating mods on my tools more that I do working as well. Best of luck.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    I know that feeling. I've been fixing up a bunch of different tools in the past few weeks and it is just so satisfying to fix something PROPERLY and not just "for now cause I'm in a hurry".

  • @workwithnature
    @workwithnature5 жыл бұрын

    Nice anvil and stand. The track may have wanted oil hardening whilst the forklift tine looked like water did great. Good video.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    5 жыл бұрын

    Quite possibly, yes. For a small piece of either steel I would default to oil. Based on when the big crack happened though, I probably could have prevented it by better normalizing or by removing the anvil from the water and tempering back much sooner. But all the cracks were far from the face so welding fixed everything :D

  • @ivannekic1722

    @ivannekic1722

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@BennettTheSmith No oil hardening, you should not dip it in a bucket, just prepare water and pour on face of the anvil, when bucket get empty then cooling it down with a water hose. When you put anvil in a bucket full of water anvil create steam on surface and tenst to not cooling that rapidly. Pouring on it breaks that steam surface,and fresh, cold water cools metal rapidly faster. Im sorry for spealing english is not my mother leangue. I made 86 kg anvil, i had smaller crack. If you planing to make another one, go to the big metal scrap yard and find big chunk. Buy steel metal plate and weld on top, and buy round stock for lathe (better quality steel, more harder) and shape it with a angle grinder. Use a stick welder with electrodes that contain chromium (chrom allows to weld high carbon steel to mild steel). Preheat when welding.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    5 жыл бұрын

    Ivan Nekic that’s all very good advice. If I were to make another, I would likely do it differently. Your English is much better than my 2nd language :) The term used to refer to the steam is a “steam jacket”. You’re right, it does insulate the metal. In this case, I still got enough hardness, but dumping water over it definitely would have been better. What sucks is my state doesn’t have big scrap yards you can buy from. All the yards in Maryland don’t want to deal with liability I guess? So I’m trying to find companies that work with metal that might sell me off cuts.

  • @workwithnature

    @workwithnature

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@ivannekic1722 A very valid point.

  • @ivannekic1722

    @ivannekic1722

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@BennettTheSmith At the end it all comes to some heavy steel that you can pound on. I score great deal yestrday, got 214 kg anvil for 2200 kuna (Croatia value) is something arround 330 USD and its in good condition. I was watching local advertisment for 3 years and finnally scored one! :))

  • @josecanisales3491
    @josecanisales34914 жыл бұрын

    Do you "Stick" weld?

  • @davidschwartz5127
    @davidschwartz51273 жыл бұрын

    It's possible that you may have already paid the price for an excellent blacksmithing anvil just in the costs you have in the "Railroad Track Anvil" that would last 10 years without the horn following off. I enjoyed your video and subscribed, Thanx

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    3 жыл бұрын

    Possible indeed, though that money was spent over several years and I had the anvil to use at each stage of upgrade. If I had the money all at once back when I started and knew I’d stick with it, I would have bought one. I’ve been meaning to do a follow up actually, it’s still going strong and I finally did a ball bearing test to check the hardness and rebound. I was quite pleased with the results :D

  • @Redtailedhawk99
    @Redtailedhawk995 жыл бұрын

    I see people giving away free wood sometimes. You can probably find a decent sized tree trunk for an anvil table.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    5 жыл бұрын

    A log would have been better than the stand before I added the big plate of steel. I have a few pieces of wood I could use, but this table is actually more rigid and massive than a stump. It makes a significant difference as it is very heavy and my anvil is relatively light. I appreciate the thought, though!

  • @protectoroffaith

    @protectoroffaith

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@BennettTheSmith you remind me so much of my old shop teacher lol

  • @billwoehl3051
    @billwoehl30513 жыл бұрын

    to properly harden the face of the anvil, according to Joey Vanderseege, you need running water, just dunking it in a tub doesn't cool it fast enough.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    3 жыл бұрын

    I’ve seen that as well. While I agree that would be optimal, this method was good enough to get a good enough quench. What I really should have done was harden the face before welding to the track. At 2.5” thick, I could easily have preheated and welded without ruining the temper and it would have been much easier to quench harden.

  • @chamarystigers8731
    @chamarystigers87315 жыл бұрын

    Forklift s fork and train track seal make avinl cool

  • @craigmonteforte1478
    @craigmonteforte14784 жыл бұрын

    Pretty interesting video

  • @naui_diver9290
    @naui_diver92904 жыл бұрын

    What did you have the amps set at?

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    My welder isn't nice enough to give actual numbers on the dial, but it was basically the maximum setting. Theoretically it will output ~90amps at that setting.

  • @billarroo1
    @billarroo15 жыл бұрын

    My question, why did u temper it Before u finished all the fab and welding ? Nice job , lots of work. 😁

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    5 жыл бұрын

    Simply because the whole process was done in multiple steps over many months. The quenched and tempered version was stage three and then four months later I added the extra weight to the sides to reach stage four. Also, the tempering temperature is pretty close to the pre-heat temperature, so it would more or less be tempering anyway.

  • @thomasarussellsr
    @thomasarussellsr4 жыл бұрын

    Build a tool to make the pieces to build up the tool to make it stronger and work better. Dang shame the center web cracked in the quench. Great fix welding and beefing it up. It may not be pretty, but it should work while you save and hunt for a professionally made "proper" anvil. Great job. Gotta love those little tinks and clunks while working steel, makes you jump every time. Then panic mode sets in until you find what broke loose.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    It's worked beautifully and I was able to use it in each iteration over four years, only spending a little money at a time. The sound of popping tac welds is physics' way of telling me to PREHEAT BETTER! :D

  • @Zonkotron
    @Zonkotron3 жыл бұрын

    Fantastic. I will take some license here :) Forget the downvoters. This is good work.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    3 жыл бұрын

    Years later, it's still solid and in good shape. :)

  • @zaurkairbekov251
    @zaurkairbekov2514 жыл бұрын

    Nice vid Dude))

  • @ecalzo
    @ecalzo4 жыл бұрын

    Very nice.. you did well...

  • @captaindd1971
    @captaindd19714 жыл бұрын

    Holy Frankenstein

  • @NM88310
    @NM883104 жыл бұрын

    I like your demeanor. I hope you achieve ..yours wants.

  • @brandontaylor3881
    @brandontaylor38814 жыл бұрын

    Just a suggestion but maybe you should have pushed the welds instead of pulling them. If you were using stick pull it. You did a great job and the anvil looks great

  • @captainchaos3053
    @captainchaos30534 жыл бұрын

    Good idea, the through weld you speak of is a full penetrative weld and I never heard of walking a cup. It's called a weave where I come from and going backwards is not a technique often used for welding that kind of material. (Your welding needs more practice in general) Shame it cracked.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    Thanks, Having the right terminology is helpful. “Walking the cup” is usually a TiG welding thing, using it here is probably inaccurate of me. I definitely need more practice, a welder I ain’t. Fortunately the crack was in the web of the rail track, far away from the hardened face. So super easy to fix. And shows that the welds were strong enough to tear a crack in the thinner metal elsewhere. I’m kinda pleased with that in hindsight.

  • @fernandonogueira3290
    @fernandonogueira32905 жыл бұрын

    🎥 GREAT JOB ⚙️🔩🔧⚒️ ! _ Congratulations! 👍 🇧🇷

  • @sephangelo4603
    @sephangelo46033 жыл бұрын

    Good video and I would have burried the anvil in sand if it was a different alloy than mild steel. I also like the comedy in this video. 😁

  • @tanglediver
    @tanglediver4 жыл бұрын

    Never Surrender!

  • @shotgunsam23
    @shotgunsam234 жыл бұрын

    I got my anvil back in early November. It was 165lb + a stand for $650. The guy was cleaning out his shop and had never used the anvil. After doing some detective work I figured out that it’s a hay budden. I got a pretty damn good deal.

  • @kkarllwt

    @kkarllwt

    4 жыл бұрын

    Ask your librarian to inter library loan the book 'anvils of america' Or buy it for $ 100

  • @bemorecarefullrespect6864
    @bemorecarefullrespect68645 жыл бұрын

    🤔Sorry to say it, I knew as soon as I watched you put it in water that it should start cracking. But I like what you done to safe money by making your own anvil. 🤗

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    5 жыл бұрын

    I’m curious why you would say that. Large objects are often quenched in water or very fast quenching oil due to the difficulty of getting it to cool fast enough. The square cube law is not always our friend :P Most of the cracking I saw seemed to be from stress induced in the railroad track from when it was being used to carry trains. Among other things the presence of rust in the cracks indicated that. The major crack was preventable though. The mistake was allowing it to stay in the water far too long. Often, heat treating instructions will say to begin tempering directly after a quench to relieve stresses as quickly as possible. Upon later examinations, you could see the heel of the anvil pulled down a little - showing that the forklift metal was pulling against the center web of the train track REALLY hard. If I had pulled that out and tempered it back 5 minutes sooner...ah well I’m glad you enjoyed it, though I wouldn’t go on record saying this saved me any money! :P

  • @michaelwood5519
    @michaelwood55193 жыл бұрын

    Damn Ben, you built a battle tank! That puppy must be gaining weight too.

  • @chushingura4295
    @chushingura42954 жыл бұрын

    Nice work you should call this the terminator anvil

  • @braxtonnelson2226
    @braxtonnelson22264 жыл бұрын

    You earn a like for proper pronunciation of the word "cavalry" at 4:17

  • @mercury6800

    @mercury6800

    3 жыл бұрын

    Braxton Nelson how do people miss pronounce it I’ve never heard it said any other way?

  • @braxtonnelson2226

    @braxtonnelson2226

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@mercury6800 So many people say Cal-vary as opposed to Cav-alry.

  • @mercury6800

    @mercury6800

    3 жыл бұрын

    Braxton Nelson ok that’s illegal

  • @oceanhouse8080
    @oceanhouse80804 жыл бұрын

    Just run a heavyweight 10 or 8 gauge drop line directly to a double 40 amp breaker, and plug your welder into that drop line, your power problems have been solved!!!!

  • @jamesshelton534
    @jamesshelton5345 жыл бұрын

    Is there any reason to temper the face after hardening?

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    5 жыл бұрын

    Well it depends, I suppose. If you achieve a REALLY hard face then yes. You want the anvil to be tough and resist chopping and cracking. The residual heat in such a large mass is going to do a lot of tempering work. The preheating I did for the welding after the quench completed the tempering. Even though I didn’t get a super hard face, it can still be beneficial for stress relief in the metal

  • @jackiefinch968

    @jackiefinch968

    5 жыл бұрын

    Stop it from cracking although hard it's very brittle

  • @sam_the_man

    @sam_the_man

    4 жыл бұрын

    Also you really need it to be a lower hardness than any hammer or other striking tool you’re likely to use. Otherwise, any direct blows between a striking tool and a harder anvil face are likely to result in damage to your striking tools at best, or at worst, your striking tool shattering with the force of a small explosion and burying a collection of hardened steel shrapnel into various parts of your face and body.

  • @willwade1101
    @willwade11014 жыл бұрын

    First of all only the striking surface needs to be hardened, in other words only the forklift tine. Second you should have quenched in oil which would have reduced the chance of cracking. All anvils have a hardened striking surface but you will find that the foot of the anvil is mostly cast.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    Quenching in oil probably would not have cooled the steel quickly enough to harden it. As I’ve mentioned to several other folks, the issue was not moving to the tempering stage fast enough. Notice that the crack occurred after several minutes after it had been sitting in the water. This likely indicates that the crack that occurred could only have been avoided by tempering. As the stress was caused by the shapes and different alloys of the two pieces pulling against each other. Any quenching media that cooled the anvil fast enough to harden it would have produced the same stresses between the two parts. Even the striking face doesn’t /need/ to be hardened. Only relatively modern anvils have hard faces. As a fellow smith once said, all the great works of smithing were done on soft anvils. But sure, I could have tried to just quench the top part, certainly the web of the RR track base didn’t need to be hard.

  • @EARTHLING74000
    @EARTHLING740004 жыл бұрын

    Your circuit breaker method starts fires every day.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    Not sure what you think I did, but I followed code for an over-breakered outlet (specifically intended for things like welders) Everything between the box and the arc, except the welder itself, is rated for 30amps+. So the welder could theoretically get fried, but it shouldn’t be pulling that much in any case.

  • @alaskagoldtoolco.4915
    @alaskagoldtoolco.49154 жыл бұрын

    yeah brother you really need stick welder ,you can pickup a good used one for a hundred bucks , penetration is the key good man

  • @MrRivech
    @MrRivech3 жыл бұрын

    Why is Ben Wyatt cosplaying as Legolas cracking anvils in this video? Fun watch though understanding how much work goes into modifying or "improving" something instead of just getting exactly what you need.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    2 жыл бұрын

    *snort* Why not? And yeah, It was a lot of work, but also absolutely worth it for me. That anvil is still kicking and has significantly better rebound than my other, larger, professionally manufactured anvil - which only has a thin hardened plate on the face. If all you want do is just forge knives and you've got the money, sure, buy an anvil! But this taught me so much about welding, machining, heat treatment, etc.

  • @JustJeff78
    @JustJeff784 жыл бұрын

    Railroad Rail Anvil = $50 Fork Lift Tine = Free! Friend Slave Labor = Free! SUPER MULLET = PRICELESS! And is absolutely, unequivocally, worth EVERY penny...(in my opinion) Nice homemade anvil brother.

  • @richardadams5888
    @richardadams58884 жыл бұрын

    While pitching propellers for sewage treatment I have taken a 20 lb maul handle to the forehead. Knocked me clean out.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    ... ouch o.o

  • @richardadams5888

    @richardadams5888

    4 жыл бұрын

    Bennett Marschner I can share a video of you want! Our security cameras caught it

  • @charlespeagler8010
    @charlespeagler80103 жыл бұрын

    isnt it worth heatsoaking in a gas grill? even if you weld one side at a time.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    3 жыл бұрын

    charles peagler that would have been a good way to preheat before welding. I don’t own one though. Great suggestion!

  • @charlespeagler8010

    @charlespeagler8010

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@BennettTheSmith might be worth hittin the scrap yard for one, touch of KoaWool blanket for some insulation and you could Dial the temp for annealing too. preheat, post heat treatment.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    3 жыл бұрын

    charles peagler Man, if you can point me at a scrap yard within a days drive of Washington DC that will actually allow people to buy scrap, I’d be all over it. Seems like all of them funnel directly to recycling plants and don’t allow individuals to purchase. I’ve been looking for ages.

  • @SamTownsBladesmith
    @SamTownsBladesmith4 жыл бұрын

    I copped a 7lb sledge to the forehead off a cast iron striking anvil (video's on my channel haha) nice build mate!

  • @jus1taj
    @jus1taj6 ай бұрын

    Right on man. That thing sure is ugly. But who cares? You made and reinforced a freaking anvil. Nice work. Better than anything O could have done.

  • @curtissmith5875
    @curtissmith58753 жыл бұрын

    Maybe a new anvil would be nice

  • @deathsromath
    @deathsromath4 жыл бұрын

    Your welder is flipping the breaker likely because of the short duty cycle on the 110v machine. If you push the machine too far it will not last.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    Good thought, But my machine has an internal sensor that puts it into cool down mode if I run it too long. I was blowing the breaker within a minute of starting from cold at times. From what I have read about this specific machine it is likely a defect in the electronics. Klutch is sold through Northern Tool and has a really Good return policy for defective products, but since I had a 30amp circuit and that works fine.... *shrug*

  • @curtmiller6358
    @curtmiller63584 жыл бұрын

    Invest in a gas powered stick welder

  • @Owens_Racing
    @Owens_Racing4 жыл бұрын

    When you square your edges get some hard surface rod/wire. See if it holds the edge better. Cool anvil.

  • @richardbryant7972
    @richardbryant79724 жыл бұрын

    I know it’s been awhile but is track hard to weld?

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    No more so than any similarly sized chunk of steel. Preheat is mandatory, both to prevent cracking and it seriously helps less powerful welders get enough penetration.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    @stephen john gray True, though scrap steel (last I checked) gets you 3-4 cents a pound, but folks sell pieces on ebay for closer to a dollar a pound. If I had a source of rail track, I probably would too.

  • @jagolee2536
    @jagolee25365 жыл бұрын

    110v breakers commonly blow when welding. Nice job btw.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    5 жыл бұрын

    Heh, so I have discovered :P. Thanks!

  • @normdoty

    @normdoty

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@BennettTheSmith hi , good luck , that is a real tuff job trying to weld all of that together without cracking . i have a few questions about your welding setup if you could answer them please ? how much amperage is your welder rated for ? what brand is your welder ? what gas or combination of gasses are you using ? what diameter welding wire are you using ? what brand is your electric panel ? the breaker in your panel is it a magnetic breaker or a thermal breaker or a dual model thermal and magnetic ???? nice work building your own anvil !!!!

  • @petepeterson4540
    @petepeterson45404 жыл бұрын

    ps i have a two inch patch that does come back but is better kept shaven

  • @dill_sgt1164
    @dill_sgt11644 жыл бұрын

    Talks about preheating before welding so it doesn’t crack , quenches in water and cracks it 😬

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    Larger pieces of steel can be water quenched no problem and these alloys in particular can be water quenched. What cause the crack was the stress from the two different alloys pulling against each other. If I had pulled the anvil sooner and went right into tempering, it probably would not have cracked. But it was fine, the crack wasn’t on the face of the anvil, so it was easy to fix :)

  • @draznin
    @draznin5 жыл бұрын

    That anvil will be a bear to take camping.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    5 жыл бұрын

    Yep! But worth it :D

  • @normdoty

    @normdoty

    4 жыл бұрын

    draznin ; what in the devil would you take an anvil camping for ????

  • @eastin6868
    @eastin68684 жыл бұрын

    Im new to your videos but i was curious why mig it and not stick it? Do you not own a stick welder? Enjoyed the video btw

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    Pretty much just that, yep. Though it’s also valuable to have done, because now I can look back and say using a MiG might not be maximum penetration/etc. but it was definitely enough. The anvil is holding up really well, so if anyone else only has access to MIG, they should not be discouraged from making do :)

  • @eastin6868

    @eastin6868

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@BennettTheSmith oh i wasnt trying to discourage anyone at all. I was just abit curious, it was just easier to make mine with my stick welder then it would have been with my mig. Does your mig use argon gas for a shield or is it just straight wire by itself. I know im full of questions i apologize.

  • @eastin6868

    @eastin6868

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@BennettTheSmith also im glad the anvil is holding up very well i enjoyed how you added more steel to it and the look and stability changed drastically

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    Hey no worries. You’re only one so far to ask the question instead of assume I don’t know about stick :P I’m using the mixed gas, CO2 and argon. I think it’s a 70/30 ratio? *shrug* and I’m happy to answer any questions as best I can.

  • @eastin6868

    @eastin6868

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@BennettTheSmith well its obvious that you can weld so that would mean you know about stick welding but even if it wasnt the case id rather ask questions and to see the reasoning behind it then attack you for it and force feed you my ways of doing it. More people have mig welders then they do stick machines. The breaker that kept blowing was it older or just wired to feed 10 to 15 amps or just a single instead of two double breakers? Also i only ask because there are probably some people that would rather not ask a simple question that have watched your video.

  • @nicholsceramiccoating8284
    @nicholsceramiccoating82844 жыл бұрын

    Use SS wire next time it has a higher nickel content and you won't hear your tracks, or welds breaking

  • @huckstirred7112

    @huckstirred7112

    4 жыл бұрын

    Along with lots more pre heating. You need to have someone heating it while you weld

  • @AJ-pg1ed

    @AJ-pg1ed

    4 жыл бұрын

    Put your forge burner on the other side while you weld steel that thick

  • @AJ-pg1ed

    @AJ-pg1ed

    4 жыл бұрын

    I'd also suggest getting a stick weld its alot more effective and cheaper nice job tho

  • @danfraser7479
    @danfraser74795 жыл бұрын

    Will you fill the voids with lead?

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    5 жыл бұрын

    Probably not at this point. Perhaps after I get a new anvil, it could be worth revisiting though. A compare and contrast of the two. Hmmm...

  • @ogopp7834
    @ogopp78344 жыл бұрын

    Why did you quench in water??? And why would you weld on something heat treated..

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    An anvil is not a knife. When quenching an anvil, it is sufficiently massive that water won’t cool it fast enough to cause cracks from rate of cooling. In fact, it is often recommended to use a “column” of water. Think dumping huge amounts of water over it, to try and cool faster. In this case the crack that occurred was due to the stresses between the two different alloys pulling against each other. The crack wasn’t due to the water, but due to leaving it to sit too long before starting to temper it, relieving the built up stresses. Depending on the alloy of steel, it requires different things for quenching. Specific oils, water, even air. The post heat treat welding was far enough from the hardened face of the anvil to avoid losing the hardness. Preheating the anvil to about ~400F allows the welds to take with reasonable penetration and without damaging the structure of the steel.

  • @sasalafamily9279
    @sasalafamily92793 жыл бұрын

    Looks like you would have been better off using a big block of steel, thanks for teaching me that. Keep building and enjoying the art

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    3 жыл бұрын

    Mmmm, not really. It's much harder to mill a hardy hole through a single big block and much harder to heat treat as well. Someone else might be better off going with a big chunk of steel, for sure! But you'd be surprised how difficult it is to get a big chunk of steel around where I live. No scraps yards you can buy from for hundreds of miles unfortunately. Glad you enjoyed it :)

  • @Marian1983.2D
    @Marian1983.2D4 жыл бұрын

    Whi didn't you used stick welding instead MIG? Cause stick welding with 7018 rods have a bigger penetration than other welds :)

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    Because I don’t have a stick welder. *shrug* I also think it’s worth it to show that the right process with a sub-optimal tool can still get the job done. Two years on, all the welds are holding solid :)

  • @Marian1983.2D

    @Marian1983.2D

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@BennettTheSmith Well, good job then :)

  • @willwade1101
    @willwade11014 жыл бұрын

    All the welds are pretty. Some are pretty nice and the rest are pretty ugly.

  • @BennettTheSmith

    @BennettTheSmith

    4 жыл бұрын

    Yep. Problem is the pretty ones are right next to the ugly ones. So even the pretty one end up looking meh because the overall is inconsistent. Ah well. They’re holding solid and that’s what matters most :)

  • @dagnard5707
    @dagnard57074 жыл бұрын

    a rubber mat under it works wonders for sound reduction

  • @dagnard5707

    @dagnard5707

    4 жыл бұрын

    @Elijah Nathaniel Ishmael lol@you. ok sure I have the mat under mine and it does help reduce the ring