Posted by David Sherman on Monday, February 20, 2006 at 1:53PM :
In Reply to: Re: Nieed "vice" Advice.... posted by Todd Wilson on Monday, February 20, 2006 at 1:06PM :
It seems to me a case-hardened rail could be annealed by heating it red-hot in the fire the next time you burn slash or brush and letting it cool with the ashes. I haven't tried it though. Harbor Freight anvils are around $1/pound, but the biggest they have is 100 lbs. I agree they are surprisingly scarce in second hand stores and yard sales. I guess nobody wants to give a good one up. It takes a pretty big torch to cut off a chunk of heavy railroad iron, and then you have to get out of the way before the train comes by. Anything you use for an anvil is best attached to a heavy hunk of wood, like the butt of a log, rather than a workbench or metal stand.
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