Rail track anvil

[bradley]

I have a 10" section of rail track that was cut with a torch and I'm trying to clean up the ends and put a radius on one end to use for an anvil because the curve of the top is good for all sorts of stuff. My question is about the hardness of the steel. What kind of steel is this thing made of. This stuff is as hard as glass and throws off a totally different spark pattern when ground. The spark pattern is more like HSS than mild steel. A 36 grit wheel doesn't do very much to it and a file doesn't like it much either. What gives, I thought rail track was just plain 'ol steel.

[thefabman]

Not sure of the exact steel, but i imagine it is a hardened steel. Here is a small anvil i made from rial road track.

I used a plasma cutter and a 7" grinder with 36grit pads. Used 3 pads to complete it. Here it is almost completed.

http://www.metalmeet.com/photopost/data/500/676anvil3-med.jpg?9876

scott

[goleafsgo_12]

ya rail tracks are hardened. I would imagin it wuld just chew up a grinding wheel like nothin' at all!

Ryan

[Hemirambler]

Fabman,

I believe that they alloy RR Track with manganese to allow it to work harden and have excellent impact resistance. I also seem to recall that manganese fumes are rather toxic - so care should be taken when torch cutting it especially.


Jacin in Ohio


SOMB

[goleafsgo_12]

When cutting any non-ferous metal with a plasma cutter (aloys etc) it gives of a poisonous gas...