I've felt the need to bash hot steel for a while but was missing all the tools needed to do it, apart from a few hammers. Finding an anvil has been the biggest challenge, used ones either too beat up and/or overpriced, then there's the small choice of new ones which I can't justify buying when I don't know how long I'll pursue this. I should just attend a class and be done with it. But seeing what people make do with to get started I figured I'd make something out of rail line but wanted to use two pieces to increase its width. I saw this on youtube rchopp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MYfioSO_c4 a couple years ago and have wanted to do something similar.
The rail line I have was cut from lengths used as a footrest/gutter around a bar in a pub in the 90s and is 53kg/m size. Last year I dug them out and was going to make a start but loss interest, but here they are before I started.
http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/...psvv18ethn.jpg
I'm using primarily a 9" and 5" grinder to do all the cutting and grinding plus drill press and hacksaw.
This shot was after mating the two sides together ready for welding. The base of the rail was trimmed from both sides then ground from above and below for root welds. The sides of the rail head was lightly faced by sanding and similarly ground for root welds but not overly deep.
http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/...psqltvuqy0.jpg
One edge is being built up to make it square. Getting the interior root passes done was difficult. I'm using mainly 6013 satincraft 3.2 and 2.5mm rods, plus tried some 7018 ferrocraft and later, building up some non contact areas with some chinese 3.2mm rods.
http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1ybo2iol.jpg
http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/...psuvi5o6eo.jpg
Round v's square edge.
http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/...psq2hbi0mg.jpg
http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/...pszdq6y1bi.jpg
Everytime I though I left enough material behind there were still more passes to be done.
http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/...psaiejwzur.jpg
More filleting and grinding... during a cleanup and out of curiosity I counted 100 plus expended rods. At this point I also had gone through seven 9" cutting discs.
http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/...pscxe2ggws.jpg
http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/...psclpnol1s.jpg
http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/...psepa8wdia.jpg