Finally found a trick for getting a perfectly flat surface on a rail anvil without a mill

I spent 3 hours filing and sanding a used rail anvil from the scrapyard in Tulsa last week until I tried using a belt sander with 80 grit and a straight edge clamped as a guide, has anyone else tried this method or is there a better way?

2 comments

2 Comments

ellis.rose18d ago

Found a trick" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. A belt sander with a clamped straight edge will get you close, but it won't beat the dead flat you get from a mill or even a good hand file with a guide block.

angela_carter18d ago

Does a belt sander really get stuff flat, or just sorta flat?