

Railroad spikes can be gathered from old tracks, purchased in antique shops or purchased from train enthusiasts, and they are turned into a variety of useful and creative tools.ĪSTM A65-01. Railroad spikes, which have been used on railroad tracks for more than 100 years, are collector's items for train enthusiasts and historians.
RAILROAD SPIKE CARBON CONTENT PROFESSIONAL
This is considered low carbon steel and a professional knifemaker would not use this steel. If you get a spiked marked HC it will have about. One such object that you may not have thought much about is the railroad spike. Woodman said: I live near an abandoned railroad and I've had quite a few knives made by a blacksmith with spikes I've picked up. Many people enjoy taking uncommon objects and making practical tools out of them. (The Tuyere, newsletter of the Illinois Valey Blacksmith Association) With this in mind, be aware of a higher carbon content and work with the material accordingly. The spikes are barely heat treatable and won't hold an edge very long. 80% that we would usually call high carbon. HC on a railroad spike does not necessarily mean high carbon, it may mean highway crossing, and these spikes need to be stronger for this part of the track. In seasoned oak, another experimenter needed 4,281 pounds. Early experiments showed that pulling out a 9/16″ × 9/16″ spike driven 4¼" inches into dry cedar required on average a force of 857 pounds. New Listing Custom Hand Forged Railroad Spike Carbon Steel Fixed Skinning Blade Knife 9796. A spike with the wedge driven across the grain will have about twice as much holding power as one driven with the grain. Its square cross section gives a railroad spike much higher holding strength than a fastener having the same amount of metal but a circular cross section has roughly speaking, about 50% more. The wedge is driven into the tie across the grain, that is, parallel to the track. The spikes used to fasten T-shaped railroad track to wooden ties have an L-shaped head and a square shank.


Appalachian Blacksmiths Association - Wax.

Forging Railroad Spike Tongs for Blacksmithing.Blacksmithing Railroad Spike Tongs Simplified Version.Forging Rail Spike Tongs from Old Nippers.Blacksmithing tools - Flat nib tongs forged of two railroad spikes.Poor Man's Forged Bolt or RR Spike Tongs From Harbor Freight Long Handled Pliers.Blacksmithing tools - Railroad spike bolt tongs.Forge a Medieval Rondel out of a Railroad spike.Standard Specification for Steel Track Spikes. Tempers flare and arguments ensue whenever folks ask if a railroad spike is proper steel to hold a cutting edge. Railroad spikes, which have been used on railroad tracks for more than 100 years, are collector's items for train enthusiasts and historians. Okay, I know railroad spike knives are a pretty controversial topic among blacksmiths. One such object that you may not have thought much about is the railroad spike. Early experiments showed that pulling out a 9/16″ × 9/16″ spike driven 4¼" inches into dry cedar required on average a force of 857 pounds.
