haw_thrn

is it the pink one?

you can also get copper rods

HI, I've done a few small jobs that contain lots of splits and drifts, but I always have the worst time getting consistently accurate holes and getting the drifts on several bars to meet up so that verticals may pass through them.
I'd like to do a split and drift room divider but I need an efficient and accurate method of doing it. Could someone here who has done a lot of this sort of thing give me instructions or even point the way to some good ones. Thanks Jeff

Railroad spikes are low carbon steel mild steel, approximately 15 points carbon max, even the ones marked HC which stands for higher carbon, not High Carbon only have about 30 points of carbon. The accepted standard for knife steel is at least 60 to 65 points carbon minimum. Email me I have about 20 pages in MS Word on various types of junkyard steel, railroad steel and various steels that are commonly used in knifemaking that Iwill be glad to share with you. On the other hand old leaf and coil springs are good knife steel.

Woody

say..is that an open offer about your scrap info? cause if it is haw_thrn@yahoo.com

If the gas is bothering you, is it burning completely? Do you have a CO detector? Your shop may also be too tight for a chimney as well. I have been using gas since 1993, maybe that is part of my problem?!

Too tight ? That might be my problem then. I've got a round shop in the making about 20 feet accross but due to time constraints and this being canada I decided to tarp it in for the winter. I have a side draft with a 12'' stack (which I picked up from the local scrap yard for 30 cents a pound) even with the door open I have a miserable time getting it started. I gennerally wind up sticking a propane torch in the chamber to force a draft.This works well but who wants to be forced to do that. I've been considering adding more length to it. It currently stands 15 feet off the ground which is about two feet higher than the roof peak. Any feed back on this situation would be of service.

hi all i'm an apprentice smith working in ontario . i'm glad to have found this forum , places like these are a wonderful resource of information. cheers jeff