coldchisel

just have someone hit it with some 5/32 7018 at about160 -170amps.done in a fraction of the time and much less a chance of the weld failing.works for me dude

where is bayport...im in tupper lake ie the adirondacks.maybee an hour from canada

grab ur torch and cut a square hole to fit your hardy in.that would do fine for the light hammering on it.even if the heat from cutting changes the properties of it....its still way stronger than the stresses most people will put it through.i have 6inch 108lb/yard rail dated 1924.been on my table a few years without any failure and its been cut and welded with 7018h4r without any heat treating....its tougher than what i put it through and i hit on it sometimes with a 8lb maul attatched to a 40inch pipe.the stuff is just superior in strenght,abration,and impact resistence.think of the size and wieght of trains.its just marvelous material!!!

yws i am new and glad to be a part of this community.i do not consider myself a blacksmith...im actually more of a welder/fabricator however,over the last couple years ive read up on blacksmithing and through trial and error ive learned many things.no swelled head,but i have made many chisels and ,punches out of old spring steel for metal, wood,and a couple of stone working tools[i have a friend whos a mason].my smithing tools include a 6inch leg vise attached to a welding table,which i built from cut pieces of rail and 3/4inch steel plates.table has a slag tub underneath,and an anvil that i made from 108lb rail that bolts to the table.hammers made from top edges of the same rail attached to 11/8inch solid rod.incase ur wondering,i live in upstate ny[adirondacks] and most of the train tracks have been out of use for years.rail, tie plates, switches and spikes are all over for the taking!!!i.one area where ive had difficulty is in quenching of spring steels.ive found that water usually results in surface cracks on thicker pieces.used oil seems to work for me.i hear of ppl using water without any issues.am i heating too much b4 quenching??.i quench at what looks to me like"cherry red" in dim light.ive had the cracking issue a few times with old and brand new leaf spring.the ones that are ok i usually draw temper to a bronze and this seems to be a safe temper for most chisels and punches as it is very hard but still has some ductility enough to not chip when used on cold steel.shaping and forming is where i need practice but its difficult right now as i dont have nearly all the tools i need and my forge is an oxweld w17 cutting/welding torch!!.ive been told this method has a tendency to heat the steel too fast and unevenly.ive used a firepit but obviously thats a lot more work to find wood and build a fire then let it burn down to a bed of coals!.as far as welding is concered,thats where my area of expertise is!the table i mentioned earlier i built with a lincoln ranger225 engine drive the trusty oxweld w17 and a small wire feed with .045 flux cored wire.its a beast.wieghs in around 1000lbs and is set in a concrete slab.ill upload some pics for those interested.very happy to be with a c ommunity of people that share the same passion as me.thanks everyone!

if you want ductility why would you quench it...cooling in air will normalize it