Guiltyspark Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 With one 6 inch railroad spike? im thinking not so likely but correct me if im wrong. But the main question i have is , if i forge weld 2 railroad spikes together , will I then have enough metal to work into a kukri? Will it be as structually strong as a sinlge peice? Or will it break? Any tips on making this happen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don A Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Depends on your welding skills. All pattern welded (damascus) blades are welded. Seems like a lot of work for a low carbon (low-medium carbon at best) piece of steel. Even HC spikes are inferior compared to real blade steels. A known steel in a close dimension is always best, but leaf or large coil spring would be better if you're set on scrap steel. If, for some reason, you were married to the idea of a spike handle, you might split the spike and weld in some decent steel; san mai style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormcrow Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 The ones from Nepal are made from truck leaf springs. They prefer Mercedes springs. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Not so much "is it possible" but "should it be done". Leaf spring is a much superior alloy for that use. If you must have a spike head on the handle weld that on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackravenforge Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 There are a lot of people here who will say to not even bother with rr spikes because of their "low" carbon content. While there are many steels that would be much better to use, in my experience rr spikes will hold an edge better than most store baught knives. As far a a kukri goes, well it all depends. There really is no standard size for them. If you wanted to make one out of a single spike you easily could. It would be a small one but it would still be doable. If you want to pattern weld two togeather, well if you have experience it in than go for it, if not it'll just break. Hope this helped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 put the two together with a section of truck spring in the center san-mai style as suggested taking care to keep the center section, umm... centered... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Steve's suggestion will also help get the swell towards the tip easier too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guiltyspark Posted July 26, 2012 Author Share Posted July 26, 2012 The ones from Nepal are made from truck leaf springs. They prefer Mercedes springs. :)Ya through my research i tried to find a source to buy the truck springs but no luck and all the 5160 i found online was not the right dementions for a kukri. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironsmith Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 where are you located? some one near you may have one to give u. I get em from suspension shops and junk yards around here. its an easy source to find. if your up to a challenge go to a rent all shop that rents jack hammers and other tools. ask nicely for their broken bits. it's great steal for some things like hardy cuts, So i believe a kukri from one would do well. man i don't envy your arm if you do make one from it. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodger Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Ya through my research i tried to find a source to buy the truck springs but no luck and all the 5160 i found online was not the right dementions for a kukri. McMaster Carr has a huge selection of 5160: Fatigue-Resistant 5160 Spring Steel Due to its high carbon content this material is often used for a variety of spring applications where fatigue resistance is required, such as the manufacturing of flatsprings. It is sometimes called chrome-silicon because these are its main alloyingelements. Warning! Hardness and yield strength are not guaranteed and are intended only as a basis for comparison. Rectangular Bars—Unpolished Mill Finish Hardness: Rockwell C28-C32 Yield Strength: 97,000 psi Hot rolled Meet ASTM A689. Can be heat treated to a maximum attainable hardness of Rockwell C63. Thickness tolerance is ±0.012". Width tolerance is ±0.090". Straightness tolerance is 1/8" per 5 feet. Wd. Lg., ft. Each 0.250" Thick 1 1/4" 6 8644T11 $34.34 3" 6 8644T13 53.60 0.323" Thick 2" 6 8644T21 48.88 3" 6 8644T23 64.62 0.360" Thick 2" 6 8644T32 53.30 0.375" Thick 4" 6 8644T34 90.75 0.500" Thick 2" 6 8644T41 68.00 3" 6 8644T43 89.57 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guiltyspark Posted July 27, 2012 Author Share Posted July 27, 2012 where are you located? some one near you may have one to give u. I get em from suspension shops and junk yards around here. its an easy source to find. if your up to a challenge go to a rent all shop that rents jack hammers and other tools. ask nicely for their broken bits. it's great steal for some things like hardy cuts, So i believe a kukri from one would do well. man i don't envy your arm if you do make one from it. LOLmaryland but there are no good yards in my area Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormcrow Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 There's gonna be a lot more steel in a piece of 2" x 1/4" 5160 from Aldo Bruno than there is in a railroad spike. And much better steel. :) And McMaster Carr is another good source as mentioned by Dodger. Those chunks should make a plenty thick khukuri, and I know a lot of the traditional ones are ridiculously thick at the spine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwisatz Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Look at it as a challenge. Besides, RR Spikes are cheap / free. Go for it. If you screw up, try again! I am looking forward to seeing your finished product! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 "all the 5160 i found online was not the right dimensions for a kukri." And RR spikes ARE? Get a nice chunk of spring and hot cut it down the middle and make *2* in parallel. Look for a place that services off road cars and trucks people are always changing out spring sets to lift or drop their vehicles and the old sets can often be gotten free or for scrap rate---especially if you explain what you are trying to do with it. Automotive Junkyards usually charge far more as they are selling *parts* not scrap! Back in AR there was a local shop that made springs to order and would sell me drops of known good *new* steel for a dollar a pound so about $5 to make a 2.5# sword (expecting 50% wastage---$3 if you forge to shape!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guiltyspark Posted July 27, 2012 Author Share Posted July 27, 2012 There's gonna be a lot more steel in a piece of 2" x 1/4" 5160 from Aldo Bruno than there is in a railroad spike. And much better steel. :) And McMaster Carr is another good source as mentioned by Dodger. Those chunks should make a plenty thick khukuri, and I know a lot of the traditional ones are ridiculously thick at the spine.thats the thing though i thought that kurkris (the really good ones) were around 1/4 at the spine? if its 2 inch wide then if i draw it out wont it be alot thinner? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don A Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 My hammer seldom touches the steel at what will be the thickest point. If the stock is 1/4", it will remain very close to 1/4" at the blade/handle transition (ricasso area). As it is forged it will taper from 1/4" to super thin at the tip and the butt as well (distal taper). Looking down on the spine it should have a sort of diamond shape to it. This all happens along the way as you are also forging your bevels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guiltyspark Posted July 27, 2012 Author Share Posted July 27, 2012 My hammer seldom touches the steel at what will be the thickest point. If the stock is 1/4", it will remain very close to 1/4" at the blade/handle transition (ricasso area). As it is forged it will taper from 1/4" to super thin at the tip and the butt as well (distal taper). Looking down on the spine it should have a sort of diamond shape to it. This all happens along the way as you are also forging your bevels.from what i understand kukris stay 1/4 all the way up the spine until the last inch and a half or so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Beveling can add a lot of width it you do it to focus on width and not length. Say with a good crosspeen. How wide are you trying to make it anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guiltyspark Posted July 27, 2012 Author Share Posted July 27, 2012 Beveling can add a lot of width it you do it to focus on width and not length. Say with a good crosspeen. How wide are you trying to make it anyway?wide enought to last a long time and have enough heft to swiftly chop through things Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Why worry about the new steel being too wide? you are a black smith. if you are ready to make any knife you should be able to deal with width changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Carnecchia Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 If you are going to take the time to forge and grind and heat-treat and sand and fit a handle, etc... Isn't it worth it to spend a few dollars on a decent piece of steel? I understand money can be tight, and when I started I used scrap steel, but when you spend that much time only to have the blade crack at quenching or not harden up properly it really sucks. Any of the knife making supply places should have a suitable piece of steel for $5-10. Now compare that to all the hours spent making the knife, and to what your time is worth. Buy some steel and read up on it's heat treat specs, and if you do everything carefully you will have a good knife that can hold an edge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guiltyspark Posted July 27, 2012 Author Share Posted July 27, 2012 okay i will order new steel too but i have already ordered 25 rail spikes , what are some things i can make out of them ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guiltyspark Posted July 27, 2012 Author Share Posted July 27, 2012 If you are going to take the time to forge and grind and heat-treat and sand and fit a handle, etc... Isn't it worth it to spend a few dollars on a decent piece of steel? I understand money can be tight, and when I started I used scrap steel, but when you spend that much time only to have the blade crack at quenching or not harden up properly it really sucks. Any of the knife making supply places should have a suitable piece of steel for $5-10. Now compare that to all the hours spent making the knife, and to what your time is worth. Buy some steel and read up on it's heat treat specs, and if you do everything carefully you will have a good knife that can hold an edge.its not so much money as it is the fact i ordered 25 railroad spikes and need something to do with them. I want to make a kukri but i guess i will buy steel for that. Now i just need projects to use the railroad spikes on , any ideas? i have a hardy hole on my avil but no hardy's would that be a good steel for that kind of stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 No, a chunk of car/truck axle would be better for a hardy than RR Spike. HC RR Spikes have a *top* carbon content *under* the bottom boundary for medium carbon steel. Axle is about 10 points above that boundary. I made a spoon stake for plannishing spoons from a RR spike. The other thing I've found to use them for is tentstakes---good practice tapering them and drawing them out on a powerhammer---and it's hard to mess up so badly that it can't be used as a tentstakes. I don't use them for anything else and live 2 houses from a RR line. A friend forges garden trowels from them. They are not that great an alloy---too soft for blades and too hard for other stuff) and a hard to work shape---in my not so humble opinion---lots of better steels in more convenient shapes out there. (The weird ampersand looking RR clips can have up to double the carbon content of a stake!) My hardy was made from the broken off chisel end of a jackhammer bit---just forged down the end to fit in the hardy hole and have been using it for about 20 years now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormcrow Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 If you're forging the blade out, you can leave the spine the original dimension and spread the remainder of the stock a good bit thinner and wider. If I start with 1/4" x1" stock, I may end up with a blade that is over 1 1/2" wide and still have a spine that is 1/4" thick. If you start with a piece that is wider than you need and you forge it narrower, you can end up with a spine thicker than the starting stock was from upsetting the steel into itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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