What Can I Do With This

[stovestoker]

I have Had this old splitting maul for longer than I can remember. I was thinking about making a straight peen out of it. Not sure if it will balance though. I am just starting out my journey into blacksmithing so this would be one of 3 hammers dedicated to that endeavor so far.

So looking for ideas. convert it from a wood tool to a steel tool. Or leave it be?

[postleg]

I don't think that's a splitting mall.  Looks more like hot cutter.  It would have a handle and would be struck with an other hammer to cut or split hot steel.

[DanielC]

That would be the head of a railroad hammer. It was used for railroad spikes.

[Crazy Ivan]

I see a Japanese style straight peen hybrid hammer hiding in there. 

-Crazy Ivan

[ThomasPowers]

Ditto what Ivan said!

 

Also I have never seen a spike hammer with a sharp end, The ones I have have two different diameter cylinder ends or sq ends.

 

The ones I own with a chisel end were for cutting rail back in the "bad old days"  NOT for rr spikes.

[stovestoker]

Well the rail road built this town. Now I would like to know what it is before changing it. May swing it as is with a short handle

[seldom (dick renker)]

definately NOT a spiking maul from railroad. might be as thomas said a chisel to cut rail.

[Geoff Keyes]

I have one just like it, except mine says "Cut Devil" on it.  It's a hot cutting chisel.  A spike hammer usually has a long square or round nose on it.  I would put a handle on it and keep it in the rack to hot cut stuff.

 

Geoff

[stovestoker]

I have one just like it, except mine says "Cut Devil" on it.  It's a hot cutting chisel.  A spike hammer usually has a long square or round nose on it.  I would put a handle on it and keep it in the rack to hot cut stuff.

 

Geoff

What do you think the age is on it? Just wondering when they stopped cutting track by hand.

[bigfootnampa]

I actually think those were used to cold cut RR rails!  I have one too.  They are fairly common.  

[jimcraig58]

This is a rail chisel used to cut rail by hand. I worked for the railroad in the early 80's and we still had these around,but  never used them. Some of the old timers talked about using them. 

[80 Monzta]

MoPac is short for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. And they did go through Abilene - well, I think they did. I am a long time Model Railroader, but not an expert on the MoPac.

[Timothy Miller]

It is a track chisel as said above for cutting RR track cold.   

[stovestoker]

My uncle worked for union Pacific here in Abilene for 40 years. I got a bunch of stuff from my grandmothers. This may be where I picked it up. He was a huge man with arms like tree trunks.

[VaughnT]

Wouldn't be much work to cut and shape into a straight-peen hammer, but not really worth the effort when you can get a hammer off ebay for dirt cheap already.  I've found r/r tools to be rather large and unwieldy in most circumstances.  They were designed for working on big, heavy stuff that you just don't see in a general smithy.  I have a cutter like that and you really have to wail on it with a heavy hammer to transfer the energy of the blow all the way down to the cutting edge.  Looking at most cutters sold on the internet shops, they aren't designed half as stoutly as the r/r type cutters.

[bikecopXXX]

They used to cut rails by hand cold!?!? Wow

[petere76]

Stove stoker,

Not a splitting mall. However, with some easy forging you can make it any number of HD set tools. It's good steel, anneal it and work it to your liking. Heat treat the working end. It will be plenty rugged and will last forever.

I have similar tools made into handled curved cutters for flat stock and slitters. They will take a beating. They are well worth the effort to repurpose.

Peter

[Crazy Ivan]

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An older conversation on the topic of using this to cut rail.

-Crazy Ivan

[Timothy Miller]

I have found it is often the same amount of work to modify a existing hammer as to just punch an handle hole in in a piece of properly sized steel.   Its counter intuitive but when you get into tiring to find the right sized handle grinding cutting reheat treating it can be a time consuming process and your still tiring to work somewhat unknown steel and a shape that may be less than ideal.  It may seem daunting but I have seen students with no experience jump in and forge a hammer with help from an instructor there first time out.  There is plenty of good information here and elsewhere on forging hammers. You can do it Man!!! 

[humphreymachine]

They used these to score a rail around its permimeter and then broke it. Kind of cool history just the way it is,  might be a shame to obliterate the RR name but that is up to you.

[DanielC]

Wow. I have one as well and all my searches came up with rr spike maul. Good to know.

[L Smith]

Yes I bought one years ago and turned it into a top cut until the wire handle broke. Am thinking about reshaping the back end beyond the handle hole to fit my hardie hole for an anvil tool and leaving the handle hole as is. Since it is really high grade steel it might be difficult to forge down to one inch square, only time will tell.  But yes if you put a sacrificial piece of plate on your anvil and re-handle the rail cutter It will make a good top cut tool. They were made to notch rail for cutting. Very good steel.

[yahoo2]

its called a track chisel. you can still buy them new. http://www.rrtoolsnsolutions.com/catalog/TrackTools14.asp#79

[Elemental Metal Creations]

The Missouri Pacific RR was bought out by UPRR in the early '70's. I grew up next to a MoPac line. I have one of these that looks like it was never used. I wish it has from the old MoPac.

[notownkid]

Make a Good Show & Tell Piece for the shop, enlighten the masses at some point.