Hi Folks,

 

Not wanting to open a huge debate but I do have a question. As I seem to have an abundance rail road spikes I was wondering if I could craft an effective hot cut tool from a rail spike. I know they are not ideal for knives and fine cutting tools but I am guessing that the quality of steel would be fine for forging some tools. I am wrong in my assumption? Sorry for the beginner question.

 

Regards,

 

Nick

May not have enough mass to make a decently wide hot cut but it will work.  It will require a little more sharpening. And best to not let the work cool much or your cutting edge will deform easily.

Automotive spring should be easy to find and work much much better.

The alloys in RR spikes are pretty soft stuff, I think it is due to copper content added for weather resistance.  Makes them poor material for tooling in general.  I have made several nail headers from them but now prefer harder steels.  I have liked them for handles where their weather resistance is useful!  I'd think they would work well for outdoor hooks also!  

Hi Folks,

 

Not wanting to open a huge debate but I do have a question. As I seem to have an abundance rail road spikes I was wondering if I could craft an effective hot cut tool from a rail spike. I know they are not ideal for knives and fine cutting tools but I am guessing that the quality of steel would be fine for forging some tools. I am wrong in my assumption? Sorry for the beginner question.

 

Regards,

 

Nick

Not to be a wiseguy, but to help send your thoughts in the correct direction; They are called hardys (hard) for a reason. 

Yes, it would work and you could routinely sharpen it with a file as long as you only cut hot, soft metal. The point is though, why put your time and effort into making a sub-par tool? Even a piece of mild steel will work somewhat. 

Jack hammer bits would be another option.

 

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RR spikes marked HC are at the boundary of mild steel/medium carbon steel with at most 30 points carbon; those not marked can be lower.

Jackhammer blades are generally around a 50 points.  The weird ampersand looking rail clips are generally between 40 and 60 points carbon.  Automotive springs are generally around 60 points carbon, files generally around 95  to 120 points (old black diamond files are 120!!!!)

 

I took the broken off end of a pavement jackhammer bit and forged the shaft end to fit my anvil's hardy hole and used the "sharp" end as a hardy---normalized it not quenched, did that about 20 years ago and dress it as needed at current rate of wear it will outlast me with no problem.  I did go and reforge the stem as my students would use it for anvils other than the one it was forged for and so I wanted a longer stem with a smaller cross section to allow bopping it back out when it was in a tighter hardy hole anvil...

This is one my son and I did.  Really helps to have a striker when working these.  It's based on the guidelines of Brian Brazeal's hotcuts in that the shaft is tapered and cutting edge is curved.  As Thomas said above, I didn't heat treat these at all but did normalize.

 

Thanks for the tips and info folks. I think the spikes will be relegated to making coat hooks etc. I do have a number of the ampersand looking clips that ThomasPowers mentioned. A few are being forged into tongs but I will see what else can be done with them. Such a wonderful resource of knowledge here. 

 

Thanks again!

 

Nick

I just made a hot-cut from a railroad clip and it's working splendidly.  A spike would work, too, but you might have to sharpen it frequently.  Any mild steel will work (like angle iron) because it's still harder than hot steel is.

I checked at the local Home Depot and you can buy a worn out/dull/broken hack hammer bit for about $7.00. I don't know why they pinned the $7.00 number on them but it's probably worth checking with rental outfits or road crews.

 

RR spikes have a MUCH better use as stock and that's for market products. Folk love to be able to recognize the parent stock and be able to see/feel the transformation to the finished product. Spikes don't make particularly good knives but folk buy the heck out of them they're very popular. I forged a basic bottle opener at a demo late June and it was sold long before I finished it. The trick is to leave enough of the head it's recognizable as a RR spike and folks will go for them in surprising numbers. Barn hooks, door shed handles, tool hangers, etc. Oh yeah, I almost forgot Wizards, they not only look cool but sell really well. I haven't made a bunch but I'm thinking trolls would sell well too, might just need big hands and feet as a mod from the basic wizard.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

With all the flavors of iron and steel avalable,I wish I knew what the fascination for RR spikes is.

They're heavy, cheap, and easily identifiable. RR spikes sell easy, and you can make a "knife" from one in minutes rather than hours with very little finishing. People like the feel of the weight in their hands. Put all that together, and the meme of the beginning blacksmith forging a rr spike is as big as Grumpy Cat.

 

Some young fool, (I won't mention any names, but his initials are N and obodyspecial) when first starting forging, made what he thought was a chisel from a rr spike and cut a piece of 2 inch axle with it.......after a LOT of redressing. That axle probably wasn't quite down to mild steel from constant reheating by the time he finished.....