Thanks Michael that's awesome! Tried the basket twist again today, for some reason I fought it a LOT more than the previous one. Think next time I'll attempt to weld the spirals together like you guys have mentioned. A few pics from today's try, first one is next to another spike I've welded the back into itself.

Daswulf I also tried to copy technicusjoes bolt tongs from Rr spikes, mine aren't pretty, but they work great!

 

one thing about the tongs that you probably all ready know, but ill mention it anyways, is  that the set down closest to the reins Is in the wrong direction. other that that they look great! better that my first pair from rail spikes!

                                                                                         Littleblacksmith

Better then my first try as well. I only made the flat jaw tongs. Out of 3 pair, I use the second 2 a lot. First pair is hanging up somewhere reminding me what Not to do  

10 minutes ago, Daswulf said:

Better then my first try as well. I only made the flat jaw tongs. Out of 3 pair, I use the second 2 a lot. First pair is hanging up somewhere reminding me what Not to do  

my first ones were a fail, second ones were bolt jaw, and pretty close to a failed attempt but did use them a lot, and third was flat nip tongs to hold 1/4 inch round that I'm kind of satisfied with.

                                                                                              Littleblacksmith

Thanks Michael, that's the article! The TWEAKER is the tool for . . . Uh well . . . tweaking basket and similar twists.

Frosty The Lucky.

No problem guys, I'm glad I could help.

My attemp at spike knife 

First two attempts 

So many spike ideas.  One thought I've had is to use one of the lock washers that are used at the track joints.  Spark test indicates more carbon than a spike.

Anybody ever use one to put a bit in for the blade edge?  That way the knife would truly be all RR. 

Just musing possibilities while it rains.

Skinning knife

Both of the knives in the last two posts look good to me. I guess rail spikes are good to practise making knife shapes, even though the edge would not be very useful.

Thank you.

 

I was kinda impressed with the edge they hold.  I didn't think they would be worth a flip but they ain't terrible.

You can get an edge on just about anything. The issues with Rail knives is they dont keep the edge.

RR spike knives are to beginner smiths what mounting a squirrel is to newbie taxidermists (that's what I did for a living for several decades!).....so, being a rookie blacksmith, I naturally hammered out a spike knife or three. I hardened and tempered a couple and tested them the only way a taxidermist could----by using them in my taxidermy shop. As I said in an earlier thread, I completely clean fleshed the hide of my son's last black bear. I was well pleased with the knives' performance. I touched them up on a crock stick every few minutes as I worked. I do the same thing with the "good" knives I own, so I think those knives held up ok for what they were. Someone with much more knowledge of iron would be able to answer this question.........the spikes I used were old narrow-gauge logging RR spikes. They were 120-140 years old, so maybe they were wrought and that acts differently. I didn't notice them having any grain/fiber type texture though.

Im pretty sure that the older spikes had more carbon. But like you said I'm sure one of the more experienced guys are going to come along and tell us the correct information.

12 minutes ago, MrDarkNebulah said:

Im pretty sure that the older spikes had more carbon. But like you said I'm sure one of the more experienced guys are going to come along and tell us the correct information.

Naw, not enough variance in carbon content to make any difference. They MUST be tough and flexible enough to not work harden. If you've ever watched a train go by and seen the rails pump up and down with every rail truck you can begin to imagine the kind of stress the spikes endure. They can't have enough carbon in them to harden or they'd snap off in no time. It's been that way since trains started carrying heavy loads, they learned QUICK.

If you want to make a real knife from a RR spike you have to weld in a high carbon bit.

Frosty The Lucky.

24 minutes ago, Frosty said:

If you've ever watched a train go by and seen the rails pump up and down with every rail truck you can begin to imagine the kind of stress the spikes endure. 

The first time I remember seeing the rails flexing under a train as it went by I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. I payed attention from then on for several weeks and decided my eyes were in fact showing the rail flex a few inches down where each set of wheels was located but the rail was 'flat' on either side. That's when I realized there was much more engineering in a 'simple' rail than what meets the eye.

Two pairs of tongs: the bottom was my first pair, sized to hold rail spikes. I used them to hold the spikes to make the top pair, sized to hold torsion bar. 

Not overly imaginative or artistic but FUNCTIONAL. Made some for my kids backpacks and school coats.

 

Slightly off topic..but when did they start expecting 11 year olds to carry 40# worth of gear to school every day? They actually recommended luggage style backpacks with wheels this year!

3 minutes ago, D.C. said:

Not overly imaginative or artistic but FUNCTIONAL. Made some for my kids backpacks and school coats.

That's either a very big spike or a very small anvil. 

Hah! It's my little 8# Enderes tool anvil..I needed to prop up the spike

On 2016-08-28 at 6:56 PM, Frosty said:

If you want to make a real knife from a RR spike you have to weld in a high carbon bit.

Frosty The Lucky.

Would it be possible (and useful) to case harden the knife. A case for trying the cast iron alchemy perhaps?

D.C. - recycled, functional, nicely finished - all good! Looks like you bead blasted it. Don't think I've ever seen a rail spike with a mirror finish crown.

No blasting, just high speed wire wheel. I started polishing the crowns a while ago, since most of mine were mangled. But the few that have "personality", like unusual stamping, or really unique corrosion, those I wire wheel and let be.

39 minutes ago, gote said:

Would it be possible (and useful) to case harden the knife. A case for trying the cast iron alchemy perhaps?

Case hardening is only a few thousandths of an inch thick and is more for wear surfaces like the shaft on a hydraulic ram. Maybe if a person had the facilities to let it soak long enough to turn a spike into blister steel then something like the packing it in a flask with cast iron thing might work.

Frosty The Lucky.

Well it takes seven hours to get 1mm (40/1000") depth cashardening in Uddeholm formax steel at 900°C. Two hours will get you 0.5mm.  The edge will harden quicker because of its shape. 1mm from both sides means that the blade is hard at leat 5.7 mm in from the ege assuming an edge angle of 20° but because of the twosided carburization (if this is the word) it will go further. My guess is near 10mm

I have no idea how deep the hardening will go if the cast-iron-smear method is used but if it is useful for plows it cannot be very shallow.

It could be worth someones while to experiment. I do not even own a rail spike. They are not much used here.