Timekiller Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Im slowly building my "pile" of RR spikes. I got 11 over the weekend. Used 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habu68 Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 This is the stash of spikes the Denver Rio Grand Keeps on hand for me about 1/2 mile from the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Dwyer Posted January 16, 2008 Author Share Posted January 16, 2008 We got one of the boxes of spikes in at the school today. That was quick! The office gal phoned me to let me know it was there. She exclaimed, "It's really heavy!" We were so excited opening it up I forget if it came from John or Richard. I believe it was the one Richard sent. Nearly every spike was "gift wrapped" in newspaper. The tenth graders are pretty excited about making knives out of them. (Of course, at the beginning of class last fall, all the kids wanted to make knives and swords.) Little do they know that the 3/8th inch stock they made their hooks out of were a lot easier to hammer and shape than this next project will be. Ya, ya, we'll get them to do some honest "work" one way or another! Well thanks you guys! And for our next trick, John McLellan (of the CBA, California Blacksmith Association) will be visiting Hawaii with family in a few days. He says he'll pack 3 or 4 bags of coke along with him if I give them a ride to their hotel. Sounds like a deal to me. And us down to our last two bags of coke. Talk about timing. Phew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rthibeau Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Phil...glad to hear the box made it okay...was worried that the postal system would wreck it before it got all the way out to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinD Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Phil...glad to hear the box made it okay...was worried that the postal system would wreck it before it got all the way out to you. Sorry to be so petty but I work for the Post Office and most parcels get damaged because the sender didn't package it properly. Remember that any package could potentially end up UNDER one that weighs 70lbs. They all travel together in the same container. Back on subject. Phil - Do you have enough spikes or do you need more? I could send some of these if you want... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Kevin; My experiences with the post office is that "packing it correctly" consists of building a box that fits inside their box and holds the material *and* labeling everything individually so when it is shredded all the pieces end up at the same place. So far as I recall *every* flat rate box I have sent of steel has ended up pretty much destroyed and only my internal boxes have survived---sometimes. I had one go missing where I had re-inforced the original box and packed the 6 pieces of 1" x 1' WI individual so *nothing* would shift when violently shaken and only a piece of the shell ended up arriving. The next one I built a wooden structure in the box to hold the rods and it got there; but at a dead loss on the deal. I had a friend ship me two large rounds---came to 68 pounds and he labeled them individually. The box was shredded but they did get to me along with a small pile of box shreds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rthibeau Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Thank you Thomas...well said....and proven true countless times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinD Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 OK...I agree. Theres a problem with the box... ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Actually I think the problem is in the *weight* in the box. No matter how many *heavy* stickers are on it it still is a lot heavier than the people are expecting---from what I've seen of the postal people when I've mailed them and they are even taking them right off the scale!. When you come right down to it most folks don't have my experience with stuff as dense as iron/steel in good sized chunks. Only takes a couple of drops on a concrete floor of a 50# concentrated weight to severly damage a cardboard box no matter how well the inside is packed. Perhaps smiths should ge special bright red HAZARD boxes to *really* warn the handlers that they will be *heavy*. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Dwyer Posted January 18, 2008 Author Share Posted January 18, 2008 Hey folks! Looks like you might be right on regarding the challenges of heavy iron mailed in flat rate boxes. Of the two bundles of spikes shipped to us, one appeared a couple of days ago, the other is still in hinterland somewhere. If you could all turn three times and spit over your left shoulders into your forges and shout to the west winds...HONOLULU...maybe they'll still get here. Thanks, Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale Russell Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Thomas , just recently i " tried " to send 1 of the IFI members some AUSSIE beer ,, OZ post tells me it left our shores , , they can track it hittin' the USA , then GONE ... Either US customs or the US postal service enjoyed an early Christmas drink on me ..... Dale Russell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wibadur Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 It is very hard for me to find HC RR spikes. What I have are RR spike that are marked with a K. They are not the best metal, but are fun to play with. I would be happy to send you all that you need for just he price of the shipping for Maryland. If you would like then . They are not as good as the HC rr spikes wally b Badur's Blacksmithing badurblacksmith@aol.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 Wibadur Go to the top of the forum page and click on user cp click on edit profile Go to the bottom of the page and enter your location and save. We would like to know where in the world your located. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrogPondForge Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 Wallace! Hello. Glad to see you here! http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f7/klinker-breaker-not-4782/ Be sure to see #9Nice clinker breaker Tom, tell whoever gave it to you, they did a really good job...... I'm guessing you have an "in" on spikes, (with your night job and all), Linda and I stopped at a few places on the way home and picked Tom up 20 non-descript spikes to play with. He had fun. He'll be gone for a week (Sunny Florida). We should get together when he gets back. He has 16 spikes left . Thanks, MIKE (FrogPond'sDad) PS: Wallace's location will be VERY similar to ours. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Dwyer Posted July 8, 2008 Author Share Posted July 8, 2008 Hi Friends, There's a saying that, one sure way to learn something is to teach it. Well, I'm giving it a shot. Here are some of my 10th graders with their final blacksmithing project before the school year ended. Need-less-to-say, nearly each and everyone of them hit a wall (burning blades too thin at the tips (or some such)) on their way to completing their rail road spike knives. But, as you can see here, they hit the finish line with plenty of vim and vigor...and steel to spare. Enjoy. They did. As did I! Mahalo, Phil PS - Thanks for the spikes John and Richard. We put them to good use. PPS - Can we trouble anyone for some more? I've got even more classes to teach this coming school year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainsFire Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 very cool, the two girls in the middle closest to the right made some beautiful ones, best of the group I think very cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinD Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 Thats cool Phil! PM me your address and I'll send some spikes. Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 Yeah the knives look good! Pm me and I`ll send some also . Is it legal to send new spikes in the mail though?:confused: Cause I got another bucket of em a month ago. Thanks,Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmercier Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 Phil, if you still need some spikes i'll bring some down to IGs if you want them there. I've got a sizeable pile in my garage that local kids dropped off at my place. I'll be seeing you in a few weeks down at George's =P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J W Bennett Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 Thanks for the photo's Phil. It looks like the kids enjoyed the class. Good to see you put the spikes to good use. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Dwyer Posted July 9, 2008 Author Share Posted July 9, 2008 Thanks guys! PMs sent. Justin, do please bring what you can to the hammer in. I need some in NH too. Believe it or not, I've already got another 15 year old to teach. I knocked on a door the other day to try and buy a log that was in the yard (that hadn't cut and split into firewood yet) to help setup my NH smithy...and what do you know? The guy's teenage kid wants to be a blacksmith. Took a workshop at Old Sturbridge Village. He'll be over here to play around in no time. I tell you, life's a trip. All I have to do is follow my nose and she unfolds in wondrous ways. All the best, Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfb343 Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Phil ill start a collection, I only got bout 10 or 20 right now but I'd gladly support any endeavor of teaching kids to smith, I'll let ya know when I get a box full and for the contact info. cheers to you man, thats a great thing you're doin Keep up the good work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 You can mail the spikes in USPS flat rate boxes for one low price. Be aware there is a weight limit above which postage is by weight. Check with the PO for the exact weight before you load up. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinD Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 70 lbs. is the limit. The flat rate box I put together last night has 50 spikes and weighs 41 lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keeplokd Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 I can come up with some spikes too, if needed. Please let me know. I was stationed in Oahu for a year (Schofield) and I miss it. I'm going to bring my family out one of these days... When I figure the 5yr old can handle such a long flight out and back without driving a flight crew to suicide. Aloha, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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