crazeyladyfarms Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Hope this right place to ask I have the salvage of an old wooden box car it's all wood but the bolts that bind it together some are over 12' long and two inch around some are less and the corners are plate bent in a angle to protect the corners. I was wandering what kind of steel these bolts would possibly be made of . Any thoughts or knowage thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Depends on how old. I salvaged a number of 1/2" stays from the rotten remains of a RR car in the desert---just a pile of rotten wood and rattlesnakes---and they were low carbon real wrought iron. I would expect yours to be low carbon too and perhaps real wrought iron *if* it was old enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazeyladyfarms Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 20 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: Depends on how old. I salvaged a number of 1/2" stays from the rotten remains of a RR car in the desert---just a pile of rotten wood and rattlesnakes---and they were low carbon real wrought iron. I would expect yours to be low carbon too and perhaps real wrought iron *if* it was old enough. Ok thank you I think it is old enough it has only one big sliding door on the side and then one small one on the top or roof as it is everything else is wood even the roof and floor oh yes the ladder up to the top is from metal u shaped also bolted on how do I tell if it is real rot wrough iron ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-1ToolSteel Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 Heavily rusted wrought iron shows the grain running along the length of the steel when wire brushed. It also splits up if you try to taper it below a bright yellow heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 I haven't a clue as to when the various railroads changed their car manufacturing methods. A fast and easy method of telling is to notch a piece and break it the rest of the way off. Real wrought iron has a green stick fracture look; mild and carbon steels have a grainy looking break. You can also try spark testing of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 Are the trucks and axles there? Rail car axles are typically medium carbon steel modern ones are 4140, regardless they're really nice anvils for power hammers. Too long as they come off the car but a cutoff band saw handles trimming nicely and welding 3 together to make a heavy column is a dandy anvil base. (sow block) The hinge pins and springs in the truck carriages are also excellent steel, good for hammers, top and bottom tools, etc. A rail car would be a supermarket of salvage iron/steel. Congratulations for striking the mother lode! Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazeyladyfarms Posted February 22, 2017 Author Share Posted February 22, 2017 The trucks are not there just the box it's up on a cement block wall about 4' tall they used to put grain in one end so it has a place to put an auger under it. But thanks for all the info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 Ah, my grandparents first home was a rail car in colorado Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 was it a mobile home? I have some folks who lived in soddies in OK, my Mother remembers them and their "houses". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 If that car still has a coupler assembley hanging out of the center sill it will make an indestructable mailbox holder provided you embed it concrete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Just make sure you are not liable if some idjit hits it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Id weld some tie plates and spikes onto so it really shreds the fools veeehicle! All in fun of course! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Well I liked one I saw built using a large Ag disk that was easily knocked over; but would then dig in and rip up everything under the vehicle. Wouldn't hurt the driver or passengers anywhere but in the pocket book---and the oil trail leads towards their domicile... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 We grow for farmers market at a remote location and kept having someone tear thru the potato patch with whut mustve been a 4wd but i drove a bunch of t-posts in and that took care of that. Lol. I dint bother to follow fluid trail. I got wore out pounding those posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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