MotoMike Posted March 3, 2018 Share Posted March 3, 2018 Rail anchor clips. I have recently found that I have a virtually unlimited supply of these so want to find a use for them. of the rail scrap I can get for free, it is the only thing that has the ability to be hardened. Not sure of the steel, as I could not find any data sheets on them and have seen people claim them to be 1050,1060 and 1070. So I treated it like 1050. It seems like it was harder to forge than the 1060, but I don't know. there was a bit of effort to straighten them out. I also found rail anchor clips that instead of a rectangular cross section, are a T cross section. didn't get any of them as I don't know what I'd do with them. here is the first hot cut chisel from the Cave Man Forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 3, 2018 Share Posted March 3, 2018 Nice looking chisel. Rail anchors are great stuff. I’ve made a few chisels and punches, from them, but the most fun thing so far was a raising hammer for when I was working on a helmet for my son. The anchors with the T-shaped cross section can be used for a slightly unusual set of fullers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted March 3, 2018 Share Posted March 3, 2018 Mike, was it hardened in oil or water and how is it holding up in use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoMike Posted March 3, 2018 Author Share Posted March 3, 2018 Wulf the HTS app says to use water. It was hardened in water. glad I had the bevel mostly shaped with the hammer, it skated the file after hardening. then used a stone to finish it up. I don't know how it is holding up, as it is hot off the forge tonight. It seems rugged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 3, 2018 Share Posted March 3, 2018 IIRC the ampersand like anchors are generally 1040-1060 depending on manufacturer and grade. I'm hunting for my RRsteel file; hope it wasn't on the previous computer and I don't remember having lost it after the concussions, I do remember that the & like clips are about double the carbon content of a spike and so all the folks saying they have to use spikes to make knives instead of a better grade of steel are generally in error. They should just own up to wanting to make a blade from a low grade of steel for a blade. (And anyone claiming that their RR spike knife is "good" please reference me to someone passing the ABS Journeyman tests with one.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoMike Posted March 3, 2018 Author Share Posted March 3, 2018 JHCC - Thanks. I don't think a raising hammer is in my future, but good to know the clips are good for tools. they have enough size to be hammer eye drifts, have you done that? think they would hold up? Good idea on the T cross sections. I'll grab a couple next time I get by the source. ThomasPowers - Thanks Thomas. It did get quite hard. M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 3, 2018 Share Posted March 3, 2018 8 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: (And anyone claiming that their RR spike knife is "good" please reference me to someone passing the ABS Journeyman tests with one.) Chandler Dickenson has a video of himself making a spike knife that he claimed passed that test (as performed by himself, not by an official ABS tester). It’s been a while since I’ve seen it, but I think he did some serious Super Quench on it to get just enough hardness to pass the test. The video used to be linked here on IFI, but was removed for unacceptable language. 8 hours ago, MotoMike said: they have enough size to be hammer eye drifts, have you done that? No, my hammer eye drift is made from an old torsion bar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoMike Posted March 3, 2018 Author Share Posted March 3, 2018 Thanks JHCC - I acquired some 2 inch round stock that I thought I'd make a soft hammer with. but then I didn't have tongs big enough, so I tried using the tong video from JLP which required splitting a piece of 1x3/8 flat stock and found I didn't have a chisel up to it, so made this one. I'll be on the lookout for some torsion or sway bars when I next visit the scrap yard. Seems like every time I turn around I need a new tool. And I love that. Wish I was ambidextrous though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 3, 2018 Share Posted March 3, 2018 I’d give my right arm to be ambidextrous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoMike Posted March 3, 2018 Author Share Posted March 3, 2018 ThomasPowers, thanks for the cautionary warning on spike knives. I have used them for making ornamental crosses and plan on making some hooks and letter openers with them. I do want to make knives some day, but so far my skill set is not there and I'd planned on using a better steel when I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 3, 2018 Share Posted March 3, 2018 MM, if you run across some old bed rails, give this a try: (NB: read the thread all the way through; there were some good suggestions and lessons learned.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 According to the RR specs I have read the HC spikes qualify as mild steel; I dislike them intensely when touted for knives; especially as the RR clips or car springs can be sourced as easily and may have double the carbon content! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoMike Posted March 4, 2018 Author Share Posted March 4, 2018 ThomasPowers; I hear you. I live in a railroad town and things such as hooks, crosses, bottle openers, letter openers where you retain the spike head so you know where it came from, have an appeal to the locals. Not to mention, some gifted smiths have turned out some elegant items from spikes. I know that the twisted spike knife will always turn up. they look cool, but are certainly impractical even if they were of high carbon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 To me they are a "one trick pony" with having been previously a spike being their one trick. But there is a market for them and I don't have problems with that *UNTIL* folks make claims for how good a knife they are. I consider them to be a shiv. But this is my opinion; others may differ. I remember how excited people were to see a camp eating knife I forged from *titanium*! It got so bad that I took out my San mai belt knife and cut a sliver of Ti of the spine and told them that the blade on my belt knife was made from an old nicholson file...(However the self hilted Ti blade supports being stored dirty for a month and then thrown in the dishwasher for a large number of cycles---or even being boiled...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seldom (dick renker) Posted March 16, 2018 Share Posted March 16, 2018 Beware of the Pandol clips used in welded rail and higher speed apps. Some of the newer ones are now galvanized. This was submitted a year or so ago but nice to bring it up again. especially since you use a lot of rr stuff. Just a reminder to all. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn S Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 I work at a steel mill and we make the steel for Railroad clips you have pictured and they are 1060. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Thanks Shawn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoMike Posted March 28, 2018 Author Share Posted March 28, 2018 Thanks Shawn. do you mean the clips shown in the OP? thanks. There are some others shown down aways. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn S Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Yes the op, it is either .650x 1.250 or .650x 1 both being 1060. The tolerances are tight and the inspection of the bar is more than most because of how hard the bends are. Any defect will open up when they form it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted April 15, 2018 Share Posted April 15, 2018 On 3/27/2018 at 10:25 PM, Shawn S said: I work at a steel mill and we make the steel for Railroad clips you have pictured and they are 1060. Thanks for the info. Does that also apply to FAIR anchors and Pandrol clips? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daguy Posted December 1, 2018 Share Posted December 1, 2018 On 3/3/2018 at 12:31 AM, ThomasPowers said: IIRC the ampersand like anchors are generally 1040-1060 depending on manufacturer and grade. I'm hunting for my RRsteel file; hope it wasn't on the previous computer and I don't remember having lost it after the concussions, Its in the Blueprints section Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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