Rantalin Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 This is the first railroad spike knife I've made. I put about 2.5 twists into the handle, then ground the blade to look like a small bowie knife. I used a 120 grit belt to grind the blade, and am looking into getting finer grit belts. I ground the butt end of the knife to give a contrast between the dark handle and the bright blade. The person I was making this for was in a rush, so I wasn't able to completely grind one side of the blade as well as I'd have liked. But it still came out nice. a a a a Any comments or suggestions are more than welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J W Bennett Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Rantalin, Good first effort, Did you make any tools to help it along? If so the next one will be easier. I don't have a belt sander yet but I've looked at the blueprints and pictures to make one, in the scrounging stage. :wink: Looking forward to seeing more, JWB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rantalin Posted January 5, 2006 Author Share Posted January 5, 2006 I didn't use any special tool besides a set of tongs and a hammer, although I did use a large set of pliers to do the twist. All I have is lightweight tongs that I actually broke my last time out at the forge. I held the spike in a small vise to twist it. The spike I had was very rusty to start, does anyone think that starting out with a cleaner, or even pre-ground spike make the handle more attractive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meco3hp Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Hello, Nah, it gives some character to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julian Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Cool first knife! I cant tell if you've already tried it, but wirebrushing the handle will clean it up, and smooth it out some. Good job :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle7 Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Very cool!! How long did it take to make? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rantalin Posted January 5, 2006 Author Share Posted January 5, 2006 I have no idea how long it took. When I'm out forging, hours go by without me realizing it. So this could've taken anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolano Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 Well, In my experience, rust melts at about a thousand degrees or so, and becomes a hematite red stain that can be difficult to remove, although it doesnt always show up. I left the rust on the handle of my railroad spike knife, but youd never notice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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