I really like using rebar for making all kinds of industrial-looking welding projects. Most HC spikes are .35-.45% carbon. I think the only thing I'm short is something to build the legs out of and $20 at the steel shop would handle that. 20 watchers . I still have my chunks of rail from those days sitting under my bench. This is a medium carbon steel with 0.7% to 0.8% carbon and 0.7% to 1% manganese. Well, it depends. According to the American Society for Testing Materials, railroad tracks are made from steels in which carbon, Manganese, silicon, and phosphorus are primary alloys. Fill out the requested information. If youre into charts, here are some of the general properties of the steel: If this chart means nothing to you, heres a quick explanation of what this means: Heres some more useful information about the size of the tracks: Usually theyre designated by weight per yard. Learn more. This week for Weapons Wednesday, I tested out the removeable spike spear staff as well as some of the other new weapons we recently added to the KarateMart.com website. Senior Vice President, NARSTCO and HSQ Technology, Director, Process Improvement and Capital Projects, Click here to learn more about NARSCTO's commitment to green initiatives, Ray Rumsey (Account Manager for Norfolk Southern), Helps reduce the use of dangerous preservatives, Safer, easier and faster to install than alternative products, Design allows for reduced ballast section, Extended service life (50+ years) and minimal maintenance requirements compared to alternative products, No known failure mode except for major derailment or destruction of the tie. "A low carbon track spike will not contain greater than 0.12% carbon Start blacksmithing in your garage and build your own forge for making projects like this railroad spike knife. They make good hawks and novelty knives, but are poor for actual use knives. Its also home to a whole host of one-of-a-kind items made with love and extraordinary care. Railroad track for sale covers the most extensive range of railroad rails. When the metal is at the right temperature for heat treating, it will no longer be magnetic. This anvil is about a foot long. Namely, NEVER search them on the railroad property! These are also questions you have to ask yourself before choosing the right size of the rail track. That seems like one heck of a test!! We are specialized in all areas of railroad products, from ties and tools to track work items. Once the blade is made, you have to hope that the steels history hasn't set it up for terrible warp or cracks in HT. Modern track typically uses hot-rolled steel with a profile of an asymmetrical rounded I-beam. Remember, your goal is to have as much weight as possible to produce greater force under the hammer. Railroad track steel is typically 1084 or equivalent hot rolled steel. You could deal with trying to slice one down the top later. This means that if you cut off a foot of main line track, it will probably weigh over 40 lbs. Lets go over the properties of this metal, some effective ways of working with it, as well as some good applications for the grade. As far as metal the will forge out fine. Therefore, if you work only on small-sized projects, you need a smaller piece of rail track. Some of the technologies we use are necessary for critical functions like security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and to make the site work correctly for browsing and transactions. If the file bites it, the hardening process is not successful. As I recall that technique has been used over time to construct swords as well. If its hardened, it will be slow going. Pasted as rich text. through 120 degrees around a pin, the diameter of which is not greater than the Yes. They are 100% recyclable. A high carbon rail steel, by comparison, may have a tensile strength from 900 N mm2 to over 1200 N mm2. John W Smith www.smith-forge.org Fire and wind come from the sky, from the gods of the sky. How PPC help an industry to enhance its performance. Heat-treated steel The hardened rail after heat treatment has a layer of hardening correction at the head of the rail, which greatly improves its mechanical properties so that the service life of the rail can be extended. one of 9/16 inch. Close search. From there it will still be a lot of work reducing the slice into a bar of steel and making a blade. I would much prefer known steel, but others with cabins in the area like the nostalgia of materials from the area. I've sold two this week! Click Buy it now or Add to cart and proceed to checkout. Since 1996, NARSTCO has stood apart as the name in steel railroad ties and turnout sets, distinguishing itself not just on the quality of its products but also on the caliber of its service. They even solved the noise problem railroad anvils have because of their shape. The deeper heat treatment allows the steel to have higher strength properties. Cost efficiency and environmental sustainability made NARSTCO steel ties and turnout sets an easy choice for New Yorks Finger Lakes Railway. Oh and as far as handle material he mentioned something about a set of elk horns he has from a 5 day solo hunt he shot with a bow In the Arkansas mountains. There is a bunch of steel cable I need to harvest as well. A Comprehensive Beginner's Guide, link to How to Cut Rebar with Simple Tools, Tips for Working with Railroad Track Steel, Theyre an excellent choice for most things that need heat treating. It doesn't all go as planned but persistence pays off. If the rail turns out to be worth while he is insisting that we give it a try. Take full advantage of our site features by enabling JavaScript. I usually prefer the other option. Turning off the personalized advertising setting wont stop you from seeing Etsy ads or impact Etsy's own personalization technologies, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive. Sale Price $58.50 Otherwise, this stuff can be nasty. Typical Rail Steel results have shown an average of at least 65,000 psi and a tensile strength of 111,000. There is more to making a knife than just the materials involved..PROPER and careful thermal treatment, a thermal treatment that is OPTIMAL for that particular material will work wonders on the end use, couple that with good edge geometry and you will have a pretty decent knife. I wanted to show you the RR spike knife my 13 year old Nephew is working on and a spike his Mom cleaned up. There are dozens of the spring clips along the tracks. Woody, From a post I saved away years ago: NARSTCO products are the environmentally friendly choice for the rail industry. For example, if small projects like hooks and bottle openers are all you do, you dont need an anvil more massive than 100 pounds. Authentic. $39.60, $132.00 I have heard that RR spikes make mediocre knives. On this website, I share some of the really cool things that I've learned while working in all kinds of different shops. Lots of people have also gone to town grinding these things down into small anvils. This can really mess up your heat treatment - the metal will soften at those ends. 1084 is medium-high carbon steel, which can be heat treated. Another commonplace to search for rail tracks is a scrapyard. If the track is annealed, you could even use an aggressive flap wheel on an angle grinder and remove a decent amount of material. So, you can get better at bladesmithing without spending excess money on buying steel. Don't forget that it also depends on what you believe in and the angle you are coming from. Two classes of track spikes are given specifications, both low carbon and high c I think Mr. Also take a look at Anvilfire.com they have a few very good cheat sheets on junk yard steel. Steels like 1084 or any equivalent hot-rolled steel are commonly used. $47.60, $56.00 I always warn people before they buy a spike knife or ax from me that it is not a high carbon steel, but a low carbon steel. There are many possible steel grades used in making railroad tracks. But that feature alone is not enough; the anvil should also be hard. $28.00, $35.00 Email me I have about 20 pages in MS Word on various types of junkyard steel, railroad steel and various steels that are commonly used in knifemaking that Iwill be glad to share with you. Thanks, I'd heard something to that effect. I think what they ment was to split what would become the blade of the spike knife down the middle insert a piece of high carbon steel like a piece from a file or something of that nature, then forge weld the thing back together. Maybe call in a favor with a machinist buddy if you dont have access. Do you have regular blacksmithing shows? Railroad Track for Knife Makers - Etsy. (10% off), Sale Price $89.83 LSMIITTH Dual Burner Gas Metal Melting Furnace Knife Making Blacksmith Forge . On the other hand old leaf and coil springs are good knife steel. For Sale: Custom & Semi Production Knives (Dealer), KnifeMaker's Market: Knives & More for Sale, Wanted: Knifemaker / Craftsman / Related Services, Busse / Swamprat / Scrapyard Knives For Sale, For Sale: Traditionals, Slipjoints, "Old Timey", International (Non-US) For Sale & Trade Forums. This type of steel is great for heat treating. Is railroad track hardened steel? Send me exclusive offers, unique gift ideas, and personalized tips for shopping and selling on Etsy. Having the hard anvil helps to reduce the damage of wearing down. Railroad spikes are low carbon steel mild steel, approximately 15 points carbon max, even the ones marked HC which stands for higher carbon, not High Carbon only have about 30 points of carbon. So, you can get better at bladesmithing without spending excess money on buying steel. If you have to move the anvil very often, we recommend having an anvil no heavier than 100 pounds, mainly due to practical reasons. "Handmade": Information based on the seller's listing. Also, I would generally prefer to use something other than a knife to kill a hog, and rely on the knife for cleaning the carcass. Etsy is powered by 100% renewable electricity. This should give you an idea of where you want your final temper to be. Best Ways to Measure Forge and Steel Temperature. 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