Printable View
I took a walk today to reflect and was pleasantly surprised! Some old train track had been removed and left behind were these guys! All 7 have HC on the head of the spike. I have been told this means High Carbon!
http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/...L/DSCN2445.jpg
http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/...L/DSCN2444.jpg
Looks like I have a few more projects!
Am I looking at future Knifes and Hawk heads?
Yes sir you are! So far as I know this track is pre 60's! We call it "The Old Ford Trustle" I hunted there for a good 15 years before it was recently ripped up to put in a waste management facility. Sadly I can no longer hunt it! Wow the good times duck hunting and catfishing! Even saw a Carolina Puma there. Good memories! I am glad to take these peices with me!Quote:
Originally Posted by welderguy
In other news.... a massive train wreck in North Carolina has been attributed to missing rail spikes.
Nice find. Too bad about the train wreck.
Good thing I live in SC!Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick
News reports say that the train was teetering back and forth. First on the left side, then on the right. Eye witnesses say that thought it was about to settle down and then POW! it hits the North Carolina border and all heck breaks loose.
Guess it is a good thing i made it back home with these spikes. I can provide pics of the ripped up tracks if you guys need'em....I guess steel is more valuable to the railroad these days cause they sure came and got'em...planted grass when they left! Makes for a nice walk now!
it does indeed mean high carbon, but it's almost a rail industry joke, as in 'slightly high carbon iron'. around 30-40 points.
it is great for decorative knives, but not for anything you'd want to cut with. i imagine it would be just great for throwers. i've seen some beautiful hawks made from them too.
go with a super-quench if you want them to harden much.
Rail road spikes are on my to do list. CSX is headquartered here in town. Hmmmmmmm.
Not to go off topic but what is a super-quench CanidQuote:
Originally Posted by canid
Scroll about 2/3 down the page.Quote:
Originally Posted by welderguy
http://www.anvilfire.com/FAQs/quenchants.htm
A Main Line RR runs through here,, There are literally truck loads of spikes laying around , even New ones ,, I think there are either 4 or 6 sets of tracks through here, They skirt I40 from the West coast to the East Coast, I never thought about picking any up, Hmmm. :)
One way to find out! and if your right....I'll try folding with some high carbon either way I am havin' fun! The story I got from the elders is this... The head was not heat treated allowing it to stay maliable though the spike itself was treated to be hardened. My best guess is it will vary significantly depending on when and where they were produced...Quote:
Originally Posted by canid
for really old spikes maybe, but in modern times, the materials and manufacture of rail equipment is strictly regulated.
having fun with them is at least as important as what you make. as for knives, if you can weld on a high carbon strip for the edge, you've got the best of both worlds, right?
super quench is a water quench in brine mixed with dish or laundry soap. as i understand it, it lowers the viscosity of the water, and decreases amount of insulative vapor jacket that forms around the piece as it is quenched. basically a super harsh/rapid quench which can be used used for mild/medium carbon steels.
I can't speak for these spikes I picked up. I gave a very conservative date. But I didn't find any bent ones except that the head rolled on one (see pics). My guess they'lll harden but then it is a guess....so we shall see.Quote:
Originally Posted by canid
I agree with what your sayin' Canid. 5160 was my favorite so far. So 60 points right? I am not after a knife that is brittle rather toughness and sharpenability is important to me. I have a knife ( I bought) that is so hard my stones won't touch it and as beautiful as it is it stays home! Edge holding is important to me too. but I ain't wanting brittle so again we shall see. I have so far.... one knife that didn't harden the way I wanted it to. Well I know why and it was my quenchant lost contact with the blade as evidenced by bubble marking in the steeel itself. I want to try mineral spirits!Quote:
Originally Posted by canid
if you've got an otherwise good knife that's just too hard, temper it back a tad.
it's a better tool that is tempered properly from high carbon steel, than just barely hard enough at full hard from mild steel.
I would but I am not sure it is carbon steel..It is a Rosterie Solingen bought in Germany and given to me by my Dad. (Nothing to play with) anyway..but it is harder than a brick ****house in alaska!Quote:
Originally Posted by canid