Caterpillar track pin?

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Guy Thomas

Joined
Feb 1, 2000
Messages
1,370
I just got some plans for making a pair of Japanese style blade forging hammers out of a caterpillar track pin in the newsletter for the Florida Artists Blacksmiths Association. I know someone in here can tell me what a caterpillar track pin is and where I could find one?-Guy T.
 
Uh, the caterpillars have all gone to bed for the winter.
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Track pins are what holds the tracks on the bulldozer. make friends with one of the mechanics at a shop or check the junkyards, Axles will probably work also. Rail road track would make a good one if you have a good arm
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Sola Fide
 
Thanks Rotor, I think I need to find a little larger pin, around 10" long and around 2" in diameter. It should yield a 4.5 lb. head and a 2.5 lb. head.
Mike my problem is I'm stuck in an office all day long and don't get out to the junkyards and such like I'd like to though come to think about it there is an industrial machinery shop next to the entrance to my subdivision and they have loads of bulldozers and such. Maybe I'll visit them when I get around to visiting the lumber mill up the road also for L6 stock! As far as the railroad track goes, now that would be pumping IRON!-Guy T.
 
I once made a drift punch out of a a Caterpillar #12 grader axle. It is VERY HARD STUFF. My drift punch is about 2 ft long and 3" in diameter. I tried annealing the handle portion a little but it still rings in the hand a bit when you pound on it. I milled it into a punch on a big lathe using tungsten carbide cutters. It took a LONG time to cut the taper on this thing. Don't know much about metallurgy but I'm guessing an axle would make one tough knife. I used this punch to drive out bearing races on LARGE wheels for semi trailers and construction equipment. In every shop I ever worked in, when they found out about this punch, everyone borrowed it. Bearing races are HARD but the tip on this punch has deformed very little over the years of taking a heavy pounding. It is one awesome drift punch. I don't know what the metal is but it sure is HARD and will take a pounding.

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Hoodoo

I get some pleasure from finding a relentlessly peaceful use for a combative looking knife.
JKM
 
How about cutting the ball of a large ballpein hammer? I have a 8 lb sledge that I modified this way for a special job. Something else that might work is a railrod track hammer for driving spikes. They are about 15" long 1-7/8" dia. on one end and 1-3/4" on the other.



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Sola Fide
 
Mike, that is a good idea cutting the ball off of a large ball pein. The same man who published the plans for the track pin hammers also made a Japanese style hammer for his sword making class by cutting one end off of a sledge and shaping the other end. When Ifinish my forge I can see I'll have many projects lined up! -Guy Thomas
 
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