Iam wondering if anyone knows the type of steel is in a rail road spike, or track bolt, even a track bolt. I do know it is real hard how about a tie plate what type of steel is that??? I know that the rail its self is real hard chromium steel and depends on the plant it comes from and main line ribbon rail is better than say a 39 footer. For example when a bolt threads are hooped 2 methods are used if the hydralic wrench wont do it and thats a abrasion saw or sledge and track chisle and 20 hits later you might cut one bolt off.Maybee someone here knows . kellyw
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rail road spike steel?
- Thread starter hellgap
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Kelly-
I've been around RR work a lot as well... and while it's real tempting to play with the stuff you get your hands dirty with while doing a track job... most of it's not worth your time!
There's this real popular notion floating around that spikes marked HC are high carbon and good for knives. The HC spikes are ALL we used at Fibre, and I had a few tested. They were essentialy 1030. That's not high carbon by anyones' standards!
The tie plates are just mild steel. The angle plates are cast mild steel. A lot of the spring clips used in steel ties are usually approximating 1070... but it's not real consistant.
The rail itself is just as sketchy. MOST of it is ~1080 with a real high manganese content. But that varies pretty widely. At Fibre we had everything from 100 year old 80# rail on up.
I've used the rail quite a bit for different dies in my press, but that's it.
I've been around RR work a lot as well... and while it's real tempting to play with the stuff you get your hands dirty with while doing a track job... most of it's not worth your time!
There's this real popular notion floating around that spikes marked HC are high carbon and good for knives. The HC spikes are ALL we used at Fibre, and I had a few tested. They were essentialy 1030. That's not high carbon by anyones' standards!
The tie plates are just mild steel. The angle plates are cast mild steel. A lot of the spring clips used in steel ties are usually approximating 1070... but it's not real consistant.
The rail itself is just as sketchy. MOST of it is ~1080 with a real high manganese content. But that varies pretty widely. At Fibre we had everything from 100 year old 80# rail on up.
I've used the rail quite a bit for different dies in my press, but that's it.
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I wanna know where people find a piece of rail. Books and articles often mention using a short section for an anvil but honestly, how am I gonna get my mitts on that?!? Not like they're just lyin around in convenient lengths along the right-of-way. If I found a piece, how the dickens would I cut it to size?
Maybe this is a really dumb question, and I'm sorry to drift the thread, but I've wondered about it for a long time.
Maybe this is a really dumb question, and I'm sorry to drift the thread, but I've wondered about it for a long time.
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Do like I did. I was driving by a little siding here in town and I noticed they were working on it and had some rail out. I stopped to talk and ask how to get a piece. $50 later and I had 30 ft of rail and they let me use their torch to cut it into 3 pieces that they helped load into the back of my pickup.
Tai Goo
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The ones with copper are supposed to be marked CU. The copper does tend to enhance the alloy a bit. Off the top of my head, I think they are around .2 copper.
At any rate, they are not generally considered good blade steels by the steel snobs. However, there are a few types of knives that they may be suited for such as novelty knives, blacksmith knives, throwing knives, letter openers and if you want the spike head to show nothing else will do. They are easy to sharpen with a file in the field. A friend of mine and I had some Rockwell tested with an average (after water quench) hardness of 50. They are definitely not high performance type steels, but one may be surprised at how much cutting you can do with the stuff, bottom of the barrel though they may be.
I had one guy take one of mine hog hunting and he said he skinned and butchered a hog with it successfully though it need re-sharpening afterwards. I have other customers that use them in the kitchen regularly and for other light duty cutting... for what ever it's worth.
Here's one I made about a year ago.
When you get up to .35 percent carbon, .9 percent manganese and up to .2 percent copper in in piece of steel, theres actually more you can do with it, than you first might think.
At any rate, they are not generally considered good blade steels by the steel snobs. However, there are a few types of knives that they may be suited for such as novelty knives, blacksmith knives, throwing knives, letter openers and if you want the spike head to show nothing else will do. They are easy to sharpen with a file in the field. A friend of mine and I had some Rockwell tested with an average (after water quench) hardness of 50. They are definitely not high performance type steels, but one may be surprised at how much cutting you can do with the stuff, bottom of the barrel though they may be.
I had one guy take one of mine hog hunting and he said he skinned and butchered a hog with it successfully though it need re-sharpening afterwards. I have other customers that use them in the kitchen regularly and for other light duty cutting... for what ever it's worth.
Here's one I made about a year ago.
When you get up to .35 percent carbon, .9 percent manganese and up to .2 percent copper in in piece of steel, theres actually more you can do with it, than you first might think.
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Tai Goo
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Hey! Ooops!
OMG!
What have I done?...
I don't want to be accused of trying to demystify the stuff! Thats not my gig! LOL
Hey!... You know why the spikes end up over to the side of the tracks don't you? The vibrations of the trains going by walk them out upright and the law of attraction, over time, pulls them together to rest in a neat little pile by the side of the tracks... seems obvious!
OMG!
What have I done?...
I don't want to be accused of trying to demystify the stuff! Thats not my gig! LOL
Hey!... You know why the spikes end up over to the side of the tracks don't you? The vibrations of the trains going by walk them out upright and the law of attraction, over time, pulls them together to rest in a neat little pile by the side of the tracks... seems obvious!
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Hey! Ooops!
OMG!
What have I done?...
I don't want to be accused of trying to demystify the stuff! Thats not my gig! LOL
Hey!... You know why the spikes end up over to the side of the tracks don't you? The vibrations of the trains going by walk them out upright and the law of attraction, over time, pulls them together to rest in a neat little pile by the side of the tracks... seems obvious!
Is this something you have seen with your own 2 eyes?
Here's one of the first tomahawk heads I made: http://www.anvilfire.com/iForge/tutor/spikeaxe/new_image_1.htm I can't remember if I oil or water quenched it but it did get hard.
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I think my favorite RR spike knife was by Warner (I believe) out of Texas for a spike knife contest. He forged a damascus spike THEN made a knife out of it.
Tai Goo
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Is this something you have seen with your own 2 eyes?
Here's one of the first tomahawk heads I made: http://www.anvilfire.com/iForge/tutor/spikeaxe/new_image_1.htm I can't remember if I oil or water quenched it but it did get hard.
Ray, there's only a very slight difference between a fast oil and water quench with it... 1-2 points max.
In any case,... the highest I've seen is from any experiments I've been involved in is Rockwell 52 and the lowest 48 with standard type R.R. spikes and a luke warm water quench...
Cool Hawk!
excellent response guys i just learned alot.So i guess a good oil quench may get me around 50 to 52 . Good kitchen knife maybee a steak knife but now i know its not great steel for a good hunting knife.Some one asked how to get a chunk of rail the best way is like how some one else said just go ask the guys changing a rail maybee a jug of whiskey maybee just some hot coffee and donuts for the boys. normally a broken rail is only scrap and will be sent to be resmelted into another rail.
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Ray, there's only a very slight difference between a fast oil and water quench with it... 1-2 points max.
In any case,... the highest I've seen is from any experiments I've been involved in is Rockwell 52 and the lowest 48 with standard type R.R. spikes and a luke warm water quench...
Cool Hawk!
Tai, I remember when I checked it for hardness with a file. I thought it felt like 52.5, pretty close.
I never did get to finish that hawk up. Some fellow saw that picture and just had to have it. I should try doing another one.
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I think my favorite RR spike knife was by Warner (I believe) out of Texas for a spike knife contest. He forged a damascus spike THEN made a knife out of it.
I remeber that one Will, and it was pretty awesome!
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Hey Ray,... Imagine how rich we could get going back in time with a boat load and selling them to cavemen...
Ya! We'd be rich alright.......... :thumbup:
