Railroad Rail Metal for Knife

Willie71 said:
Pleasant hill, have you ever tried to cut hardened steel with a portaband?
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Been a long time but yes and that's why we're bringing a lot of blades and if it fails we're bringing a torch. My thought would be to start from the foot of the rail and work towards the head where it will be harder metal from use of trains beating the crap out of it. We can always get a good way through and hit with the sledgehammers.
 
Kind of ironic I use this same signature on a few forums I participate with. It seams most fitting here.
 
Pleasanthill, there is something about sentimental significance of pieces that many people don't seem to understand. I hope this endeavour works out for you, please let us know how it goes. The railroad here in Newfoundland has been shut down for a long time. I can barely remember riding it during its last days on trips to my grandfathers cabin up at the gaff topsail. I collect spikes along the old rail bed and use them for guards and collars. To me these knives hold a piece of history they otherwise wouldn't have. Test your knife well, if it doesn't preform, it can still be a special ornament
 
Willie71 said:
Pleasant hill, have you ever tried to cut hardened steel with a portaband?
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I didn't meant to upset you. I was only trying to point out the potential difficulties. The question from Willie was one main concern. The depth of a cut on a portaband is not very deep.

Have fun, be safe, take pictures.
 
Just forget about all the blades, generator, and porta-band since you've got the torch. The one time I cut railroad rail it was with a torch. Nope, wasn't anywhere near a railroad, just an old bridge that had been replaced by county road folks. Around home in years (many years) past it was fairly common for county bridges to have railroad rails for support. This old bridge had been replaced and county road folks left the old rails in ditch. My brother 'n I got down in ditch with torch and whacked off a section to make an anvil from. Still got the little anvil. Now I wish I'd cut more of the rail to take home.

The torch should make short work on cutting rail.

Ken H>
 
I'm rarely a proponent for using "found" or salvaged steels, but in this case, I think this project actually sounds really fun.

It sounds like you've got a pretty good idea of what you want to do, and how you want to do it. You might also think about renting something like a quicksaw. Bring a fire extinguisher just in case there are any flammables nearby.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
I didn't meant to upset you. I was only trying to point out the potential difficulties. The question from Willie was one main concern. The depth of a cut on a portaband is not very deep.

Have fun, be safe, take pictures.
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You didn't upset me I just wanted to be very clear that I know there are quite a few levels of difficulties and easier ways to go about this and there are a lot of unknowns and potential failure ahead. There are also a thousand and one posts on here deterring people from attempting making knives from unknown materials. Just trying to deter those and save space for the ones interested and willing to help.
 
In the event that I need to forge my friend called me and has an old friend Robert Hill from Plantersville, SC (not much info on the net) that makes old musket guns. He's going to inquire if he'll help us in the forging process. It's my understanding that he forges the entire guns and makes all the parts himself.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Rail rack is usually between 1070 and 1085 ... 1080 being a good guess for an untested piece. The more stress the track takes, the higher the carbon content. The track used in curves has the highest carbon content. Track on a line from a coal field would be the highest, as it carries long trains of very heavily loaded cars.



The funny shaped spring clips that are used as hold-downs are usually 1055. They make knives similar to .
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Stacey when you say spring clips do you mean the j- shaped clips that slip onto the bottom of the rail?

Not meaning to hi jack but I've been considering making a shear to cut leather with (like a heavy paper shear) and we used to have a pile of these. I was thinking of using some leaf spring but this might be a better option.

We used to have a lot of good steal here but scrap prices went up and my grandfather made off with everything that wasn't tied down.
 
Was talking to Salem when I was at his house last and he had a bunch of Spring clips and if I remember right he said he had them tested and thy came back as 1075.
 
JTknives said:
Was talking to Salem when I was at his house last and he had a bunch of Spring clips and if I remember right he said he had them tested and thy came back as 1075.
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Thanks, but I'm trying to make sure we are talking about the same thing, a picture would help but it will probably take a while for me to find them.

What I am talking about is a fairly large chunk of steel, shaped like a j and would be laid on its side with tje short part of the j slipped over the bottom of the track, they help keep the track from slipping side to side.

Sidenote... the main cause of derailments is tracks that have spread apart, this is called a "wide gauge or just gauged" by the repair guys. I work at a tank car plant and the track we own is poorly maintained, we have a derailment about once a year.
 
MBurks said:
Thanks, but I'm trying to make sure we are talking about the same thing, a picture would help but it will probably take a while for me to find them.

What I am talking about is a fairly large chunk of steel, shaped like a j and would be laid on its side with tje short part of the j slipped over the bottom of the track, they help keep the track from slipping side to side.

Sidenote... the main cause of derailments is tracks that have spread apart, this is called a "wide gauge or just gauged" by the repair guys. I work at a tank car plant and the track we own is poorly maintained, we have a derailment about once a year.
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I think this may be what you're talking about. http://www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=16220
 
pleasanthill said:
I think this may be what you're talking about. http://www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=16220
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Yup, those are the ones that are 1055. A couple guys have had them tested and both came back with almost the exact same composition. I'm not sure what the j hooks are tested at. I have a pile of those too. The track that runs through the ghost town we have our cabin at was replaced a couple years ago. I'm sure there are hundreds of the springs and hooks in walking distance of the cabin. I've got a 5 gallon steel bucket of springs, another of hooks, and a handful of plates that the rail sits on. I'm guessing they are all in the 1040 to 1060 range. I'm pretty sure the grader blade is above 1080. It heat treated well following the 1095 recipe.
 
Ken H> said:
Just forget about all the blades, generator, and porta-band since you've got the torch. The one time I cut railroad rail it was with a torch. Nope, wasn't anywhere near a railroad, just an old bridge that had been replaced by county road folks. Around home in years (many years) past it was fairly common for county bridges to have railroad rails for support. This old bridge had been replaced and county road folks left the old rails in ditch. My brother 'n I got down in ditch with torch and whacked off a section to make an anvil from. Still got the little anvil. Now I wish I'd cut more of the rail to take home.

The torch should make short work on cutting rail.

Ken H>
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A 7" angle grinder and a 10 pack of good cutoff wheels would be another alternative. Portaband isn't up to the task. Cutoff wheels can be dangerous. The cut must be straight with no binding.
 
Some things just have to be tried! Good luck and keep the forum posted about your progress.

Zieg
 
GrenfellsBrutalForge said:
Pleasanthill, there is something about sentimental significance of pieces that many people don't seem to understand. I hope this endeavour works out for you, please let us know how it goes. The railroad here in Newfoundland has been shut down for a long time. I can barely remember riding it during its last days on trips to my grandfathers cabin up at the gaff topsail. I collect spikes along the old rail bed and use them for guards and collars. To me these knives hold a piece of history they otherwise wouldn't have. Test your knife well, if it doesn't preform, it can still be a special ornament
Click to expand...



I'll def be keeping this thread going, it may just turn into a WIP that way anyone that ever reads it get's the whole story on this one. I'm going to keep my hopes high, but yes, it will def make a special wall piece in the event it doesn't work out.


Ken H> said:
Just forget about all the blades, generator, and porta-band since you've got the torch. The one time I cut railroad rail it was with a torch. Nope, wasn't anywhere near a railroad, just an old bridge that had been replaced by county road folks. Around home in years (many years) past it was fairly common for county bridges to have railroad rails for support. This old bridge had been replaced and county road folks left the old rails in ditch. My brother 'n I got down in ditch with torch and whacked off a section to make an anvil from. Still got the little anvil. Now I wish I'd cut more of the rail to take home.

The torch should make short work on cutting rail.

Ken H>
Click to expand...



Missed these comments on my phone somehow. Ken yes a torch will make quick work of it. Want to use it as a last resort as it's quite some way out there and the fire element in the woods. We will have a fire extinguisher but we don't want to be responsible for a forest fire. Also trying not to introduce any unneeded heat to the metal.

knife to a gunfight said:
I'm rarely a proponent for using "found" or salvaged steels, but in this case, I think this project actually sounds really fun.

It sounds like you've got a pretty good idea of what you want to do, and how you want to do it. You might also think about renting something like a quicksaw. Bring a fire extinguisher just in case there are any flammables nearby.
Click to expand...



Thanks, I'm looking very much forward to this. It will be quite a story to tell for years, actually thinking of an 6"-8" grinder and cutoff blades. the sparks will be easier to redirect in a safer direction than a torch, and have access to the grinders without renting.


Lieblad said:
Aside from whatever work hardening it endured, Rail is not hardened, but it will break if scored.
'Back in the day, This was a usual method of cutting longer lengths of rail. The rail top & sides were chisel scored, the rail dropped upon something else it will break. Shorter pieces wont work obviously...

Nowdays, Without big machinery. Field cutting rail is often by a demolition saw fitted with a clamping jig to assure clean cuts. But for scrapping, a torch or demo saw without the jig is often the tool.

With a bit of motivation, rail can be cut by hand fairly easy. Of course a guys definition of 'easy' varies.
1980s, In China I saw guys sawing rail by hand. A tall frame hacksaw what looked like standard 12" blades had two handles one guy each end. A third guy dribbled water upon the cut (Yay for vast cheap labor...) These guys sitting on their butts on the ground in about 30 minutes cut rails what was about 100mm,all day long !

Btw,
Ya' cant fix stupid...
[video=youtube;ioIX_StNWOs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioIX_StNWOs[/video]
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HAHA, I've seen this one making it's rounds on the www. No you're right you can't fix stupid, and in this case it does't look like he had any sense knocked into him either. Well, then again he may not try it like that again..... And you're very correct. One mans version of 'easy' is definitely different from another man's definition of easy.
 
Willie71 said:
A 7" angle grinder and a 10 pack of good cutoff wheels would be another alternative. Portaband isn't up to the task. Cutoff wheels can be dangerous. The cut must be straight with no binding.
Click to expand...

You commented while I was writing my other comment. Yup bringing a grinder and some cutoff wheels.. And PPE... I'm liking this more than the torch for the fire effect. We can position the steel and grinder in a manner not to throw cherry sparks directly at the ground might put a piece of plywood in the bed and set the tools on top to be able to use to fashion some sort spark shield while out there.

The Zieg said:
Some things just have to be tried! Good luck and keep the forum posted about your progress.

Zieg
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Thanks Zieg.. The more and more I think about this the more and more I'm ready to get it started...
 
Yes, those J clips will forge well. They are usually between .60% and .70% carbon. The newer ones are from round stock and some are a a double squiggle ( W clip IIRC).
 
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