RR coil spring for knives?

tito

tito

Joined
May 30, 2006
Messages
670
I picked up some various sizes of coil spring (big to really big) beside a railroad track in hopes it was worth making knives from. Does anyone know?? I know almost nothing about trains, but these are the springs between the wheels. A friend says they're part of the braking system, if that helps. I figure RRs use different types of steel depending on when and who made them, but wanted to know if it was even worth making some test blades.

thanks in advance for any advice.
 
if you have a forge i would work some down and experiment with some small pieces and find out. its probably worth making a knife out of. its probably oil quench but i could be wrong.
 
I have made several from the coil springs from rr cars. They will give you a great hamon. I did one using the slow quench per the Tai Goo method and got about 6 different quench lines. They hold up really well also

Chuck
 
Real good chance that it's 5160 steel , never worked with any RR spring-steel, just my best guess.

Learning or toying with spark testing is an art, here is a starter swiped from here.

spark.gif
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if it takes a haimon its not 5160, my understanding is that it wont show on that steel. i would guess a 10xx steel. either way it should be good blade steel.i also have one of these, but that sucker is too big for me to forge out by hand. im waiting till i have a power hammer or a couple strikers some day :)
-Lou
 
You guys should differentiate between a "hamon" and a "quench line".
if edge quenched, and etched, 5160 will show an awesome quench line.
 
Thanks everyone for the wisdom. This will be a good project one day.
 
kbaknife said:
You guys should differentiate between a "hamon" and a "quench line".
if edge quenched, and etched, 5160 will show an awesome quench line.
Click to expand...

Good point Kbaknife!

And a grinder test will show a very short but exciting spark 'rooster-tail' (my Grandpa called it) if it's 5160 . And 10xx series will have longer streaks and burst. (fig #7 & #4 from the chart)

Bottom line, it's fun to experiment, if it made a spring, that held up to RR use, it's not a low end alloy, iow, it will make a knife.
 
It definitely responds like 10XX. I would say 1075+. One piece I etched out and it looked like shear steel. It was a hamon rather than a quench line. I have worked a lot of 5160 and 10xx steels and it does not act like 5160.

Chuck
 
good to know about the 5160 showing a quench line. i was under the impression it wouldnt work, thats why iv been struggling with 10xx steels that keep cracking when i edge quench. now i have a new project :) getting some etching supplies. thanks.
-Lou
 
Heres my stash of RR springs. The smaller spring fits into the larger spring. The really big coil spring, or piece of spring, is from a cat (2.5" dia). The RR car springs are a type of suspension system to stabilize the ride of the car. I have not made anything from the cat spring yet but i did do some hardening tests on them. They all harden up really nice in Parks 50. All together I have over 900lbs of coil spring to play with. By the way that is a 12" ruler under the springs.

Chuck
 
you forgers are lucky. I find turning scrap springy things into knives fascinating. Im stuck with barstock :(
 
They make awesome Tomahawks also....

I have made a few knives from these springs myself and they worked great...

Have fun,
Bruce
 
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