Tire Chain Crossbars

S.Grosvenor

S.Grosvenor

Fulltime KnifeMaker
Joined
Jan 24, 2010
Messages
665
I have a couple of 5 gal buckets of tire chain crossbars (the chain that goes over the tread) that are worn out and have been replaced, just curious if they are worth forging together into a billet? Or are they just junk steel?

They have a lot of sparklers when I touch it to the grinder???
 
Probably no good. I'd think that you would have the remains of galvy coating to deal with, (fumes, hard to weld) and I doubt the chain is any good steel for blades.

If you really want to use them, perhaps quench test some of the links to see if they are hardenable.

Or heck, keep the buckets of chain in the back of the truck to keep you on the road.
 
Well, should have waited for your reply, just spent the last two hours trying to get it to weld:rolleyes: oh well, at least I got a decent workout this afternoon.

Thanks Salem.
 
Salem Straub said:
Probably no good. I'd think that you would have the remains of galvy coating to deal with, (fumes, hard to weld) and I doubt the chain is any good steel for blades.

If you really want to use them, perhaps quench test some of the links to see if they are hardenable.

Or heck, keep the buckets of chain in the back of the truck to keep you on the road.
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Not necesarrilly. I've actually never seen galvanized coating on tire chains. Its too brittle for that use.

If anything, I'd think the chains would make good steel. The links have to be strong to withstand the abuse of runing between ice and tires and rocks and pavement.
 
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whoops, got a Packer pic in there, HOW'D that happen?? GO PACK!!
 
Not galvy per se, as in a heavy cold dip, but often tire chains will have a bright zinc finish. If you have ever tried to forge anything with that type of finish on it, it burns off yellow and nasty and will get you sick too.

Tough steels often don't make good blades. I also would tend to doubt that the manufacturers of tire chains spring for anything that would also make a good blade steel.

However, I don't know this for sure. You may be right.

Sorry about the failed welds, that can be very frustrating.
 
Seems like just about the first thing to do with an USA (Unidentified Steel Alloy :rolleyes:) would be to heat some up good and red hot past critical, quench in some water, clamp in a vise and whack with a hammer. If it hardened and snaps/cracks when whacked you've got something you might want to try and figure out how to use.
 
if anything you can always make it into a billet and keep it to the side if you ever want to get into laminated steels
 
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A light swing with the 4lber and it shattered
Maybe I have to do some grinding to get it to stick?
 
Well, that seems promising. Maybe sandwich it between some 1080? Maybe you could remove the rust electrolytically, Nick Wheeler did a thread on that not long ago.
 
Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out.

Normally wouldn't pursue this so hard but the chains are off my hunting buddy's skid loader and he innocently asked if I could make him a knife out of them??
 
Looks like you could have some fun seeing what you and your buddy can figure out. I wonder if you can clean the chain up with some combination of high heat, borax fluxing, acid pickling and sand/or sand blasting?

Many of the chain damascus threads I've seen were welded up with some steel powder in a canister and/or sandwiching with a solid bar of another steel between two layers of it. Here are a few quickly found links, if you haven't seen them already. Please keep us posted. Looks to be an interested project.

Harley Chain to Double Edge Boot Knife
http://brucebump.homestead.com/hdchaintut.html
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=474466

Making a 18" OAL chain san mai machete - WIP - Lots of pics
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=546427

Another tutorial - Damascus from motorcicle chain, powder D2 and 5160
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=468789
 
Thanks for the links Phil. I've watched them all and they are impressive.

Now all I have to do is come up with a power hammer and a big press...:eek:
might have to just save this project for a later day and make him one out of w2.
 
R.Rock said:
Thanks for the links Phil. I've watched them all and they are impressive.

Now all I have to do is come up with a power hammer and a big press...:eek:
might have to just save this project for a later day and make him one out of w2.
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Yup, you've got to have the strength of Thor, the patience of Job and the luck of the Irish to pull off something like that swinging a hand hammer!
 
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