[TheForge] Dispelling Myths about Railroad Spike Steel

[Dave Brown]

The following post was made by Mike Blue, a knife maker and member of the 
Guild of Metalsmiths over in Minnesota.  Because of the number of times the 
topic of railroad spikes comes up here I thought it appropriate to spread 
his post around.

So without further ado, here 'tis

Dave Brown
******************************************************************************
>I want to post this small essay for two reasons. There is some continuing 
>pressure to maintain a myth about the steel content of track spikes. And, 
>I was wrong about the markings and steel numbers I quoted to a fellow at 
>the NMM conference this weekend. I want to dispel myths with hard science 
>and publicly apologize for both of those errors.
>
>I received back a fax from a fellow working for Wellington Industries, a 
>division of Sheffield Steel.
>According to the American Railway Engineering Association's Specifications 
>for Soft-Steel Track Spikes. Original document, 1926, revised last in 
>1968. Two classes of track spikes are given specifications. Two sizes of 
>track spike are identified, one of 5/8 inch square shaft and one of 9/16 inch.
>
>The AREA document identifies both low carbon and high carbon spike 
>specifications.
>
>Page 5-2-1. "A low carbon track spike will not contain greater than 0.12% 
>carbon nor greater than 0.20% copper. Page 5-2-2. Section 6a. Bending 
>properties: The body of a full size finished spike shall stand being bent 
>cold through 180 degrees flat on itself without cracking on the outside 
>portion of the bent portion. Page 5-2-2 Section 11. Marking. A letter or 
>brand indicating the manufacturer shall be pressed on the head of each 
>spike while it is being formed. When copper is specified, the letters "CU" 
>shall be added.
>Page 5-2-3: Specifications for high carbon steel track spikes 1968. Carbon 
>not greater than 0.30%, nor greater than 0.20% copper. Page 5-2-4. Section 
>6a. Bending properties: The body of a full size finished spike shall stand 
>being bent cold through 120 degrees around a pin, the diameter of which is 
>not greater than the thickness of the spike without cracking on the 
>outside portion of the bent portion. Page 5-2-5 Section 11. Marking: A 
>letter or brand indicating manufacturer and also the letters "HC" 
>indicating high carbon, shall be pressed on the head of each spike while 
>it is being formed. When copper is specified, the letters "CU" shall be added."
>
>The supplemental fax from the Wellington fellow indicates, "Because of the 
>bending tests required, the carbon content will not be greater than 
>0.30%.  After all, brittle spikes would not be desirable as a track spike. 
>A bent spike still holds the rail while a fractured spike would not. The 
>consequences for the industry would be too great to consider. However, we 
>refer to them as high carbon, they are not within the range of steels 
>known as high carbon or hypereutectoid according to the steel industry 
>standards, and have not been since at least 1926, when most track spikes 
>were previously manufactured from wrought iron."
>
>I am satisfied since I have learned something different from what I had 
>assumed. I hope this information can be incorporated into the body of 
>knowledge of bladesmithing.
>
>With what I have learned about the superquench solutions, it may be 
>possible to harden a track spike and make a knife from it. I have my 
>doubts about whether it will survive the bending test listed above.
>
>Mike Blue



Dave Brown
Heritage Smithing
Green Bay, WI
ABANA, UMBA, GoM, MODA, ARG