[TheForge] Dispelling Myths about Railroad Spike Steel

Sat May 3 14:43:01 2003

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dave Brown" <[email protected]>
To: "TheForge" <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2003 9:21 AM
Subject: [TheForge] Dispelling Myths about Railroad Spike Steel


> 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
>
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