[TheForge] Hardy questions

David E. Smucker davesmucker at hotmail.com
Wed Nov 24 17:09:07 EST 2004 

Chris, Who made the rail?  My guess now is that you have induction hardened 
rail.  Just the head would be hardened and you could in fact see a line at 
the end of the hardened area. The saw could well cause this as you hit this 
point.  Should be really good material for tools. Both Bethlehem and CF&I 
made hardened rail and there may be others too.

Dave
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris Kilpatrick" <crimsonkil at lycos.com>
To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2004 12:36 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Hardy questions


    This rail never saw service, it still has the finishing grinding marks 
on the rail top.  When I sliced it through, I could see a line about 5/16 
below the surface, that went across the face of the of my cut.  It could 
just be an illusion of the saw;  I have symetrical undulations across the 
web of this same rail from my saw, so that is a possibility, but the rail 
head piece is more abrupt; there is an actual line I can see.  Work 
hardening as I understand it is like heat treating in that it decreases over 
depth as opposed to a visible, precise, razor fine line.

-Chris K.

----- Original Message -----
From: "David E. Smucker" <davesmucker at hotmail.com>
To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Hardy questions
Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2004 11:40:27 -0500

>
> Chris,  Thinking some more about your question about "something welded to
> top".  Can you see the line on both sides of the rail?  The action of the
> wheel flange will cause the head of the rail to roll to the inside.  This 
> is
> especially true on the outside rail from a curve.  Some railroads had or
> have special equipment to grind this cold working off of the rail from 
> time
> to time.  This is also why rail would be re-laid (still is) to use the 
> other
> side of the rail head as the inside or flange side of the rail.  Over it's
> service life your rail may well have seen service as both the right hand 
> and
> left hand rail.
>
> Dave
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Chris Kilpatrick" <crimsonkil at lycos.com>
> To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2004 9:40 AM
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Hardy questions
>
>
> My guestimations had it at 128#/yard, so 133# is not out of the question.
> it is 7+" tall and the foot is 6" wide and the railhead is 2 3/4" wide.
>
> -Chris K.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David E. Smucker" <davesmucker at hotmail.com>
> To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Hardy questions
> Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2004 21:17:13 -0500
>
> >
> > Most rail is close to 1080 with about 1 % mag.  By the very nature of 
> > it's
> > service requirements rail is very good stuff.  It makes great tools --
> > hammers, cutting tools, woodworking tools, almost anything you would 
> > make
> > out of a 1060 to a 1095 steel if buying stock new.  Not sure about you
> > comment about the formation at the top of the rail other than work
> > hardening.  How heavy is your section?  Rail is measure in weight per
> > yard.
> > (not weight per foot)  This is almost always noted on the side of the 
> > rail
> > along with the year of manufacture.  I just pick up some scrap rail that
> > was
> > 85 pounds per yard made in 1928.  This is small rail for normal railroad
> > use -- most main line track being in the range of 133 pounds per yard.
> > Rail
> > was often re-laid -- moved from mainline service to siding or yard use 
> > to
> > get more life out of it.  Some rail is weld repaired when used in areas
> > like
> > switch frogs but not over longer lengths that I know of.
> >
> > You can use rail for lots of things -- just know that it is high 
> > carbon --
> > don't quench it unless you want it very hard.  For things other than 
> > tools
> > I
> > would use mild steel and save my rail road rail for tooling.
> >
> > Dave Smucker
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Chris Kilpatrick" <crimsonkil at lycos.com>
> > To: "SCA Metalsmiths" <ekmetalsmiths at yahoogroups.com>;
> > <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> > Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2004 12:10 PM
> > Subject: [TheForge] Hardy questions
> >
> >
> > Hi folks,
> >      Just got a bandsaw for Christmas (early, I know) I have been 
> > reducing
> > some railroad rail into hardy sized pieces, have several questions:
> >      First, it appears as if the rail had a 1/4 piece welded to the top 
> > of
> > the rail (there is a clear line where this section stops)  Are
> > appearancess
> > deceiving?
> >      Secondly, I have come up with plans for spring fuller dies as
> > follows:
> > flatter dies, drawing dies, vee dies, veining dies, various round and
> > square
> > dies.  I also have come up with bending forks, rivet bottom tools, 
> > several
> > small stake anvils.  Any suggestions on what other tooling UI can make
> > from
> > RR rail?
> >      By the way, I have no power hammer, so all suggestions need to be
> > slanted to hand hammering.
> >
> > thanks in advance,
> >
> > Chris K.
> >
> > It is I who formed the blacksmith,
> > who fans the flame into a fire and
> > fashions a weapon fit for it's work.
> >
> > -- 
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It is I who formed the blacksmith,
who fans the flame into a fire and
fashions a weapon fit for it's work.

-- 
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