RailRoad Spikes - What can I make?

I've seen RR spikes made into knives and tomahawk heads. I contemplated using them as anvil hold-downs as well.

In general they should be left in the junkyard until you need them. If you go walk along any stretch of any railroad track you will soon find enough used spikes for any conceivable need. So there is no need to stockpile them.

I live near a railroad line and walk on it a lot. I've made a few things from railroad steel, nothing special.

Grant Erw> I got some RailRoad Spikes from the junkyard. What can I make from them?

"HR" RR spikes are 30-40 points of carbon. A little low for a decent knife. I've done tomahawks and a light adz that turned out pretty well. I've made flowers out of them and coat hooks. Rob Fertner Wichita, KS

Flowers? I'm curious. Got any pictures? or even a description?

I've made a couple of interesting beer bottle openers.

BTW, please loose the HTML.

Ted

I got some RailRoad Spikes from the junkyard. What can I make from

I've made a couple of interesting beer bottle openers. >>

Hey, I'd like to see that. I could make one for my brother, he is a train nut, models, N-scale, but does drink beer. A railroad spike beer bottle opener would be just the thing for him.

Spoon, cup, bowl, planishing stakes. Dime a dozen, and easily shaped, too. I grind the HC and/or lines off, pound em in a stump, finish grind hammer marks and to final shape; work with wet SC 100 grit to 440 or 600 grit. Polished mirror bright, and using a like hammer, Souvenier spoons come out looking good. ~D

I made a drawer pull from a spike we yanked out of a stump on a hike in WA state. It is pretty old and has a "grainy" structure which makes me think it might be wrought iron.

Here's a pic:

"Rob Fertner" wrote in news:B_vwc.6193$1L4.3012@okepread02:

Well, one of our locals thinks he's going to make a slit chisel out of one this evening. I'm planning to make one out of a coil spring at the same time, and we'll see whose lasts longer :)

That ought to be interesting, Keep us posted please.

"Joe Bramblett, KD5NRH" Spaketh Thusly:

My money would be on whoever did a better heat treating job; if the quality of the HT is equal, you'll win easily.

-- Bill H. [my "reply to" address is real]

Bill wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Mine's shaped, ground, reheated, and normalizing...well, ok, I buried it in the coal and forgot about it. Next week when we get back to the forge, we'll see how the HT goes.

Well that's not even a contest. Big difference in the carbon content there. You cant knock spikes for being highly available and mildly hardenable though. Just have to be prepaired to sharpen them up frequently.

GA