Learn how to make a knife from a railroad spike with this DIY project. Bladesmithing is an ancient art that’s gaining popularity again. They can also be used as interesting artworks like knives, bottle openers and so on. That is a thumbnail of the information needed to understand making a blade hard. Written by Ken Onion in Uncategorized Railroad spikes are an important part of the rail fastening system. It makes things made out of them tough, but not hard when compared to a properly heat treated piece of 1080. Nominate your business for a Made in Our Hometown segment here. Because RR spikes dont really have enough carbon to get hard (a whole other issue) you need SQ to get anything out of them. It's amazing." For more on Dollywood's Blacksmith shop, click here. "We got work going all over the world out of this shop. It's a pretty knife when we get done with it." This year's steel blades carry Dollywood's 30th anniversary seal, celebrating the unique stories of the Smoky Mountains that are still told through visitors from near and far. "I've seen a lot of people make that spike knife that we are doing here, but I've never seen one take it as far as we do. Whats something to make out of a railroad spike thats not a knife or hook. A belt sander gives the knife it's sharp edge and polished sparkle, each done with a steady, free hand, making every piece unique. A bent spike will still hold a rail whereas a broken spike will not. The reasoning is that the railroads want mild steel that will bend rather than break. Fuller's work attracts quite the audience of park visitors, some who come back year after year to see his tricks of the traditional trade. Knife blade steels typically contain between 0.85 and 1.5 carbon, or 3-5 times as much carbon as a 'High Carbon' railroad spike. "You'd be amazed how many people come up here, older people too, that don't know what coal is, never seen coal before, and they look at the coal and say 'What is this stuff?'" When the color of the steel is just right, this blacksmith with decades of experience depends on the centuries-old tools of his trade, going back and forth between a trip hammer and anvil to get the most suitable shape. "Mostly they've never seen it before," Fuller explains. Just keep looking at it and bringing it back into shape along a center line. Fuller says, "This is a high carbon switch spike so it makes a pretty good knife." The spike's first stop is in the blacksmith's coal-fired forge, creating for the craftsman at it's helm, 3,000 degrees of heat with a power source that often needs a little background. Working it will distort it a lot which is ok. But just across the park in Crafstman's Valley, John Fuller is using a staple of the railroad, making metal into art. Pigeon Forge, Tennessee - A trip to Dollywood in Tennessee's Smoky Mountains isn't complete without a ride on the Dollywood Express.
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