Good Scrap for the Beginning Blacksmith

[@JustinTopp]

I have a pile of old railroad ties from a track that was removed and I was given them by the railroad. They are on the farm and have tie plates and I pull spikes from these. I rarely use them but I will if request by somebody. John Deere claims to use 5160 or a very close alloy. I’ve got a butt load of high carbon hydraulic fracturing oil well casing. Perfect for axe edges or chisels. I’m testing a knife to see how it holds up compared to other steel. It’s good stuff. I just buy mild steel because it’s 4$ for 21’ of 3/8 mild steel. I use 5/8” car coil springs for punches and chisels. Great video as always Roy!

[@marcerivest6204]

Love your channel,l am another one who likes to use scap steel for projects. I live on a small farm that I bought from my dad, and at 60 years old I still have lots of old metal laying around. Anything from old plow points to cultivator knives to pipes to angle iron and even railroad rail. Keep up the good work.

[@lanaholmes7098]

Man I'd love to walk around and look at all that old treasures, I see junk and go crazy, love the junk.

[@mythguard6865]

It’s cool to see tiller tines getting some love! They’re really good if you wanna try making simple knives!

[@SchysCraftCo.]

I have not started Blacksmithing yet but I want to get in to it and I already have a milk crate full of metals I love learning about it all

[@peyten8811]

I am the exact same

[@Brad-pq5sx]

Another good source for SCRAP metal is your local machine or fab shop. Often times they will sell drops very cheap.

[@brysonalden5414]

Ah, the despised railroad spike! I buy mine for a quarter apiece at a landscaping company which buys ties from the railroads, so they are legal, and per pound even cheaper than buying mystery drops at my local steelyard. Certainly not the best steel, but lots can be done with them that doesn't involve making knives with questionable hardness.

[@manga12]

also on notes of railroads, it is considered railroad property 20 yards from the track on both sides, in most cases, and it is requested for railfan and railroad safety due to things that can come off the trains that are loose or derailments people stay 25 feet back from the tracks, tresspassing on railroad property can cause you to get hit with a criminal tresspass, also often times the spikes are pulled up and reused many times for putting track down, they recycle too its the cheaper alternative and the responsable thing to do, I say all this as I help out at a historical railroad shop sometimes. dont be like the railfan fool that was one second away from getting nailed a few weeks ago by perre marquett 1225 pulling on of their christmas trains because he was right up on the ties so he could get a shot of the front of the train also fun fact perre marquett 1225 sat in front of spartan stadium and the guy that wrote polar express was inspired by it when he was a kid, its also the very model of the locomotive and what it was based off of in the movie with tom hanks. also with pipe dont forget the chimney effect when heating and the fact it may be galvinized with zinc which is deadly in vaper form

[@C-M-E]

That looks like the scrap pile I nearly married into, literally. Wife's grandfather died and we ended up cleaning out his estate. His scrap pile after I don't know how many loads was worth $2400 12 years ago, and I kept the choice not-so-rusty pieces.

[@ghmakes7853]

Good tips, being rural is a win in this instance! Also, if you have an old axe head and a solid vice you have an instant hot cut tool I've scrounged lots of mystery steel, which is fun but can eat up forging time with prep so have recently bought a couple of job lots of mild steel offcuts from ebay, reasonable price and good clean & known material to learn with lands on my doorstep!

[@hayworth.handmade]

I just got a sway bar from a 2017 Toyota Tacoma from a friend. I've searched the web and found that it might be either 4140, 4340, or something called 300M. Have you ever tried to use a sway bar? I was planning on using it to make hardy tools and axe making tools

[@wmhaynes5632]

Thanks as always, a good run through and some more to poke around for ... that's why I like to go late to the estate sales, then all the shiny stuff is out of the way!! Just today I was digging and found a handful of masonry drill star bits ... there's 23, different sizes, some quite hefty .. 5 bucks. God Bless America. :)

[@vikingshaman3079]

Great video, very informative. I work in a thrift store, so I often come across old tools, bits of wrought iron (for certain artzy projects) and so forth. The store I work in also sits very nicely right next door to a mechanic shop, so I've rescued a lot of coil springs from the junkyard. I'm actually planning on turning an old sledgehammer head into a couple of fullering type tools for my anvil, I'm only using the hammerhead because I don't actually have another use for it.

[@GWIRailroad]

Great advice Roy!! Thank You Wayne.

[@ThatOneHoosier]

just wanna say something about the rail road spikes you can pick them up if they have been discarded off to the side. It's illegal to pull them out of the track because there still being used. so if you walk along and find some just laying out its perfectly legal to pick them up in the U.S.

[@joeofnotrades]

Would of been good if you gave an example of the spark test

[@kensmapleleafretirement]

That whole spark test idea has me thinking it is more smoke and mirrors than anything else. They all look the same to me. I imagine it is a practiced skill to see the difference. Have you done a video explaining what to look for? That would be interesting. Anyhow, thank you for the video. I use a lot of axles off the front of cars, as well.... Thanks...

[@cadenm6349]

I wouldn't worry too much. I'm very beginner, but I can somewhat tell. A high carbon steel is going to send up a shit ton of sparks, like unbearable. A lower carbon steel isn't going to shoot up much. I've kind of found that if I can handle the sparks without long sleeves/gloves, it's low carbon

[@stanervin6108]

Got lucky once casually talking to a Harley Davidson shop mechanic. The next day he dropped off a wooden crate of used chains. A couple of weeks later he brought a couple of 5 gallon buckets each half full of used crank and cam shafts. Tool making stock windfall. Made two pattern welded knives for him, one fixed blade and one single blade liner lock folder. I moved to Arizona from North Carolina, but we still talk occasionally. That happened in about 1989 or '90 .

[@ConstructIcon]

Good info! If you could make more videos like this I think it would be great. Although spark testing should be done on questionable steel, it’s good to see what & where this scraps came from. I find scrap all the time, but it be nice to have a source to identify the names & previous uses of those unidentifiable metal objects. 👍🏽

[@hannemannironworks1651]

Now where was this video 2 years ago lol great video Roy!

[@Zombieslag]

Excellent info, thanks!

[@craftsmanbyheart]

Thanks you taught me a lot. And.., the big bolts having round heads.. I have a bucket of those and I've been wondering what they are for... & Now I know!

[@ShapingSilver]

Very nice walkthrough, thanks Roy. I think I'll go get me some spring coils. :-)

[@jamysmith7891]

I imagine but don’t know tractor implement blades of every sort are good HC, disks, plow and combine points, rakes are probably spring steel? Railroads aren’t misers they just don’t like killing people and they do it all the time, try inquiring at the maintenance garage by way of the visitor gate and stay off the tracks Coil springs are dangerous, know what a spring clamp is and how to use it; Leaf springs are relatively easy, maybe more so and cheaper if they are broke though they probably have flaws to contend with

[@bdamian-ic7sh]

Those RR bolts you gave an honorable mention to, how hot do you have to get those in order for them to move well on the anvil? I have tried forging those before and had a really hard time.

[@lanaholmes7098]

Yea there something to get moving.

[@gabewhisen3446]

Great content much needed intel

[@robertlonis9350]

The question now is , do you still have that spring today ?

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Probably.....😉

[@obh7762]

What about those giant rock drill bits? A friend said he could get me some (he works for his dad's blasting company), but I don't know anything about the steel.

[@bishoppope2921]

This is really late, but drill bits are made out of extremely brittle but hard steel. Personally I wouldn't recommend it

[@jasonsisk2902]

When coming to railroad spikes always think of less carbon than anyting

[@noctismortis7349]

i saw some large leaf springs at Tractor Supply for 40$, easily enough for 4-5 medium knives

[@lanaholmes7098]

What state was that TSC in? Never seen leaf springs at TSC.

[@christopherpatrick2343]

Great

[@Whiteknight23495]

I had a question if a beginner black smith was wanting to start by hand making there tools and materials how would they do that

[@grandadz_forge]

#blacksmithingquestionoftheday when spark testing, could you clarify which spinning objects will give false or misleading info when used on unknown metals.

[@bartweir1789]

Chop saws, cutoff wheels, and angle grinder discs will give false readings. Use a stone grinder wheel or belt grinder for your tests.

[@grandadz_forge]

@@bartweir1789 thanks!

[@bartweir1789]

@@grandadz_forge You bet!

[@mylarhyrule3752]

So, looking into getting a few “logs” of garage door springs... hard finding how thick different weight springs are... looking for between 3/8 and 1/2 inch thick round bar when straightened... what kind of weight am I gonna need for that? Thanks a bunch!!

[@joshuatremper5026]

What is the best way to get this stuff

[@kristianmartialsurvivalper8522]

💪💪💪🦸‍♂️could you write to me and list me ... these pieces of carbon steel iron ... of which they can be used for making knives?🇮🇹

[@ColossalSwordFormAndTechnique]

Car steel parts and bike steel parts. Can make swords and machetes.

[@00_negative]

#blacksmithquestionoftheday I recently purchased a hammer from CLF (County Line Forge). Now I'm left with a cheap cross peen hammer that I only need for aggressive drawing out. Would it be feasible to cut or grind the hammer side to a diagonal or straight peen?

[@jasonsisk2902]

Yes or note prettier shower of Sparks means prettier of metal harder more carbon

[@NOTINTERCEPTER01]

#blacksmithsquestionoftheday would leaf springs and shock coils be okay for beginners? And on an personal smithing note I'm saving up to get one on one lessons with Mr moss.

[@ghmakes7853]

Yes, but they're tough, the smaller diameter springs are not so bad - If you're rural, haybob tines are great to practice or make small tools, quenches nicely in water.

[@NOTINTERCEPTER01]

@@ghmakes7853 once I get some lessons under me belt I might have an garage I might be able to get from.

[@ghmakes7853]

@@NOTINTERCEPTER01 The best lessons are those you learn yourself - But if you can afford tuition then go for it, just don't let a lack of formal teaching stop you having a go - Have fun!

[@NOTINTERCEPTER01]

@@ghmakes7853 I just need to learn the basics and then I can go from there.

[@WXUZT]

In India, leaf springs are especially valued because these are used to make great chopper(knife) blades which don’t break easily.

[@gregoryarbuckle624]

👍

[@rotgertesla]

Also, stay away from galvanized steel. The fumes are dangerous.

[@thegarageforge9907]

Hello

[@cannab-al9582]

Buy tongs? You aint a blacksmith if you're buying tongs

[@Curtislow2]

PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS in AN ADVERSE WAY.. Practice bottom-lining. The term "bottom-line" traditionally refers to the last line on an income statement, where you know at a glance whether the company turned a profit or a loss. In communication, bottom-lining means saying what you need to say in as few words as possible. IMHO

[@grandadz_forge]

First