1
Got a 'deal' on some reclaimed railroad spikes from a yard sale in Boise
I mean, they looked okay but after I heated one up to make a simple knife, it just crumbled under the hammer. Lost about $40 and a whole afternoon. Anyone know a good way to test old steel before you commit to a project?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
susan_wright348h agoMost Upvoted
The spark test is your best bet for unknown steel, just grind a corner and watch the color and length of the sparks.
7
riley432h ago
Used to believe any old steel was good steel until a similar thing happened to me. The spark test Susan mentioned is a solid method, it saved me from wasting more time later. A quick file test helps too, seeing how hard it is to bite in can tell you a lot. What other quick checks do you trust before firing up the forge?
3