A hard calk life for me

[northmanlogging]

Here's another crazy idea from the demented laboratories at Northman Industries...

Flame hardening calks.

A little background, 2 monthes or so ago I changed out my calks, I only work part time, and lately I've been doing more wrenching then logging, the nails are allready getting to the point of replacement. Yeah I know I'm a fat ass and shouldn't be wearing them while driving equipment blah frickity blah. They should also last about 4 times longer then this.

So here's what the plan is so for, I've flame hardened 8 calks, and stuck them in the heel of my right boot, in the other boot, standard phillips tool steel calks (which I am now not impressed with) unhardened.



So yeah they change color a bit, and this brand tends to loose its pressed on flange, but just from today the right boot is still sharp where the center on the left is showing signs of wear.

As a side note I spark tested the Hoffmans, and Champs I had laying around compared to the phillips, no real difference, just the shape of the phillips, and the plating was better on the champs and hoffmans, conclusion is they are all tool steel, just not hardened or poorly hardened. Also the phillips do to there pointyness, tended to burn the end off before the rest got hot enough to quench.

I have some plans in the works to possibly make up about 500 calks and see if I can sucker some of you fine folks into trying them out at cost (which admittedly will be a little steep for a small order, hopfully under a buck a nail)

And finally ended up using the ole acetelyne wrench to do the hardening, propane torch just didn't have the grunt, and I'm too cheap to buy mapp gas

I'll try to keep this post updated as results come in...

 

[treeslayer2003]

if they are good tool steel, they should heat treat very well. did you air cool or liquid quench?

 

[slowp]

Is Annie playing up north?

Where were you 10 years ago, when I needed nice spikes? Oh well.

 

[Gologit]

I just changed out my Wesco nails...again. If you want to experiment I'll send you a full set of new Wesco nails. With the Wesco you can separate the nail itself from the flange. You treat 'em, I'll wear 'em...we'll see what happens.

 

[northmanlogging]

water quenched, heat till bright red toss in cold water, takes about 30 seconds per nail. Have a sorta jig to hold em so the threads don't get too hot and scale up.

There is a hardness tester at the day job, but is kind difficult to get something that small in its jaws...

 

[Reddog]

I use Champ Cer-Mec's in the ball and heal.
They seem to last better for me than the standard ones.

 

[HuskStihl]

Little Northman Annie. If you heat treated corks, you could rub them on u'r face for camouflage

 

[northmanlogging]

Not much to see yet and the pictures arn't real high quality.

After 2 days


Notice on the top pic the 2 center nails already have flats started...

 

[northmanlogging]

Little Northman Annie. If you hear treated corks, you could rub them on u'r face for camouflage

Corks are for wine, mead, and fishing (and face paint in a pinch)

Calks are for traction, ruining floors, and scaring deer away (and face removal in a pinch)

 

[Gologit]

I can't get the damn PMs to work.

I boxed up enough spikes for two boots, minus the washers. They'll probably go out in Tuesday's mail...USPS.

No hurry in getting them back, I just put new ones on last week.

I threw in a few extra in case your shop is like mine. My shop eats things and they're never seen again.

 

[northmanlogging]

shop what shop, I have 55 gallon drum with some 1/4 plate on top of it... that's my welding bench, not sure whats in the drum but it hasn't blown up yet!

 

[bitzer]

Cool. I'd like to see how much longer they wear. And why can't the fn manufacturer's just do it right in the first place!

 

[northmanlogging]

Little Northman Annie. If you heat treated corks, you could rub them on u'r face for camouflage

Is Annie playing up north?

Where were you 10 years ago, when I needed nice spikes? Oh well.

I only just got the little orphan referance.... I was thinking of Doctor Dre... generation gaps I guess

 

[slowp]

Well, at the Morton Roxy, they showed a preview to a remake of Annie. Coming soon, to a theater near you.....The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow. Bet your bottom dollar and all that.

 

[HuskStihl]

Generation gap!!!! I eat because I'm unhappy, and when I'm unhappy I eat. It's a vicious circle....

Fat Bastard!!! Just kidding. I gave you full credit for "Little Northman Annie". Next you'll be claiming to be gangsta, but still you got flava. Like EZ mother****in' E
Generation gap? fat bastard!!!

 

[StihlKiwi]

Anyone tried the tungsten spikes? I think Champ makes them

 

[Reddog]

I use Champ Cer-Mec's in the ball and heal.
They seem to last better for me than the standard ones.

Anyone tried the tungsten spikes? I think Champ makes them

I believe those are the Champ Cer-Mec ones.

 

[northmanlogging]

the cer mecs be spendy and unubtanium near here, hardening the damn things should have been done at the factory, but apperantely to save money they quit... or never did

the funny thing is I don't even like hip hop/ rapp,

 

[nhlogga]

I get my caulks from Hoffmmans. They last alot longer than those Phillips too steel caulks

 

[madhatte]

These are the old Omni-Lite golf spike calks you used to be able to get but which are now out of production, alongside regular current-production spikes for comparison. They were hardened and lasted forever. I bought all that the manufacturer had a few months ago and they don't remember where they came from or when they stopped making them, so I don't expect to ever see them again. When the set I'm wearing now wears out, that's all she wrote.



Here's what a month or so of (not-on-the-landing) wear looks like: