How do you use beeswax around your house? Any non-traditional uses you’d like to share? Leave a comment below or visit the Keeping Backyard Bees Facebook Page. We just sort of grate it over the blades and the friction of the back and forth motion heats the wax and distributes it. Beeswax acts as a natural lubricant that won’t harm the goats if it gets on the hay. The knife you see here was made by Canadian. The origins of the railroad spike knife are unclear, though it is likely that they’ve existed almost as long as railways given the simplicity of their design and the sheer volume of railway spikes that are available. The beeswax lubricates the triangle shaped blades as they slide back and forth. Railroad Spike Knives by Canadian Bladesmith Graeson Fehr 66.83 USD Each. It cuts the grass low to the ground without grinding it up the way a lawn mower might. In a sense it’s like a hedge trimmer on steroids. We also use beeswax to lubricate the sickle bar blade. Zach has often forged his own tractor parts, mangers for our goats, axe heads… among other things. Having the ability to blacksmith has it’s benefits when you own a farm. This also works great to seal wood handles on axes or shovels and has bee used as a floor polish for centuries. It makes an easily applied paste that can be rubbed in with a rag without the need to heat it first.
Wax Solution with Mineral Spirits and Linseed OilĪ mixture of bees wax, linseed oil and mineral spirits can be used to prevent rust on everyday steel tools. If you have ever “blackened” a cast iron skillet, then you know how this is done. Typical RR spikes are the equivalent of 1020-1030 steel. I have heard/read all the stories about how the ones with 'HC' on them are 'high carbon', but that is only when compared to common RR spikes. Steel tends to be more forgiving than wrought iron when it is forged, but is also a harder material and takes more energy to do the same amount of work. RR spike 'knives' are good as a novelty item, but not as a working knife. Many people think that blacksmiths work in wrought iron, however wrought iron is really a material of the past. So while we understand and can sympathize with the costs related to purchasing pure beeswax, we were excited that when we got our first hive, we would be able to reap some of the benefits of being able to harvest our own wax used for his metal work, (Or at least a portion of it.)Ĭlick here to visit my post on harvesting beeswax for home use. Because of this, a wax harvest is more difficult for the bees to recover from than a honey harvest alone. It also takes more energy for a bee to produce wax vs. We had been purchasing our wax from a local supplier, but it can be rather expensive and with good reason!īees produce approximately 1 pound of beeswax to every 5 pounds of honey. But lastly, Zach uses a lot of beeswax in his metal work. Railroad Spike Knife Forging Workshop 6/17.
Railroad spike knife tutorial for free#
We also felt strongly toward supporting the declining bee population and wanted to do our part to help. Check out our YouTube Page for Free Furniture Refinishing Tutorials. First being, the delicious honey we would be able to harvest. Zach and I decided to keep bees several years ago for several reasons.
0 kommentar(er)
