Spiking hammer
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A spike maul is a type of hand tool used to drive
railroad spike A rail fastening system is a means of fixing rails to railroad ties ( North America) or sleepers (British Isles, Australasia, and Africa). The terms ''rail anchors'', ''tie plates'', ''chairs'' and ''track fasteners'' are used to refer to parts ...
s in railroad track work. It is also known as a spiking hammer.


Description

Spike mauls are akin to
sledge hammer A sledgehammer is a tool with a large, flat, often metal head, attached to a long handle. The long handle combined with a heavy head allows the sledgehammer to gather momentum during a swing and apply a large force compared to hammers designed t ...
s, typically weighing from with -long handles. They have elongated double faced
hardened steel The term hardened steel is often used for a medium or high carbon steel that has been given heat treatment and then quenching followed by tempering. The quenching results in the formation of metastable martensite, the fraction of which is reduced ...
heads. The head is typically over long to allow the user to drive spikes on the opposite side of the
rail Rail or rails may refer to: Rail transport *Rail transport and related matters *Rail (rail transport) or railway lines, the running surface of a railway Arts and media Film * ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini * ''Rail'' ( ...
without breaking the handle. Some spike mauls have
symmetrical Symmetry (from grc, συμμετρία "agreement in dimensions, due proportion, arrangement") in everyday language refers to a sense of harmonious and beautiful proportion and balance. In mathematics, "symmetry" has a more precise definiti ...
heads, but most have a slightly longer thinner side and a shorter larger diameter side of equal weight. The long side allows a user to spike over abnormally tall rails, and to drive spikes down next to highway crossing planks. The shorter side provides more surface area which requires less accuracy for normal spiking. There are two typical patterns of spike mauls: * Bell: This is the more common variety. Bell spike mauls are mostly cylindrical in shape. * Standard: These have a square
cross section Cross section may refer to: * Cross section (geometry) ** Cross-sectional views in architecture & engineering 3D *Cross section (geology) * Cross section (electronics) * Radar cross section, measure of detectability * Cross section (physics) **Abs ...
, and a squared tapered end opposite the normal driving face. Handles are often
ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
or hickory, but lesser species of woods find their way into economy handles. Some mauls come with
fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass ( Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...
handles as well. Specialized mauls exist with nonconductive handles for work on electrified track. Almost all spike mauls take a standard oval eye sledge hammer handle, which is frequently replaced through the course of heavy use. It is common practice in many locales to cut down the long handle to about . This makes the maul more convenient when used only to "set" spikes for a powered spiker. It also makes the "windmill" spiking technique more comfortable. Windmilling is when a user takes the maul handle with both hands locked and strikes the spike with repeated fast blows by swinging in a circular motion over the shoulder. The standard "wood chopping" motion is more comfortable and natural for most people.


Use

Regardless of the technique employed it is important to strike railroad spikes with the handle of the maul as close to horizontal as possible. This requires the user to bend over at the waist with every swing. If the user attempts to drive spikes while standing erect the spike will often bend and the maul head will begin to sit crooked on the handle. Shortly thereafter the maul handle will break. Because there are usually five (but sometimes six to eight) spikes driven per plate, and two plates applied per tie for each rail and because ties are placed so close together (usually, with ties on 16" centers)—thousands of spikes must be driven for each mile of track. When this was done manually, before the advent of pneumatic spiking machines, it was important that spikes be driven in rapidly. The standard, for a powerful and experienced spiker, was to drive the spike in with only three blows. It required great strength, and considerable stamina, to maintain that pace. Spike mauls are hardened tools. Occasionally the head may become upset or chipped. Heads are often reground on a
bench grinder A bench grinder is a benchtop type of grinding machine used to drive abrasive wheels. A pedestal grinder is a similar or larger version of grinder that is mounted on a pedestal, which may be bolted to the floor or may sit on rubber feet. These t ...
to remove nicks and metal flow. This practice is becoming less common as grinding can hide cracks and other defects. It is also possible to overheat the steel while grinding and remove some of the temper from the tool.


Brands

Brands of spike mauls include Slug-Devil, Tamco and Warwood.


References

* Tartman, E.E. Russel, ''Railway Track and Track Work'', McGraw-Hill 1909 * Camp, Walter Mason, ''Notes on Track'', Self Published 1904


Further reading

* * {{Hand tools Hand tools Hammers Rail fastening systems Maintenance of way equipment