Wagon axles: what are they good for?

[Salkehatchie]

Wagon axles: what are they good for?

My youngest brother tore out part of the concrete floor in our father's old shop.  The shop had been a blacksmith shop prior to 1912. When the house was built.  Small farm town community. 

During "deconstruction" my brother removed about 20 or so prox. 5' long wagon axles a tad over 1 1/2" diameter. 

What are they made of?  What are they good for?  No pictures at this time, although I did get a look at the pile of them.  A friend commented to me that more than likely they are wrought iron.

Thank you!

[Justin Urbantas]

Probably great for axes with a bit welded in, and lots of other stuff if you forge it down. If you cut it 3/4 way through then bend it, you can find out if it is wrought.

[Justin Urbantas]

Wrought iron will bend and show a grain structure like string cheese or wood grain.

[wormey]

That is a potential treasure for a lot of folks.  True wrought iron is not easy to find anymore.  Don`t let anybody dispose of it.   Artist and most everybody on this sight could find a good use for it; a small piece at a time or larger pieces.  Good for beltaxes, buttplates and triggerguards and just about everything else associated with the longrifle for us purist.  Congratulations on a great find. Wormey

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  .... sounds like you are talking about buggy axles,... wagon axles are wood with iron skeins or hubs on the ends,.. buggy axels were probably wrought iron, and anyone doing forge work would be glad to have them,... my father had about a dozen old buggy axles around his shop when he passed,... another idea, is if they aren't too deteriorated and you have Amish people close-by, they might be interested in them,... regards,... CCF

[Salkehatchie]

Wrought iron will bend and show a grain structure like string cheese or wood grain.

Matches exactly to what the piece that I saw that my brother had picked out of the pile. 

[Pukka Bundook]

Are they straight bars, Salk?

If so, not likely a wagon or buggy axle, but maybe lengths of shafting?
I have some buggy axles here, and they are square-tapered, and round at the ends. they are also dropped at the ends where the wheels mount.
I was always going to make a 'hand gonne' of one of them...
No matter to the folks here what they Were though, if wrought -iron, and they are by sounds of it, they are Very  worth saving!!

[Salkehatchie]

.... sounds like you are talking about buggy axles,... wagon axles are wood with iron skeins or hubs on the ends,.. buggy axels were probably wrought iron, and anyone doing forge work would be glad to have them,... my father had about a dozen old buggy axles around his shop when he passed,... another idea, is if they aren't too deteriorated and you have Amish people close-by, they might be interested in them,... regards,... CCF

Was wondering about that.  Looked to small for farm wagon axles.  My brother still has the sign from the front of the original 1912 or so shop before my Dad's mom bought the place in 1928.  It had a barely readable sign on the other side.  Something about farm repair.  Place was in use in the later 1880s.

Those old guys never threw anything away.

The two main beams running the length of the shop are fir 6" x 10" x 30' with cross support posts of 6" x 12" x 18'!  He is going to remove the tin plating that makes up the current ceiling and expose the beams while redoing the new ceiling to ride above the beams.

Numerous Amish communities within an hours drive of us. 

[Salkehatchie]

Are they straight bars, Salk?

If so, not likely a wagon or buggy axle, but maybe lengths of shafting?
I have some buggy axles here, and they are square-tapered, and round at the ends. they are also dropped at the ends where the wheels mount.
I was always going to make a 'hand gonne' of one of them...
No matter to the folks here what they Were though, if wrought -iron, and they are by sounds of it, they are Very  worth saving!!

I asked younger brother.  Square in the center with round ends.  He is an engineer so...for what that's worth he says obvious that some kind of wheel went on the ends.  So...buggy still applies?  Most are in decent shape.

[Pukka Bundook]

Yep, sounds right for buggy to me, Salk!

[Clint]

If you ever have to BUY wrought iron you may find that it is extremely expensive. I am very fortunate to have a 100 pound hamer with a 10 horse motor to drive it. I get iron where I find it and hammer it down to sizes that are useful Finding iron is like so many other things, once you know what it is and where to look, there is actually quite a bit of it. The break test shown in Justin's post is the best way to test for iron.

[WadePatton]

Call that fellow out West who rebuilds wagons all the time. 

He might want the lot-or not. Not many humans living today know wagons as well as he does. He makes pretty good videos too.

 Here's his youtube account:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMgTlht-PsNniRIuaax4m8Q

[Justin Urbantas]

If it turns out to be wrought for sure, and you felt like selling, I'd be interested in buying a few smaller lengths, as I'm sure others on here would.