Forging a Steak Turner from a Railroad Spike by Derek Melton

Derek Melton of Melton Forge Works demonstrates how to forge a steak turner from a railroad spike. A blacksmith and a bladesmith who calls Clinton, Mississippi home, Derek appeared on the television show “Forged in Fire” where he competed for and won the title of ‘Forged in Fire Champion’ on episode 21 of season 5. Steak turner grilling tools like the one made in this video are available online at DerekMelton.com. The KMG belt grinder (belt sander) used in this video is made by Beaumont Metal Works. The KMG 2x72 belt grinder, the KMG-TX grinder, contact wheels and other grinder attachments are available online at BeaumontMetalWorks.com.

Timestamp Listing
00:06 Start with a standard 6.5 inch long steel railroad spike

00:12 An induction forge is used exclusively for this blacksmith project. The induction forge uses electricity to create electromagnetic eddy current in the steel to create intense heat quickly

00:29 Using a power hammer to reduce the diameter of the steel handle area provides more length for a better looking twist

00:43 The next step for forming the twisted ribbon – cubic pattern in the handle is to chisel lines down all four sides at the treadle hammer. The treadle hammer is a foot-controlled single blow hammer that allows the blacksmith to have both hands free to use tools or hold the work.

01:25 Use a band saw to make multiple cross cuts on opposing corners, approximately 3/16 inch apart. The cuts are deep enough to touch each center line.

02:01 Use the induction forge to heat the section with chisel lines and cross cuts for an even twist.

02:15 Clamp the work in the leg vise and use a modified wrench to twist the handle. The twist converts the chisel lines and bandsaw cuts into ribbons and cubes.

02:49 Use a wooden block and mallet to straighten the handle without destroying its forgework.

03:16 Use a wire wheel to knock forge scale off of the forged handle area.

03:26 With the induction forge, heat the steel below the handle so it can be drawn to length

03:38 Use aggressive drawing dies to quickly forge the spike to about 10 inches

03:47 Return to the tire hammer to draw the length out further with the remaining heat. The smaller flat die on this tire hammer lend themselves well to this task.

04:04 To finish the long portion of the spike, Derek uses a self-contained air hammer with larger die surface and more control. At this stage he is forging the steel to gain length and to achieve a cleanly forged surface.

05:03 Using a KMG Classic direct drive 2x72 grinder to remove a cold-shut from the tip before forging to a point.

05:25 Forging the last couple of inches to a sharp, rounded point by hand hammering

05:38 Back to grinding with the KMG grinder using a 120 grit abrasive belt to smooth out the rounded tip, which helps with food release.

05:45 Induction heating of the tip to enable hook formation

05:59 Derek uses a wooden mallet to avoid damaging the surface as he forges the hook shape over the horn of the anvil.

06:27 Bend the hook down with the hook facing left to make this a right-handed meat turner.

06:46 Back to the heat and then the air hammer to add some length.

07:12 Forging a smooth handle transition and straightening with very light hammer blows.

07:44 Forging the “Melton” touchmark onto the turner using his stamp and the treadle hammer.

08:07 Grinding with the classic KMG belt grinder to clean up any sharp edges to make it more comfortable to hold. As a blacksmith, Derek uses a belt grinder quite often to remove material and smooth areas quickly and efficiently. He has installed a 2 inch rubber coated contact wheel on the bottom of the flat platen to achieve a better surface finish.

09:35 Derek us using the slack belt area of the KMG and a careful pivoting motion to put in a slightly curved, sharp tip.

10:03 A bit of wire wheeling to remove any remaining scale and to buff the surface.