Forge welding

[MetalMuncher]

Hello. I'm new here and am just getting to know my way around. I need some help with my forge welding. I just can get it to stick!! Might it be my charcoal? Too much air? Or flux? I'm using borax, I didnt have time to make it anhydrous, so it dances around a bit. Any help or a quick step by step will be a tremendous help. Thanks!!

Michael Brauer

[Rich Hale]

Blueprint ## 0093 may be just what you are looking for. However it is a really good idea to spend time with someone that can walk you through it in person.

[MetalMuncher]

But I live in Brasil and think I'm the only blacksmith here hahaha. I'll check out 93. Thanks!

[rmcpb]

MM, you may have hit the nail on the head yourself. When I first started trying to weld I had all sorts of problems till one fella told me to "stop blowing the work out of the forge". We often get too carried away with getting up to "welding heat" and make the fire too hot which heats the outside of the work and doesn't get time to soak through the whole piece. We normally do this by really pumping in the air which also moves the oxidising region higher up in the fire so your work may be in this region. Try backing off the air a bit and taking a bit more time to get up to heat. Don't forget to take the piece out of the fire to allow the thin bits to cool and prevent them burning off then put it back in to keep heating slowly.

Cheers

[CurlyGeorge]

MM, also, don't hit with much force. All you need to do is tap the pieces together. If you have slowly brought it to weld temp, and use a lighter hammer, that may also help. I was told to "Put your hammer down. Now, pick up the smallest hammer that you have and don't hit it too hard." It worked for me.

[hill.josh]

ok since no ones given a step by step..
first prepare the scarf and sometimes i grind the piece clean if it has alot of scale but thats not a normal step for me. I stick it in the fire bring it to an orange heat and put on the flux. (i use brazing borax that isn't anyhydrous) not to much though just enough to cover the metal then bring it up to welding temp which for me isn't based on color but when i see sparks dancing on the metal. Then i take it out quickly but don't rest the steel on your anvil until you are goin to hit it otherwise the heat will be sucked out of it.. and tap it lightly with my normal forging hammer. after the welding heat is gone i lightly hammer it reaches dull red because the welding distorts the grain of the steel and the hammering restores it, making it stronger. I was told by a blacksmith of 17 years not to go on to the next step until the first is perfect. I think it applies here too.

[Ironlord Oz]

It depends on the type of weld your trying to do but for a drop the tongs weld I always use 2-3 welding heats. All I do with the 1st heat is get the right temp & tap them together so they have stuck. then I reflux & put it straight back in the fire. It won't take long to get back to a welding heat & this time I work it with medium blows. A 3rd welding heat can be used to "dress" the weld up. This method works well as it makes sure you have a full heat through the steel on the 2nd weld, removes some of the guess work.
Borax as it comes has always worked well for me.
Fire welding is a lot about getting a "feel" for it, if you get it right you can feel it stick. So good luck & practise, practise, practise.

[Avadon]

What does brazing borax look like? I went to Lowes and they only had the normal type of flux's for copper brazing.

[maddog]

Brazing borax also sold as brazing flux comes in a small can and is sold mostly in welding shops. Its used for oxy acet brazing. Its borax with some other stuff. It works nicely for forge welding but is a lot more expensive than laundry borax. I havent noticed a significant difference but everyone has his own magic ingredients for forge welding. Mine is to add brake drum turnings to weld which seems to help a lot. You can also braze with 20 Mule Team

[Avadon]

is this stuff brazing borax? cause i braze copper and brass with it.. will it work for forge welding A36 steel?


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