Cut stock in half the easy way

[Glenn]

Originally Posted by arftist

When I use a hardy hot cut, I quench the work after I cut most of the way through

You do realize that this hardens the metal by quenching it. If you use this piece of metal later, will you remember that the end was hardened?

[arftist]

Yes Glenn I do realize this. A few points though, if you don't mind. After being being hammered most of the way through on a hardy cutter, with a hammer, the steel is no where near critical temp, and does not get that hard. Second point, at .2% carbon, mild steel doesn't get very hard anyway. Third point, Most of the stock that comes out of the forge goes back in again anyway, where it is normalized or anealed depending on what happens to it next. Forth, if I am drilling a piece of steel and it doesn't go right, I usualy know pretty fast. Fifth, I do most of my cutting by other means. I do keep track of spring, tool or other hard steel and aneal them before machining anyway. Finaly, try it sometime, it is much faster and easier.

[ThomasPowers]

Note most of the steel smiths are using these days is not 1020 but rather A36 which can have a very varried carbon content. Getting a spec'd 1020 is expensive.

Most steel sales sell you A36 as "mild steel" which is just not right.

[Glenn]

Originally Posted by arftist

1)After being being hammered most of the way through on a hardy cutter, with a hammer, the steel is no where near critical temp, and does not get that hard.

2)Second point, at .2% carbon, mild steel doesn't get very hard anyway.

3)Third point, Most of the stock that comes out of the forge goes back in again anyway, where it is normalized or anealed depending on what happens to it next.

4)Forth, if I am drilling a piece of steel and it doesn't go right, I usually know pretty fast.

5)Fifth, I do most of my cutting by other means. I do keep track of spring, tool or other hard steel and anneal them before machining anyway. finally, try it sometime, it is much faster and easier.

1) Not always, I sometimes do not wait for it to cool that far down the temp scale.

2) Take a piece of *mild steel* and make a chisel. Harden then temper to a cutting tool. Now use the chisel to cut the parent stock.

3) I place hot steel on a forge table to cool. This table is beside the forge and I can protect the steel from being grabbed by others. The steel that goes to the work table is ALWAYS placed into water and then transferred to my bare hand and only then placed on the work (public access) table. This way there are no surprises and no one gets burned. There are times when it goes into the water still quite hot and some quenching may occur, but it is usually a finished piece with no additional work being done.

4) been there, did that.

5) I will, thanks for the input and the idea.

[ThomasPowers]

#2 is how I learned about A36. Rob Gunter demo'd that at Quadstate: taking a bar and cutting a piece off it and making it into a chisel then heat treated it using super quench and used to cut the original bar *cold* with no problem---I still have the piece in my "that's interesting" pile

[yesteryearforge]

Stock cut in half the easy way ( give it to the apprentice and tell him to cut it in half )

Mike Tanner

[primtechsmith]

yeah...that works. As long as you aren't the apprentice!

Peyton

[ThomasPowers]

Then the method is to ask the "master" to show you the process...

[Ten Hammers]

I have a junk hammer that I use to strike anything but hot steel ( center punch to tooling ).

[Bentiron1946]

Cut it yes, but in half, close maybe, why? All of the stuff I make could care less and if I'm that short of stock I'm in real trouble. Hack saws, hot chisels, cold chisels, hardies or any other tool you can think of are all nice. Some very helpful tips here, thanks.