forge welding workshop experience

[HWooldridge]

Evfreek,

I didn't know what your experience level was so tried to write an all encompassing commentary - I apologize if I overstated the obvious.

Before I learned to forge weld, I had several years of welding with an O/A torch and that helped me at the forge. The basic fire characteristics and appearance of the steel are similar but you are hammering instead of puddling. "White and sparkly" is bad in either process.

I believe a large part of successful forge welding is related to fuel and fire size. I have pretty much always used bad coal and been mildly successful (and I've never been able to consistently weld in the gas forge - sometimes it works and sometimes not) but it was always a fight even in a coal forge. The problem was that I didn't know what good coal was and bought several tons of substandard stuff so I had to use it - it's hot but clinkers VERY quickly. I used to watch demonstrators at workshops hit forge welds all the time and kept wondering why I had so much trouble.

Several years ago, I demo'ed at a folklife fair and used their forge with high quality coal from the Midwest. The fire stayed clean for a long time and was very hot so I started playing with a variety of different forge welds. I wound up hitting every one - this was working in front of a crowd by myself. I used Sure Weld for flux and the welds did not spray everywhere - just a few small squirts (the crowd was behind a barrier so I felt safe doing this). At the end of 8 hours, there were two small clinkers about 2" wide in the pot near the blast and I had 9-10 welded pieces laying around. More than anything else, this impressed on me the need for high quality fuel. I asked for and was given a bucket of coal, which I took home and used in my forge. The results were the same - easy and fast welds with little effort. Unfortunately, I don't know where the coal came from - but it was typical stoker size that coked easily and burned a long time.

I think Alwin's comments are spot on and with all that said, a large portion of your problems could be related to fuel quality, fire size and how dirty it gets between heats - or it could simply be how you are holding your tongue...:-0 <grin>

[evfreek]

Hi HWooldridge. No problem about judging experience level--we are all learning. And for me, the failures help me generate more questions and hopefully answers. I do not have enough experience to select the best coal/charcoal for welding. I do know that it matters, and I have been in situations in which the metal would not stick, no matter what I did. Other times it was so sticky that you could stick the pieces in the fire and take them right to the anvil . The odd thing is that I used the same forge with the same coal (but new steel) the previous day and it worked great. It probably was a funny clinker, or somebody threw a penny in (just kidding).

The one time that I just couldn't get anything to stick was in a coke forge fueled with buckwheat coke. Now, I know a lot of other people who can weld with this, so I chalk it up to poor fire management technique (by me). I was trying to make some tongs at "midnight madness". A kind old fellow came up to me and tapped me on the shoulder and offered to help. When this happens, you should always say YES! He said this'll fix that rein problem. Get some bigger stock, make the jaws and come on over here to the air hammer. He could tell I was a first timer the way my eyes went wide as I drew the reins out in one heat. Then, he offered kindly advice on how to get the air hammer purchase past my wife . Didn't learn much about welding, but sure learned a lot nonetheless!

[Glenn]

Originally Posted by evfreek

Then, he offered kindly advice on how to get the air hammer purchase past my wife .

I do hope you took notes. This tidbit of information would seem to be worth the price of admission. (grin)