Muttt

From what you guys are saying, I am picking up at least two problems that I have been having. The first is the time out of forge. I was taking too long to hit it. Like you said if there if just a little bit of time to hit it then I was blowing it. I was told my someone to twist it first. So, I would throw it into the vice and twist it, then take it to the anvil and hammer a little. I bet it was probably sticking at the anvil and then I was knocking it apart at the anvil. The other thing is heat. I may no be getting it hot enough. I put the borax on and it bubbles up and looks like a sugary crust, then when I stick it into the forge, the borax just melts and runs down into the cable. It is not "dancing around" as you say. It just melts and runs into the cable like a normal solder would run into a wire. I think I may have gotten it once or twice by twisting it in the vise, cause it seemed to stick. But then went over the the anvil and hammered it loose again. I'll try again today and reply to this thread and let ya know how it went. The last pic I tried to take with the forge running ..... all you could see was an orange ball. It was too bright to take a pic of. As far as wool and brick. I have the inside of the pipe wrapped with two inches of wool and then I have bricks laying in the bottom (on top of the wool) I wanted the bricks as sacrificial so I wouldn't burn out my wool with flux. Here is a pic. Cold Forge Hot Forge Hope the pictures help a little bit. I will try soaking the cable a little longer. Maybe what I thought was hot enough just wasn't. I was afraid of burning out the cable. But apparently, I wasn't even close. I will also try the stick test. I have a couple pieces of 1/2 inch square stock that will work nicely for that. And, lastly, I think I didn't have the metal hot enough. The metal was only bright orange. Cant really say I've seen the color yellow (on the metal) I have seen yellow flare off the metal, but I think that's just the flame reacting with the flux. Thanks for all the input. Like everything else ..... there is a learning curve. Mutt

I have never heard of stabalizing wood until I started reading the forging and knife making forums. I don't think I have every heard that term used. I have alot of knowledge of woodworking and have always just stained and polyurythaned my woods. Have never had anything crack warp or split. A nicely stained piece of mahogany or oak and several coats of poly makes it harder than hell. Wood you consider polyurythane over oil stain as a form of stabalization???? Mutt

I have been trying to weld a piece of one inch crane cable that I got from the salvage yard. I have a 11" x 18 inch deep propane forge. I have a 1 1/2 pipe welded to the side and i am using a blower so I know I am getting the forge hot enough. I have two hard fire bricks and they glow orange when I am up to temp. I have poured on the borax (20 mule team) and twisted it open in the vise then heat it and then add more borax and heat it then take it to the vise and twist it tight. Add more borax, heat it. After doing this about four times, it still just xxxx cable. I can't get this stuff to start to turn into a billet know matter what I do. Any suggestions. I leave it in the forge till the whole thing is glowing. At this point, I have no idea. Mutt

It's not so awful bad when they mushroom. But, when the mushroom starts to split and the turn into little pieces of shrapnel. They come off at like mach 2 and could easily put out an eye. Good luck ...... you'll wear down an entire 6 inch wheel grinding off all those mushrooms ..... LOL Mutt