Ric Furrer

Thomas, Did you get it sorted? Ric

Thomas, For very large jobs while in Florida we sent the stock out for commercial annealing and cold worked for texture. For scrolls and such requiring forging we heated with a propane/air torch and a pine paint stick. Clamp torch to table and light. pass aluminum in front of torch and do a count. Rub with pine stick. When the pine stick left a black smudge mark you forge. After a few feet of stock you get a feel and go. Sure some are overheated and crumble, but not many. I have forged 1/2 round to 2x2 square solid this way. Use 6061 or 6060 for solids and 3003 for sheet...the local marine boat builder uses a 5000 alloy...not sure which. Often you need to cold forge to work harden some areas or use a network of supports to keep in good as it lacks the strength or iron. I am sure there is a local NOMMA shop you can talk to...if not then call Art or Phil at Art's Work in Florida or Jack Klahm of Klahm and Son's I was just out in California (LA and Oakland) if I had known I could have stopped in and showed you a few techniques. Ric

Scott, What you say is a testament to modern steel quality and I can absolutely understand why you would believe this to be the case. I make steel several ways and it is a factor I must take into account every time I make an item. Modern steels have a long and tortured history of development to have arrived at the wonderful quality they are today. Ric

When I get it sorted yes. Ric

3B Nazel most days. just accepted an offer on my 50weight Moloch mechanical Will have a 1,000 weight Niles Bement Pond converted to air up next year. Would not mind a 100 weight air hammer Ric

Phil, I do not think it would work 22" efficiently if I were holding the other end. Ric

The process is known by some as hydrocarbon welding. Basically, as has been stated, the oil (or other hydrocarbon) burns and uses up the available oxy which would otherwise form scale. The remnant of this is carbon coating the steel which also off-gasses as CO...further preventing scale. If you have clean steel and some pressure it will bond....temp and pressure are relative as room temp is a temp and 220 ton per square inch is also a pressure and if you can do such then you will also get a weld in steel. Once the bond begins the carbon is absorbed into the steel. Given the size of billets I do and time they take to heat I do I opt for the can, but if you do smaller billets...under five pounds..and have a hot fore and controlled internal environment I think you will be fine. In my last welding session I made up 140 pounds of the stuff. Ric

I have done several burns with the coke and it does burn hot with minimal smoke/fireflies and smell. I wish it were a bit larger as I like 1.5" lumps. I end up screening much of the bag to get a few handfuls of the larger for my uses. If anyone knows of a larger sized coke I am interested. Ric

I had a student mis-strike the other weekend and the corner broke off. Notice the corrosion under the face so it was never really welded in place. Note also the HUGE grain to the steel face. I may have this broken bit metallographically polished and chem studied just to see. Ric

The heat to melt is easy to get with coke or charcoal fuel, less so with propane, but possible. The hottest part f the fire is only a local thing..the heat drops quickly as you move from the air/fuel blending area. Fire brick are fine, but they will be fused into a single mass most likely..and usable again as they sit...no need to crush them up. I suggest clay graphite crucibles for the melt as they are cheap and work. Size 3 or 4 is good to start. side note...not all crucible steel is wootz, but all wootz is crucible steel. Ric

John, A low temp is not a big deal. Assuming no liability here: I have two.. one is vertical which has some precautions for heating and not getting pressure build up from the bottom before the top is liquid...think cannon. the other is a horizontal which is little more than a steel "U" with ends welded on. I heat it with a 3/4" black pipe and an 1/8" hole every 1"...like small candle flame. Feed in gas via a venture cone and light. My horizontal expands when heated and the sides buckle a faction...this allows the liquid salt on the bottom to come up and around the solid salt so no pressure builds. With a vertical it is possible and likely to have the bottom go liquid and when the top finally starts to melt it will be pushed up and out of the tube with force. I have seen some tube bottoms bulging on vertical pots....not good. Some have several burners for the vertical and heat the top first and then the middle and finally the base. Some use a tapered rod which they pull before bottom firing the tube. Use what you think is best, but be aware that salts are not a no fuss solution and can be dangerous. Black iron (low carbon steel) is fine for low temp pots, but stainless is better. You MUST have a plan in place to deal with the eventual pinhole leak and all the hot liquid salt pouring out. If you run them long enough it will occur. Failure usually occurs at the weld joint, but can be anywhere. Ric

Hello All, Does anyone have the catalog for the Niles Bement Pond company? I'm curious about what they made and the steam hammers in particular. Ric

OK, Switched insurance companies today. I am with State Farm at 1/3 the previous rate and same coverage. They have an Art category now and I fall into it. Covers among other things the building, tooling, tools on job sites and work to,from and at shows. Ric

I have a "versatube" 18'x18' which a friend and I put up in a long day on my concrete driveway. No ends, but those can be ordered. I have had some hot fires in it smelting and melting steel with no issues and it survived some large winds and snow. Ric

Thank you All, I just ordered a ton. I'll report back when I have fired it a few times. Ric

Fred Fenster, metals Prof at UW-Madison, made many a chalice from pewter. Ric

Hello All, Anyone use L Brand coke? Is it a good size and low clinker? I need a few ton of good coke. Ric

Ptree, Tried to send a PM on this, but it failed. So the pressure spike is dependent upon several things...speed and cycle number among them. At what point is one concerned about this effect and how can it be engineered out of the system when using hyd oil vs water? My systems run at 1.5 inches per second and less at 3,000PSI max. Mostly hot work, but some cold pressing. I have never had an issue that I am aware of, but tomorrow is another day. If this failure can be engineered out of the system I'd like to do that. Ric

The knifemaker they have is a good man...Tim Potier. Ric

Knots, I like to have the press power pack on a wheeled cart and quick disconnects so to allow for moving it to other hydraulic tools...makes it more versatile for me. If you are looking for a very compact design then maybe calculating your gpm need and cooling need for friction heating could give you a number for the amount of oil you need and you may be able to place the majority of the powerpack in a very discrete position with minimal exposed hoses. If the coupling from the motor to the pump is off and you are running a 3600rpm motor you can get a vibration to the press ...assuming the pump/motor is bolted to the frame. With a completely sepearte powerpack this is eliminated and you can hardline on the press itself. Ric

Dave and all.....the word "successful" was used in the title. Some can not make a successful weld under any conditions. To join two metals...as has been said and referenced in R.F. Tylecote's work "Solid Phase Welding of Metals" all you need to for the mating surfaces to be oxide free and come within 4-5 Angstrom's distance. If they get close enough then the electrons can jump to the other metal and you get an inter-metalic bond. It is not strong unless more of the surface are comes into contact...so pressure is applied till the two surfaces come into more contact. If heat is applied then less pressure is needed If pressure is applied then less heat is required If the surfaces are "perfectly clean" then room temp and gravity is required. Time is also a factor as intimate contact of two contaminated surfaces can be accomplished with some time...a few hundred to thousands of years will do. It has been found that iron hinges and lead/brass bearings have welded in some old door hinges on medieval age structures...just due to time and a a tiny pressure. SO..for us...it depends upon the way we clean the metal (some metals gain full oxide thickness in 15 minutes from cleaning so sanding a large pile of steel and welding after lunch gains you little) the temperatures reached flux used (or no flux) some fluxes are more better and if you use none and oxy gets in there you will have a harder time pressure applied....steel to steel can be done with 225 tons per square inch at room temp so your question is a good one and appears simple, but the answer can range from below room temp to just below liquid depending upon the conditions. Sorry to muddy the waters. A cheat can be heating to whatever, adding borax, waiting,rubbing the billet with a sharp mild steel rod...if the rod sticks then its ready. You can do it with your eye's closed. Learned that from the late Bill Fiorini...a master by any definition. Ric

As Thomas Says. Ric

I thought I replied to this thread...was my posting removed or did I fail to post? I mentioned a few books with info on forming sheet as well as two video which show some techniques. At any rate...good info here and I like the work Michael. Ric

Phil, As Owen says...pattern-weld is different as getting out of square is bad and overforging the corners to bring it back is worse. You have less time to move the stock, less powerful blows must be used and other factors come into play beyond normal forging of single steel billets....unless you like to start over or continue trying to weld at every heat. It simply is a different animal. Dave, I suggest angle iron under the press and solid blocks under the hammer (depending upon size of the hammer...a 50 weight can be used with angle iron dies). Support the angles how you see fit...doubling them up, bracing them with other angle on wither side turned 180 degrees 90 degree solids welded to a plate etc. You can forge with them or use them to bring the billet back to true...I have sets from 6" down to 3/16" in small increments and use them often. Ric

I get a request for apprentices once a month or so. My business is not structured for such a situation and I do not know many that are. Most who take on folk live near a university and have art students come through with arrangements via the Univ. As Thomas said, free costs money and these days insurance is a HUGE issue. I am looking for another company now actually....the folk who advert with ABANA do not seem to return calls. I suggest you take classes at one of the many craft schools and slowly assemble tooling. Attend local smithing group events (there is a group in the midwest) and build your skills. Do this as a hobby and once to put on the hat of a full time smith you will see that the fun is largely gone and the weight of deadlines and cash flow begin. I began learning when I was 19 and at college and did it as a hobby in a non-electric shop for some time. When faced with no other work following a move I got a job with an architectural firm and went from there. The pay was low, but the learning high. Following a another move I found no other work and opened my own shop...took ten years to find my footing again. Been at it 24 years now and feel I have a basic understanding of what the trade is about. Start slow and grow while doing something else to earn money. Swords are NOT a high dollar item..they rely on folk's disposable income and as such the range of clients id limited. Ric