Sparks

Thank you for the compliments. It is made from tube. It starts at 3" and tapers to 1 1/4".

Thanks for the help guys. Getting to check out a large scale mill has been on my to do list for a while. It sounds like a blast, no pun intended. For the most part, I make an effort to observe the certs on metal being used for a project involving any real machining or load. Mainly for looks and convienience, it ends up being 1018. It's pretty user friendly and looks good. The price of A36 is usually less shocking, but it's hot roll finish doesn't lend itself to projects that need the smooth precise look to well. I think your right on the money U.F.. That might be the easy solution I've been overlooking for a long time. Experimenting with some controlled cooling sounds fun. My plan is to shoot for a temp inbetween 1100 to 1400 degrees and let it cool nice and slow.

Good morning. I have a fairly decent understanding of mild steel's reactions to heating, but I would appreciate some out side input for a certain application. I would like to put a nice symetrical 1" depression/off set/saddle into a 4"x8" piece of 5/8" thick colled rold flat bar. My plan so far is to make a sturdy male and female die set to use in a big press. The 4x8 piece of steel would be heated evenly in a gas forge, sandwiched in the die set, and then pressed to shape in the press. My main question is about the machinability of mild steel as it is heated. I usually go by color of material to appoximate temperature, but I haven't really come accross any charts or literature actually stating whats happending to mild steel when it's heated to given temperatures and allowed to cool back on it's own. I'm aware that certain steels have critical(or transitive) temperatures, which seem to apply to situations when hardening is desired(which is what I don't want). I guess I'm looking for that magic temp that makes mild steel to much of a pain to drill or mill through. I'd like to get the metal as hot as possible with out causing significant hardening, which seems to happen a lot easier than I've always been told.

Greetings metal people. Here are some pics of a recent project. I'm still still trying to get my shop set up to do the blacksmithing side of work that I'd like to do, so for now my work only emulates what I hope to create in the future using traditional smithing techniques. Hopefully there will be some nicely hammer textured work in my next pictures. Thanks to every one for posting their techniques and work.

It's starting to warm up here in San Diego and I'm having to fight between doing metal work and going to the beach in my spare time. I do electrical for a living and started welding a couple of years ago. Welding was the door that led me to all of the other metal crafts that I am now interested in. It seems that every aspect of metal work that I see leads me into another area I want to learn. Hope every one gets some time to work some metal and has good time.