Pigsticker

I'm using my slight ball peen so the hammer head isn't huge.. I think I want as big and lightweight head is possible., right? I can't figure how to upload a pic of my dark Damascus and knives are gone. Got pics on phone

I've got 2 heavy swages 5" ones now. I thought it was one size fits all but I keep hitting the swage with my hammer on edge of interior recession which I know is bad. Sometimes I throw surprise heavy strikes,, and the cable mashed. To me I think it should be not as deep. It does fine for 2" cable but it seems useless when I get ant smaller than 1.75". Now it's OK. I can weld til the cows come home but am baffled how strands can undo welded stuff Unwrapping is deadly over here. The big strands are welded together,but the cable isn't . Cable has been pretty easy overall once I convinced myself forge temp has nothing to do with the metals heat. I pryed up a manhole cover with one of my knifes and zero problems. (A thin slicer) once cable hits a point it won't twist together, hammer or crush, it only unwinds. How can I spot this to just cut it off and save 6-10 rounds in the forge

How do you know if a piece is burnt til it will just unwrap the rest. I notice it often occurs when it gets a darker shiny look. Shouldn't a "well" welded cable not unwrap around the main cables when forgewelding or is the first forge weld just to make the cable internally tacky. It pulls it apart like I never forge welded it to sting. ( before any forging) I got it to sticklast time but that was after losing about 13 imches off a tube of metal I swear I heard a tink from when hot on the anvil.or does that sound like too little heat? I got my ends to "stick' with a big 20 oxz ball peen Tx

Thank you for your quick and wise words. 1 I'm not welder literate, no access to one and cant afford to spend on mig etc. I'm now able to forge weld corners from still braided but loose wire. Woohoo. All that said, any ideas? Ive got to be able to forge it ( hold while hammering). Not too long a time. Just wanna finish as good as possible Mÿ questions aren't fired off at the expense of accuracy, I'd wait a week for each posting if anything better came out, I got some big issues. Thanks much for your response

¹Hello. Hope you are all well. I've got a couple of quick questions for the person who knows and isn't stuck on grumpy. ( or can't control it) 1 To forge how do I hold a pice of round nearly welded, started at 2" round cable, that is only about 4" long. I have a set of tongs and the v on the tips that gets a little smaller or bigger. I also have an 16-18" channel locks but they don't go far enough in on my little Wal-Mart forge. I'm forging on a railroad so space is limited. 2if I can see a very slightlyunwelded middle in a piece of cable I'm working on that's round, I can still forge it out right? Pre hardened can always be improved right? Bad pictures in next post if I can figure it out 3 is there a way to tell if cable has been forged enough? They individual strands have melted, so what now. Someone told me about refining a weld but that wasn't on cable. I've heard folding a piece of cable once welded will harm the figure. I don't want to hammer it plain.. how can I tell when cable is gone? I erased about 13" of 18" trying g to Include big strands only to unwrap my welding 4 easiest one. What should Damascus look like? Ive got black blades with white figure stripes, I've got shiny silver blades with blue inside. Is there a most durable color in the etching I'm looking for? Everybody has liked both but I'm not sure if my shiny silver blades are just black ones stripped of etch. Etch is long vinegar with a boil at the end to set it. Theyve all started the black color Thanks if youre helping, I'm American, not 8 and just a poor writer (state educated vs parochial). Unless you're asking about Burundi. Always move in a circle because it never ends Pig S Ticker When I said blades started black I meant after a Lil etch in vinegar. It was obviously steel color in very beginning

Ive got some 2" steell cable im trying to forge into blocks. I broke down and paid $210 to get 10 ends welded up. How strong is this? Nobody seems to use it, but if its absolute i can start billet there without a swage??? Can i hit "into" it or will that just break it open. What kinda EXACT size swage and angle should i buy for 2" cable. I also have no anvil to stick it in the hole so ground mounted? I use a rr tie. Thanks and sorry if i put this here erroneously. Where do cable questions not yet cataloged go? And what have i blown 3 times. 3 times ive tried to get a reducer to change the hose's 3/8 female to 1/4" female to take it on a vevor double forge and my reducers will only go in the hose 1 rotation and 1 rotation on forge (makes for smelly forging. I tried to force the last one and it wasnt just a matter of stripping it, it wont spin. Dont know much but it wont thread, i really pulled the wrench. It did strip. Its not just tape either. Doesnt feel like just wrong size thread. (Coarse vs smooth) The friendly pig

Why in 15 posts on MY questions have you never offered any help at all. Academic? You just say how uou do it but im not swayed. When we communicate we make others aware of our own context and ive got enough nonhelp erase this if steve can only dish it out. Highly suspected.

I saidh hoghly suggested. Butbefore you post it says to use google for searches but some havent read that part of own presentation. Its actually written over 6 times on searchable info to look on google. I try to not be "different" and follow ifi rules to make it easier on people. I think important guy was a forge and burner maket. Maybe i was calling me important. Thanks

Further from above, I do believe i got my best ever rigidizing done under the castolite. The whole thing was almost firm. Thanks

Hello all and happy thanksgiving.This is specific question. Im filling in a new double burner forge (hexagon) w kastolite and metrakote. I got 60% done last weekband set the forge in a cooler w 2" of water. I went to check on it yesterday and kinda tried to lift it up by the inside of the forge and i could feel the kaowool had increased in size thicker than it was after rigidizing. Is this reswell normal. In about 3 days ill take forge outta cooler and lay new mixed kastolite upon arrival. 1) Should i remove the forge from humidity box before i recoat or should i just go on top of the wettest kastolite i can keep it inside the forge already. 2) My last question is is the reswelling of kaowool natural. Im terrified of kaowool. If youre not mad, angry or just posting to say your busy, your ideas would be greatly appreciated. Hope yal had a great tday all and are ready for holiday season. Thanks in advance

I know its there, just no clue where. I knew they talked about metrakote a lot here so i went direct and searched metrakote and firebrick. And they have algorithms too. What did you search for? Hes a pretty high up guy who said use google. They check this site in that quick search. Its on just about every question i ask Plus im just asking people who know whove got a second. People whove built a forge for starters Nobody has used the the term coating in any of my questions and which one of those posts deals with metrakote on a hard refractory. That means you didnt read them either. I should have said refractory brick above. I looked at your search. None of those results deal w refractory brick and metrakote. That was my specific question Tx

Per important member "look on google". Good idea. Idid look and nothing on google on the search for metrakote and soft firebrick came up. And they got algorithms

I did find over 200 kastolite postings in .5 seconds. I found some postings on internet sites that seemed to recommend doing whole forge in castolite 3 and metrokote. Ok. Kastolite arrives tomorrow. I will also set my 1" 3000 degree brick in the middle for a flame face(?). Should i metrakote top bottom and sideds of brick.this seems like it will make the most study floor. Anybody know how to cut firebrick in half width wise. Or i could castolite brick down to basement, though that seems less protective of a floor. If youre out there and can help, Thanks Ok. I finally found it. Your are supposed to metrakote the flat sides of brick. ITC the vertical sides for expansion and then kastolite over and under the brick. This wet kastolite will grab the brick and hold it. I keep saying brick but the 3000 degree brick will wear. Away quickly. You want a brown REFRACTORY BRICK, and then metrakote the top and bottom. It said no reason not to rely on the first firing to dry the metrakote. But youll have to cook about 30 min on high. Make sure you have a holle in bottom for steam to escape. You're still mixing to sour cream consistency Tx much

I have kastolite im putting over my forge wool andthick on the floor. Its kastolite 30. I also have some 1" and full size 3000 degree firebricks. The forge picture shows a firebrick on the floor or forge. Shouldd i kast and metra and use it as a floor, finish the bottom like above and add a 3000 brick, or shhould i completely do under the brick and then metrakote the little brick too. Many thanks to all. Its a smaller forge. Is there a minimum distance fire needs to be from metal? Tx

Thanks all for this help. Very useful details that werent on searchable internet with limited vocab Thanks all Ill send pics asap