How long should it take to reach forging temp for a 1/4" x 1 1/4"x 3" I was trying to make a pair of tongs, but it seems that I may not be hot enough?

George, are you using a coal forge or gas? I use a coal forge and can get a piece that size to orange in about 3-4 minutes. Don't get it too hot, or you will start to burn it up. Welcome to IFI. It's a great site for all kinds of info. Any questions that you have, you can get good answers here. There a lot of very good smiths visit this place. Enjoy, but beware. The bug is gonna bite you and you'll be hooked for good!! :D

Edited July 2, 200916 yr by CurlyGeorge

I have a coal forge it looks like I have scale forming when I take it to the anvil, but soon cools off. Maybe I get to big hurry.

That's normal. As the air hits the hot iron it will scale quickly. Also stock that thin will cool very quickly. If possible more your forge and anvil as close together as close as possible, while keeping a safe distance.

Go fast.

Frosty

One thing that has helped me, as I usually use small stock, is to preheat the anvil with a chunk of 1"x4"x4" steel. When I first light the forge, I throw the chunk in the fire. Once the forge is up and running, I place the mighty hot chunk of steel on the face of my anvil. The anvil will draw less heat out of the work piece this way, more beats per heat!

One thing I've noticed with new students is that:

1: they are not ready to hammer when they take the piece out of the forge---the anvil should be clean and uncluttered and the hammer in your hand when you take the piece out.

2: they lay the hot piece on the cold anvil to re-adjust the tongs---do it while the piece is still in the forge even if you do have to drag it out with one pair and then grab it with another.

3: they spend a lot of time looking at the piece instead of hammering---as the fellow who taught me billet welding would yell "Don't look at it HIT IT!"

Another aspect is that trained smiths usually hit harder and faster putting energy back into a piece helping to keep it hot longer.

Get good now and think about preheating your anvil come wintertime!

One thing that has helped me, as I usually use small stock, is to preheat the anvil with a chunk of 1"x4"x4" steel. When I first light the forge, I throw the chunk in the fire. Once the forge is up and running, I place the mighty hot chunk of steel on the face of my anvil. The anvil will draw less heat out of the work piece this way, more beats per heat!

If you try this be careful not to draw the temper of the face.

Peheating my anvil?... makes sense, please exlplain. how hot, how long. does it make that much difference? Doesn't that happen anyways?

Disclaimer: I'm still new at this addiction.

Nowhere near dull red. More like hot water hot? Wow, that's a bad explanation. My anvil is a Princess Auto ASO, similar to HF standards I believe. Soft as butter when I got it, so I'm not afraid of harming the anvil at this point.

But wait.. wouldn't placing anything at forging temp draw the temper out of the face?

Sorry topic twisting...

Edited July 2, 200916 yr by belargehair
can't type

I don't preheat my anvil, in warm weather. But when the temp is near the freezing mark, I use a 1"X6"X6" piece that I heat up in the forge, to preheat the anvil. It does help in cold weather.

When I worked with a swordsmith in AR during the winter we would hang a paint bucket of burning wood scraps on the horn and heel of his 400# anvil and leave it on until the face was warm to the touch---then we would fight over who got to sit on the nice warm anvil during heats.

You won't de-temper an anvil if the face is not hotter than you can stand to hold your hand on!

Another trick for maximizing "hot" time is to hold the piece just off the face of the anvil and let the hammer push it into contact with each blow. As conduction is the fastest way to lose heat this minimizes the ammout of time it's in contact with cooler metal. I've tried it but never found it necessary in the common way of things.

Capt Atli uses a discarded iron to heat his anvil in winter. He plugs it in and places it on the anvil first thing and it has taken the chill off by the time he is ready to forge.

You only want to pre-heat your anvil to where it would be uncomfortable to put your hand on it. This only slows the cooling from the anvil not stops it.

As Thomas said, work out what you want to do, get organised and just do it. When your heat is going its back in the fire before its too cold so the heats are faster.

I love the iron idea! We even have one we used to strip wallpaper that would be perfect.

Now I just need to get around to putting heat tape around my quench barrel and I can work in the winter.

I do appreciate all the advice will let you know how it goes next time I fire it up- been trying to rig the forge so I can work inside. I know one thing for sure if I have a trying day at work beating a little iron sure can make me feel better

Maybe this advice is unnecessary but, if you run any forge inside make sure the room is WELL VENTED.

I know one thing for sure if I have a trying day at work beating a little iron sure can make me feel better

Ain't no better way to relax after a bad day then to light a fire, and take some agression out on some hot steel.:D