Bigcity Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 ok i was wondering if it is possible to forge solid copper in a coal forge or would it melt ? havnt tryed it yet cause i dont have any copper bars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazmig33 Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Hi yes you can I do it all the time even with little pieces of 3/16 round just watch it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avadon Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Experts also have told me also to really watch it in the fire. So never turn your back on it or it will be gone. It work hardens really quickly so you have to constantly anneal it. Even when hardened it has limitations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuge Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Unless you are forging large stock it is often more pleasant to forge copper cold and anneal (heat to dull red and quench) as it work hardens. A torch is useful for the annealing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigcity Posted November 9, 2009 Author Share Posted November 9, 2009 ok how often should i anneal it after every heat? and what do you mean cold by not heating it up to forge just making sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I work most of my copper and silver cold. When the metal stops moving easily I anneal it by bring it up to dull red and quench. In making my rings and bracelets when it starts to look like little flakes on the surface you have worked it to long and need an anneal and quench real bad. At the tapered ends if you see little cracks start to form, that is another sign of working past time to anneal. Copper gets real stiff just prior to time to anneal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Bigcity: you don't need to anneal it if you're hot working it. They're talking about cold working it. It's really a joy to hot work, and you get the "gooshy" shapes you can only get hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecelticforge Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Make sure you clean your fire pot out very well when you finish. Copper will mess up a weld faster than I can! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Wear golves, it transfers heat real well too. Will burn the living stuff out of you before you can drop it when hot forging if you don't watch it. Quench the "cold" end frequently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 TONGS! there is no "cold end" when hot working copper that's short enough to reach the anvil with the hammer! Note too that heating copper too many times for cold working allows the build up of cupric oxide in the inter granular areas and it will get to where it can't be worked because it's brittle. So like knifemaking work as fast and with as few heats as possible. Silver is fun to hot forge too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiFerro Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 excuse me for prying into the conversation, I would understand if should heat the copper to work or is more convenient to work in cold? I want to forge something in copper ring or bracelet and I wanted some heat it in the forge my concern is the poisoning by copper, some precautions should I take on this? Thank you and sorry for my bad english I write from italy .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Taz, I like that ring. Was that just copper wire that you forged out? Looks sharp!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 GiFerro, you need to be careful it doesn't melt. Do you have a gas forge of a solid fuel forge? If a gas forge make a little tray of stainless steel with the edges bent up so if the copper melts it's in the tray and can be easily removed. If a solid fuel forge (coal, coke, charcoal,...) You may want to insert a 5cm stainless pipe with one end crimped over into the fuel stack to make an oven to place the copper in for heating. Watch it as the stainless will degrade over time and need replacing before a hole is burnt in it. Expect to melt your piece several times before getting the right temperature *known* to your eye. Working in a very dark area can help as the top temp for copper is a very low glow usually only see-able in a dark room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiFerro Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 ok thank you all for your answers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigcity Posted November 21, 2009 Author Share Posted November 21, 2009 another question i had with forging copper is can you forge weld copper is it even possable? if so what kind of flux should i use? and so on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 i agree with nakedanvil its amazing to work hot - almost like chewing gum!? must do some more and give it a go cold too.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian.pierson Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 Bigcity, Look up "mokume gane" on the web. It is a Japanese form of non-ferrous pattern welding. THAT is the simplest answer and not 100%. I have never attempted it but the guy who got me into beating iron turned out some beautiful stuff. There is a lot out there on it and items in this forum also. A search here should turn up a start for you. Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigcity Posted November 21, 2009 Author Share Posted November 21, 2009 ok thank you :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ornametalsmith Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 I've been surprised how far you can forge copper....and aluminum.. cold......without even annealing it first. The "secret" if there was one......for me anyway. Was that I did it with a set of tight radius'd fullering dies on the powerhammer. Most impressive was ...a 1/4" thick piece that I forged down to about 1/16" .....before it even BEGAN to split. And I've done a video on youtube of cold forging aluminum, not annealed first......to extremes.. the only annealing done....was to soften the Fold Formed elements to OPEN them. I've posted this on here before.....but'll add it again for anyone that hadn't seen it. YouTube - Large Scale Fold FormingFULLresVID Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 wow amazing - ive not seen that vid before - so thanks for putting it up again that was fascinating - i cant believe you got it to move so much cold without cracking it..... i will certainly try something like that:0 thanks alot orn. smith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGanvil Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 I was wondering if anyone had any experiace with forge beryllium copper? I know that beryllium is added to cooper to to add strenght, but does it forge differently. Also will heating beryllium pose any health concerns? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 http://www.brushwellman.com/EHS/MSDS/A18.pdf Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 I don't think that I'd work with it, I already have enough health problems without having a chronic lung problem. I would stick to regular copper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liuzengli Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 I don't think that I'd work with it, I already have enough health problems without having a chronic lung problem. I would stick to regular copper. 我制做的戒指 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Liuzengli, Nice rings are they made for beryllium copper or just an example of your work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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