Making chain

[freeman]

I decided this morning to continue experimenting with forge welding. After watching Helmut Hillenkamp's video on forging chains I thought attempting chain would make a good excercise given how many welds are required.

I cut up some round bar stock I had lying around and proceeded to weld a few links together.



After taking a break for lunch I went back out into the shop and did a few more.



I found that forging individual links seems to be pretty straightforward. I had a much tougher time welding rings that connected larger sections, having the extra rings in the way and the extra weight made the process kind of awkward and I ended up burning up a couple links and missing three welds (managed to recover one of the three).

[Maillemaker]

How long have you been smithing? Your success is ASTOUNDING to me. I've tried making chain, and I stink at it. I just can't weld at all, and you seem to have taken to it like a fish to water.

Looks excellent, keep up the good work.

[freeman]

Thank you!

I've been smithing for about six weeks now. First two where with a homebrew gasser and a 70# bench vise with an anvil plate for an anvil. The last month I've been using coal almost exclusively and I've got a real anvil so that's been a huge help to me.

[Marksnagel]

Hey Freeman,
Great job on the forge welds. I'm due east of you about 2.5 hrs in Hertford. Glad to see you are doing so good.
Keep at it. I have forge welded but not very well yet. Thanks for the post. It gives encouragement to the rest of us.

Mark<><

[WmHorus]

Cool link, has me thinking of a few things, what thickness of stock did you use?

[freeman]

3/8 rod, links are 2 1/16 inches +|- 1/16

[CurlyGeorge]

Very impressive, Freeman. It took me a lot longer that 6 weeks to learn to consistently forge weld chain. Great job. Keep at it and thanks for sharing. :D

[Dave Murray]

wow what a nice anvil , and how heavy is it?

[Winston]

I have never tried to make chain, and don't have any plans to. But I did get a helpful hint from the video. If I had not watched it, I could see myself welding every link to the chain as I went. He welded 2 links by themselves then welded 3 together with only one weld. Doing this many times would cut down on a lot of the cumbersome welding. Build it sections at a time and then join the sections, instead of welding each new link to the chain as you go.

Its the simple things like that, that I love watching someone more experianced than me.

[Ferrous Beuler]

Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.
Repetition.

[DennisG]

Good job freeman.

my question is that in the video he is using iron, the links you made are also iron or mild steel?

[ZIG]

I'm like Winston said. I noticed that move about making two then make two more then Welsh one to connect them all.
Pretty smart move. Its the little things Like that I miss. On my own.
I. Would've done one then one then one. And wrestled a whole gob of chain the whole time.
But Its the little things That male the difference.
Thanks for the video and the method.
Great job for only six weeks into it. I've been doing it more than half my life. And would've Done It one at a time.
Jeep upnthe good work. Ain't no telling What you be making in a year from now.
Thanks for the post

[ZIG]

Sorry For my poor spelling. Its this phone

[freeman]

Good job freeman.

my question is that in the video he is using iron, the links you made are also iron or mild steel?

Mild steel I think. I believe it's A36.

[freeman]

wow what a nice anvil , and how heavy is it?

I haven't been able to find any maker's marks on my anvil although I finally managed to rub enough rust off the top of it that I can now see where someone stamped USA into the top just above the step. Whatever it is it weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of 125#.