I posted this on another board a while ago and thought folks here might like it.


Here is a handy item for heating up a quantity of small parts in a coal or charcoal forge. It is basically what is called a

to heat small part i find a small crucible set in the fire on its side works well we ued to heat treat taps ,dies, and drills in bigish batches using a magnet.

Hey, that's a good idea! I do a lot of small projects, and that would be great in my shop.

By the by, what are you making the devorative rivet heads for? Do you have a special rivet set for them?

Nick

Scott, I smell a BP...great idea, i've had to dig around the fire a few times to find small things.

Scott, I wish I could say I had thought of that. Thanks for sharing
Be safe, be safe!
Ted

By the by, what are you making the devorative rivet heads for? Do you have a special rivet set for them?

Nick

They were for a set of steel doors. (See pic)

I made a top swage for the heads. Using mild steel, Take a square bar of your finished head dimentions and file it to a pyramid shape of what you desire. (Heat it and quench it to toughen it up) Take another square bar of a larger dimention and heat the end to yellow hot, clamp in vice and drive your pattern into it to form the swage recess. (Might take a heat or two to get it to the depth you want) take a final heat and quench it to toughen it up a bit as well. Save the pattern bar to use for a counter sink punch for square hole rivet or tennon joinery.

Note: The mild steel (A-36) I use will not have a high hardness like tool steel when quenched, but it will toughen up enough to be used as hot work swages and dies for hand hammering use.

Scott, will it do/enable forge welding to be done?

Since it is made of steel, it WILL NOT do for forge welding, unless you want to forge weld something to it (most likely it will melt away before you can accomplish anything). You might be able to do some brazing in it though.

What did you have in mind to weld?

I have not tried it, but I would say no for the forllowing reasons:
This is an indirect method of heating and hot as eficient as direct heat. To get the inside of the container (This one made of steel) hot enough the out side would have to be abve melting tempature. Poof steel container gone. If it was ceramic it might work because it can handle higher heat.(That is how crucible steel is made. Liquid steel in a jar) On to problem number two. The container is an open space, therefore is is an oxidizing atmosphere which is not useful in forge welding. If you fill it up with coke or something you are just creating a small ineficent forge in another forge which is a waste of energy. If you want to forge weld something just build a proper fire and do it there.

For something like welded ring mail armor you do it like making regular chains except you make the weld IN the fire with a pair of needle nose tongs by pinching the weld together while it is in the fiire. Since the wire ring is so thin it reaches welding heat in a matter of a few seconds so your tools do not heat up.

Make a box and play with it. You might discover uses that I have never thought of.

Good idea Scott. I wonder if one of those "lead pouring ladles" would stand enough heat in a forge to heat small parts in? Having a handle on the container would be handy.

Garey, I would suggest something enclosed on 5 sides as you could surround it with coals for a more even heat. See BP0371

Good point Glenn!

I use a steel pipe laid into the fire and then build the fire up around it. I can then let indirect heat bring up the temp for heat treating and still be able to have sight of my blade.

I finally found the pics of the swage tools I used for the rivet heads. (And the rivet headding plate)

Great idea! - Thank you Scott for this post. Lost several small things in the coal, never thought about that kind of solution!
Bye the way, all the best for you guys in 2007, stay save and healthy!
Peter