Paul Crosby Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 I just bought some 1/4 round and square stainless steel that I want to forge into bracelets and serving spoon handles. Is there any advice to what the temperature/color to the metal you must heat it to work with. Thanks, Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 What series SS did you buy? I've oly forged SS a few times and find 304 to be a little hot short, forging at too high a heat and it crumble looking like cottage cheese. Probably your best bet is to experiment a little at a time and take notes. Frosty the Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drewed Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 When I forged some 304 for flatwear for a couple of rennys I found it didn't hold the heat very well and needed a lot more hammer to get it to move vs a36. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Traylor Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 304 is difficult to forge at anything below yellow and just to make it more fun at anything just above where it begins to turn yellow it will crumble as Frosty says. Drewed is correct. It loses heat quite rapidly. As it cools you can watch it move. Anneal by quenching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Crosby Posted April 24, 2013 Author Share Posted April 24, 2013 Sorry I forgot to mention what type of stainless it is. I believe it's 303 stainless. Thanks everyone for giving advise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptree Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 The 300 series SS need to be a decent yellow to move easily, and quit when you hit red. Carpenters data book says about 50% more effort for the 300 series to forge. I have never had issues with crumbling. The 303 and 304 and plain 316 are subject to stress corrosion cracking in service that has exposure to "Sour Gas" that is natural gas containg H2S. If used steel from well head or refinery service the crumbling may be due to corosion cracking before it ever got in the forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 My experience is with 316L grade and I have not found it any more susceptible to hot short/crumbling from over heating than ordinary mild steel. The problems I have encountered are at the other end of the working temperature range. If you do work it too cold under a power hammer it can split, which I would describe as a cold shut. I reckon you have to hit it at least twice as hard to move it as mild steel. Given the shorter working time per heat, because it is really springy and resilient at even red heat (risky if working a larger piece under the power hammer), you should allow almost four times the mild steel forging time...I usually forget when it comes to pricing! Small stuff like bottle openers and spoons I heat with oxy acetylene torch right beside the anvil/hammer. I have a gas economiser on the bottle set / torch so it will automatically shut off the torch when I hang it up which saves vital seconds of prime forging time. Alan, (who has aching wrists and forearms having this week forged two 3500mm (11'6") octagonal tapers from 2800mm (9') of Ø50mm (Ø2") 316L SS. 49mm to 35mmAF (2" to1 3/8" AF)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 alan - you are hardcore! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 Not bragging...just aching! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 i know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 Hard-core none the less! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Crosby Posted May 6, 2013 Author Share Posted May 6, 2013 I finally had a chance to work with some of the stainless. Heated it to a yellow color, which seemed to heat up quicker than mild. It did work a little harder but I managed to get the job done. When I was tapering the end I did have a problem with the tip splitting. Overall I believe my experience was a good one. Thanks everyone for the great information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 One of the differences I find between Stainless and mild is that at forging heat it is difficult to see the facets of your square or octagon with stainless. There is an element of hammering blind until the heat drops a bit. I ended up with a 500watt flood light shining onto the power hammer to help. On small stuff it is very easy to forge it too thin in one direction before turning or worse to get a lozenge cross section. It is the temptation to square it up at the end of the heat and work it too radically to cold that causes the splitting. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Ain't that the truth Alan! It's one of the few times I've found tinted safety glasses to actually help. Not for judging the heat, for seeing the steel at incandescent yellow heat. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.