Make mine mild steel, keep the wrought

[Momatt]

Wow, just got in some historical wrought bars from eBay. Priced about like good tool steel. I know work it hot, how about yellow white stopping hits before red. Tried to point a bar and it makes brush i could dab BBQ sauce almost with them. About a ll that an be one is square a round and draw out. Boo.

[jmccustomknives]

Go with a light hammer.  It works wierd I know.  Sprinkle a little borax on it and you should be able to make it whole again.  Work it with a 2lb hammer and it moves like the mild steel under a 4lb hammer.  Use a 4lb on it and it splits like a rotten tomato.

[Timothy Miller]

Wrought iron can vary from bar to bar or even in the same bar.  It can be a frustrating material but also very rewarding.  I often look at old work and wonder how they did that, often the case is that they were able to do that way because they had wrought iron to work with. 

[Frosty]

Wrought iron can vary from bar to bar or even in the same bar.  It can be a frustrating material but also very rewarding.  I often look at old work and wonder how they did that, often the case is that they were able to do that way because they had wrought iron to work with. 

Don't you mean they got that good because they had no choice? Oh wait, you DID say that didn't you? <wink>

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Mark Emig]

Wrought cannot be worked like steel-for instance how Brian Brazeal forges going in a continuous 360 instead of back and forth in 90 deg. It'll just fall apart. Also, I found when I first started forging iron, I had to go from the point back to stop that kind of separation. After I worked more of it, I learned the limits a bit better.

[Timothy Miller]

Don't you mean they got that good because they had no choice? Oh wait, you DID say that didn't you? <wink>

 

Frosty The Lucky.

I guess what I mean is forge welding and splitting is kind of a casual thing with wrought iron.   Much the way we just weld on things with ease with a mig welder one can do the same with wrought iron.  But yes they had no other options.  But plenty of modern metal workers work like they have no other options as well. 

[Frank Turley]

Harry Jensen of Toronto was serving his apprenticeship in Denmark in the 1940's. He was working near the end of a wrought iron bar, and suddenly got kicked in the seat of his pants by a journeyman (literally). The journeyman told him to hit and point the end of the bar and then work back. Don't start behind the end and work toward the end, or you'll get splits.

 

Neophytes have a hard time visualizing and putting the middle of the hammer face on the end of the bar. They want to put the edge of the hammer face at the end of the bar. No! Get over it. Working from the end toward yourself also controls the length of the drawn portion.

 

Sayings and Cornpone

"Never buy anything that eats."

     Father, Willard Turley

[Frosty]

Wrought cannot be worked like steel-for instance how Brian Brazeal forges going in a continuous 360 instead of back and forth in 90 deg. It'll just fall apart. Also, I found when I first started forging iron, I had to go from the point back to stop that kind of separation. After I worked more of it, I learned the limits a bit better.

 

I'm not clear on this Mark. Are you saying WI needs to be forged round rather than drawn square then rounded, SOR?

 

My experience with WI is really limited but starting at the end and working back became evident before the second heat. Welding the split ends just became as natural as taking it out of the forge.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[joshua.M]

The way I read what Timothy said was, instead of flipping 90 degrees left to right, you flip 90 degrees and hit all four sides.

[Timothy Miller]

The way I read what Timothy said was, instead of flipping 90 degrees left to right, you flip 90 degrees and hit all four sides.

I don't know about that.  The main thin to keep in mind is work it hot often times gas forges fall short in the heat department.  If it starts to crack stop and go back into the fire and weld the crack back together at the beginning of your heat.  Also wide flat bars don't like to be forged on edge heavily they can cup and split.  Once you get the feel for it you will really like wrought iron.  I love the way wrought iron looks it has a more organic texture and responds better to hand forging.  

[Francis Trez Cole]

I always start at the very end and compress it back into it self. I work in the bright orange range wrought iron will weld in the yellow range.  Remember it is not steel its make up is iron and silica. Which is the base component of glass.   

[joshua.M]

I don't know about that.  The main thin to keep in mind is work it hot often times gas forges fall short in the heat department.  If it starts to crack stop and go back into the fire and weld the crack back together at the beginning of your heat.  Also wide flat bars don't like to be forged on edge heavily they can cup and split.  Once you get the feel for it you will really like wrought iron.  I love the way wrought iron looks it has a more organic texture and responds better to hand forging.  

I LOVE good wrought, got the first good stuff i've used, 4' long 5/8" bolts, I want more :P

[David R.]

Wrought welds so much easier than steel. Working on forge welded gun barrel. Welded up four sections of old wrought buggy tire into a skelp. It will split some if you work it too cold but it will weld back up real easy. Learned to love it making axe heads. Weld steel bit in wrought iron wrapped head. Hard to get used to working higher heat. You can work it at heats that would burn steel.