November 22, 201510 yr Good day members Question: Is it possible to insert/absorb /forge in/by extra carbon into a piece of steel when forging? Something similar like case hardening where some carbon is added through the process..although only skin deep? This questions is focus specifically with cable forging in mind..since cable has a low carbon content? I surfed the net /Google but was not able to find a good explanation to my question... I really would like to hear from a person who will explain this to me since I am a novice when it concerns forging... Gert Odendaal
November 22, 201510 yr there is a flux on here for welding that seems to work but it may be for those more advanced.
November 22, 201510 yr In general you scale off the surface of steel faster than you migrate carbon into it. IF your cable is low carbon and you need high carbon GET HIGH CARBON CABLE, cable comes in many grades and a double improved plow steel grade is NOT low carbon. Now in specific you could make blister steel from a lower carbon steel with enough work and fuel and equipment cost that it will only be several times more expensive than just going out and getting the higher carbon cable...
November 22, 201510 yr The migration of carbon into the surface is measured in hours. The rate of scaling moving from fire to anvil is measured in seconds. So buy the carbon number steel you want to use. Another choice is to forge the low carbon cable and insert high carbon steel in the billet.
November 23, 201510 yr Good read on this subject. Esp. page 6. http://www.leesauder.com/pdfs/Aristotle's%20Steel.pdf
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.