First forge weld

[bryson489]

Big thanks to Jerry Carroll for today. Got some shop time in today with Jerry this afternoon. First time on a coal forge, first time using a power hammer, and did my first faggot weld. All in all it was an awesome day. Only downfall is it may have fueled the fire a bit more for this slight blacksmithing obsession... like that's really a problem. Jerry's a great guy of many many skills and am grateful to of met him, and his wife. Now I just need to get in gear making more tools for tools, to make some more tools so this fire keeps burning. Now to go tinker with the gas forge to get it hotter, now that I've witnessed that white heat. Thanks again Jerry!

[flux_lalonde]

Good stuff!

I did a couple of welds in classes with Jim Austin (forgedaxes.com), but just did my first solo use-it-in-a-project weld today: Peter Ross style dividers. It's also the first weld in my new forge (Diamondback 2-burner model).  Feeling pretty chuffed, though the dividers themselves are a little rough - I didn't expect to succeed, and when I did I just had to use the messy hinge plates.

Paul

 

[chimmike]

what psi do you use for forge welding heat in your 2 burner?

[flux_lalonde]

I ran ~13.  Which I've since learned is higher than I needed; I left some pieces of the refractory support structure much more heavily scaled than they should have.  Lower temp will have it last longer, I'm sure.

Today I did the same weld at about 10, which worked, sort-of.  Other variables left me with a short unwelded section, which was a total PITA to close up, and in the end was part of what led to the piece getting dropped on the scrap pile.

Flux

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

For me the secret to forge welding is in the flux. I know some smiths weld without flux but I never could. Ike Doss taught me to weld 30 years ago using a flux he used from The Cortland Welding Compound Co. He gave me about 5 lbs of it which I have used up and had to go to Borax, which works but not as well (for me). I found an original 1 lb box on eBay a couple of years ago but now I'm running low again. 

While researching Cortland's compound, I think I've found one similar so when I run out I will be ordering Climax Welding Compound from Centuar Forge.

Anyone have experience with it?

http://www.centaurforge.com/Climax-Welding-Compound-5-lb-can/productinfo/5CLIMAX/