March 26, 20179 yr So I have a bunch of sheet steel laying around, 14ga, 16ga, stuff like that, in both mild and stainless. What can I do with this stuff other than cut it up cutely and weld into boxes or some mess? Totally out of ideas, and I think it's certainly too thin to properly 'smith'. Also have a 1" round bar length of 303 stainless, probably 12-14" of it. Wonder if I can cut it into a smaller piece, if it's possible to forge it out at all?
March 26, 20179 yr frying pans, decorative dishes, body armour, bookends, scroll rings, goblets, coats of arms, jelly role damascus, (damascus isn't just for knife makers!)
March 26, 20179 yr Author OK Maybe I need to qualify. I'm a newbie. haha. My skill level (and tool collection) is limited.
March 27, 20179 yr 4 hours ago, chimmike said: OK Maybe I need to qualify. I'm a newbie. haha. My skill level (and tool collection) is limited. Practice forge welding sheet. It's a useful decorative skill.
March 27, 20179 yr That 303 stainless can be forged but it takes some doing. I can across a 1" round bar last year. Get it very hot and it will let you know when it's too cool. Also from what I've read it's a air hardening steel so don't bother heat treatment. I made small very rough looking Hardie cutoff out of it and it held up quite well. Just don't miss or you will ding up your hammer. Might be good for eating utensils.
March 27, 20179 yr There is more to this craft than aheatin' and abeatin', although you can get a whole slew of effects with texturing hammers. Decorative punch and chisel work is a good counterpoint to hammer textures. SS sheet would also make nice: holiday ornaments, necklace pendants, bracelets, wind chimes, garden art pieces.
March 27, 20179 yr Author Thank you. I'll have to get it cut (somehow) and heat it up and form up some tools to bend/create some effects on it. I see what you mean! I'm not an artist, so perhaps that's part of my problem :/
March 27, 20179 yr Talk with a local SCA group; if they have folks making armour then they can use a source of sheet in less than 4'x8' sheets!
March 29, 20179 yr Hi I just had a look in my stainless book to make sure I had it correct but the 300 series of stainless steel wont harden by heat treatment though can be hardened by cold working Austenitic Stainless is non magnetic Cheers Beaver
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