Jump to content
I Forge Iron

Forging welds?


Recommended Posts

Hey guys I was wondering if I weld something and then forge it will it make the welds brittle? I know that you have to weld your billets together for demascus. The welds are usually on the ends and get worked out or that part gets tossed. What are your thoughts?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For Pattern Welded Billets the more forging the better the weld becomes if it was a good weld to start with.

Are you discussing arc welds or O-A welds? If it's a good weld forging it should not cause problems *unless* the filler material has very different working characteristics than the base metal and so forges differently.  I would not quench the items; but I don't quench things normally, just normalize them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the forge welds are absolutely perfect they are pretty durable to work with as long as the heats are appropriate for the activity being done.. 

Even with perfect forge welds the welds can de-laminate if worked at to low a temperature with to much force as the difference in materials forge at different temps.. 

Rule of thumb for me is Any deep forging or drawing, or punching on a forge weld is done at or near welding heat..   But again.. This can vary.. As I watch the material the whole time watching how it responds to each process.. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pipe used in steam power units is rolled into hole on the ends.. 

If you slide on the head to the pipe and upset it then it will be secured fairly well..   

The question becomes "How good can you forge weld and how much experience do you have with this type of weld?   its actually one of the easier since you are expanding the pipe into the rest of the material but in that same token it comes down to how experienced you are..  

 

A skill easy for one can be troubling for another..   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wish I could be there to see what you're talking about. When a weld puddle solidifies (freezes) it gets a dendritic crystalline structure and often elongated grains. Much other stuff happens too deep for me, but google weld puddle solidification and read. The solid is no longer exactly the same as the parent metal and it will sometimes crack or open up when hot forging is attempted. Sometimes you will luck out like Perry Mason. I've welded mild steel with haywire filler rod, and I was able to forge the weld area without breakage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is kinda off topic, but is a workaround for making a piece of round or square rod.

I needed a piece of square rod, about 1/2" to 3/4" thick and about 6" long.  Didn't happen to have anything like that handy, so I made one.  I had been practicing my stick welding on a piece of 3/4" or 1" angle iron (don't recall the exact size) by filling up the angle iron with stringers of 7018 electrodes.  End result was a "stringer billet" full of weldment.  I heated the "billet" to yellow and forged it to square section.  The welding filler made a pretty good square rod!!  I ended up making it into a handle with a pineapple twist.  Re-purposing at it's best.  I try not to waste a thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If only I had a power hammer.......it was fun(???) forging out that weldment billet.  It seemed that the 7018 electrode stringers were harder to work than regular mild steel.  I know that the rods contain some trace elements, but I would have to go back and read the MSDS sheets; they may not contribute any additional hardness...who knows?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...