Matt Matney Posted September 10, 2017 Share Posted September 10, 2017 Received Ford Mustang axle from a friend of mine and forged a hot cut out a piece of it. A problem I ran into was when I was striking to set the bevel the end started to cup. It was like the outer metal was moving but the innermost part of the metal stayed put. I was able to correct it but I was wondering if I was doing something wrong or is this normal This is is he finished project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasent Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 In my limited exp it Sounds like it was not hot all the way through. You need to let the heavy stock soak longer in the fire to make sure your heat is the same all the way through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 23 minutes ago, Matt Matney said: A problem I ran into was when I was striking to set the bevel the end started to cup. It was like the outer metal was moving but the innermost part of the metal stayed put. Yes, that's exactly what's happening; it's called "fishmouthing". This is caused by one or more of the following: metal not heated all the way through, hammer blows not heavy enough, and/or the direction of your hammer blow is off. In the first case (as @Jasent notes), you need to let the metal soak up the heat, so that the center moves as much as the outside. In the second case, light hammer blows don't penetrate all the way to the center, so the surface moves more than the middle. In the third case, poorly directed hammer blows can force the surface to flow over the edge. If you don't get it corrected in the forging, make sure you grind it out completely. It can cause a cold shut which can lead to cracking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Matney Posted September 11, 2017 Author Share Posted September 11, 2017 That makes complete sense!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 also, to help with the fish mouthing, you can dome the end of the piece, so that when it does fish mouth it just brings the corners back square, and you have little to no fishmouthing. if this makes any sense. Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 Think about heating steel like roasting a marshmallow, tasty brown on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside, heat it to fast and you either get toasty brown and cold and hard or burnt and cold. Then forge your taper from the tip back. That is as LB points out, forge a blunt taper and then forge it back to a more acute taper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 Charles, that has to be the best and most vivid description of rapid heating of thick stock I have ever heard! Gotta remember that to tell folks why they might be having problems with thick tapers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 Thank Steve and Crazy Goat lady. Steve interdicted me to the idea of slowly heating stock to forge weld, turning and letting it soak. Then in a conversation with Crazy goat lady I had an epifiny as to how to describe it. Some of my stic in your head descriptions would get me on Glens "no coal for x-mas" list... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 This Friday our church down here is having their first fall bonfire. it's Revolution Day at the factory so I get it off and will be taking the forge over early and forging marshmallow roasters; unfortunately I only get *1* smore(s) due to my diabetes and will be taking a good dose of insulin to even get that! The wire frames they put election signs on out here make pretty good marshmallow toasting forks if you straighten them, bend double and then twist *leaving about 6" for a handle and 8-10" on the ends to make the fork out of. About a month after elections I can generally find a bunch abandoned alongside the roads with no signs on them...or as I generally put it "Every year there is a crop of them and every 4 years it's a bumper crop of them!" (Back in Ohio they had massive issues with them being abandoned falling into the weeds and wrapping up around the road dept mowing equipment. So one of the radio stations started having a contest for who could bring the most in; a friend of mine had over 300!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 Most of the ones I've seen for the last few elections have been galvanized. Be careful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 Simple: In Rust We Trust! The small thin "H" wire holders I've see were galvanized but the square U ones have been ok---and heavier wire too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Matney Posted September 11, 2017 Author Share Posted September 11, 2017 Thanks for the tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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