Ranchmanben Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 So I’ve been working on a fireplace set and for the tongs I’m using right angle corners. I center punched where I wanted my corners and there’s a little dimple where the punch was. Is this something I need to worry about as a cold shut or potential crack? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 As it is, it shouldn't form a cold shut because you won't be working the corner down anymore if you want to maintain parent thickness through the corner. If you want, you can get in there with a round file and clean up the corner, minimizing or eliminating the divot caused by the center punch. That's never a bad idea simply because it, well, cleans up the corner and makes everything look nice. Considering how little work log tongs actually get, I wouldn't be worried at all about the divot being a weak point. You'll likely use the tongs a few times, relatively, every year even if you're burning wood constantly for heat. The steel should be plenty strong even with that little ding in the corner. Or, just use really small logs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1 Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 Considering that the dimple was made with a punch and not a drill, the amount of metal in the corner has not changed, so there is no difference in the strength of the tool with or without the 'dimpel' If it was me I would just fill the hole with a drop of electric weld and file it down. As far as the term cold shut, I am not sure it is the appropriate term, but happy to be corrected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 8 minutes ago, Marc1 said: Considering that the dimple was made with a punch and not a drill, the amount of metal in the corner has not changed, so there is no difference in the strength of the tool with or without the 'dimpel' If it was me I would just fill the hole with a drop of electric weld and file it down. As far as the term cold shut, I am not sure it is the appropriate term, but happy to be corrected. You make a good point about the mass still being there. A bit of weld wouldn't hurt, I think, and it would make it easy to keep the thickness and lines looking right. A cold shut is where the metal has collapsed and covered over a void. Since this one isn't closed up, it's not a cold shut yet. I don't see it becoming one unless more hammering is done, but that would also ruin the lines of the piece, reducing the corner below parent stock thickness. It's threatening to become one, but it's not there yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1 Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 I did not know you can call a void in the forging process a cold shut. I thought it only refers to casting defects. But like I said before ... not sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 You could in future consider marking the position on the side, not in the corner of the fold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 Not quite accurate: how material is arranged has a big effect on strength hence the concern with stress concentrators in blades. Sometimes removal of material can make an item stronger! (Ever drill a hole to stop a crack from propagating?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranchmanben Posted February 1, 2018 Author Share Posted February 1, 2018 Thank you. Glad to know it’s nothing to worry about. I don’t think I’ll even put a dab of weld on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 23 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: Sometimes removal of material can make an item stronger! (Ever drill a hole to stop a crack from propagating?) That's why toilet paper never tears on the preforations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 Actually a center punch mark will create what is called a stress riser, and should be smoothed out. Try this experiment. Take a strip of paper about 1" wide or so and the length of a sheet of paper, and cut a vee notch in the middle that is say 1/4" deep, and pull one end _have someone else hold it or clamp it somehow. Where did it tear apart? Now take an identical piece but instead of a vee notch cut a concave radius 1/4" deep in the middle and 1" long, and pull on it. If I remember right the ratio for depth to length for faring in a nick or gouge is 4:1 with the length being 4 times the depth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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