Cleaner Hot Cutting?

[Chloe]

So here's some results from my latest adventure in hot cutting 1" bar. Other than missing my saw mark (sigh..) my friend and I cut this pretty efficiently! It took a single heat and didn't mess up my hot cut made from the chisel-y end of whatever the end of this was. Come to think of it, how did I cut this originally...?

Ignoring the torn up anvil (it was cheap as dirt during the plague and rings like a bell) here's the result of my hot cut. Pretty satisfied with it, but I'm not sure about the little burr on it. Came out worse on the other piece, but I just ground it off after a ridiculous attempt at hot-filing it off (fuel costs too much for *that*). Any way to avoid the burr?

Or is not worrying about it and just having my apprentice grind this off with the belt sander the best course of action?

[ThomasPowers]

Or saw the last bit.

[George N. M.]

Chloe, particularly in the 2d photo it looks like you cut into the stock about half way then turned it 180 degrees and then cut in from the opposite side and the 2 cuts didn't quite meet perfectly.  When cutting found stock on a hot cutter I rotate the stock as I hammer on it so that the cut progresses into the stock in sort of a spiral manner.  Then, there is just a small tag in in the center at the end of the cut.  When cutting square stock I turn it a quarter turn every couple of blows.

You will improve with practice.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[Daswulf]

If that is the chisel y thing in the picture I think it could be a bit sharper unless the picture is messing with how I see it. 

Other than that, what George said. And with what little nub is left over, (if I want it gone), a rasp makes quick work in removing it while the piece is still hot. 

[rockstar.esq]

Chloe,

I have an old blacksmithing book that shows top tools called Butchers which have working faces that are shaped like a chisel, only instead of a straight cutting edge, they have a concave crescent shape.  In use, the curve "hems in" the stock, cutting from the outer edges towards the center.  

This makes it a bit easier to cut stock that would otherwise jump away from the chisel.  It also helps to minimize deformation of the stock at the cut line.  That may help to track a cut around the circumference of your stock since the tool will self-register in the earlier cut.  

Finally, this tool could be used at the edge of the anvil for a final shearing blow.  You might get a similar effect with a chisel grind on your top tool instead of having bevels on both sides.  The flat back of a chisel grind will want to create a smooth plane.  In fact, I suspect a chisel ground top tool would be handy for cleaning up that nub.

[Frosty]

Your top cut could use to be sharp. George laid out the technique well and Rockstar's butcher profile sounds good though I've never seen one like that. I'm going to give it a try.

 A butcher is a cut off that is beveled on one side like a wood chisel. They leave one side of the cut square and the deformation from the cut off pushing through the stock goes to the other side. The little tag left is sometimes called a "pinch off".  Good examples are seen on bolt cutter and wire cutter cuts. The ends taper to a little tag in the center, they're pinched in half.

If you get an end like that one again take a chisel to it while it's still hot. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

My old butchers are similar to Frosty's; good for isolating mass!

[JHCC]

15 hours ago, Frosty said:

If you get an end like that one again take a chisel to it while it's still hot. 

Agreed. A nice sharp chisel will cut that right off like nobody's business.

[anvil]

No matter what, you will nearly always end up with a burr of some sort when hot cutting. I deal with it in two ways. If it won't make a cold shut, in the same heat upset it back into the parent stock and make sure the cross section at the end is the same as the parent stock.

The other way is, again in the same heat, clamp it vertical in your post vice and with an old farriers rasp, hot file it off.