Forging a hook

[royboy47]

Starting with 1/4" round and forging the point over the edge of the anvil I noticed the tips are cracked or split. Is it to hot comfort of the gas forge or could it be from working to cold?

[Latticino]

Cracking is usually working too cold.  Remember that the smaller the crossection, the faster it both heats up and cools down.  You also may have forged in a cold shut when you forged down the taper.  One good trick on these small diameter tapers is to leave a small "bulb" at the very end of your taper until the final steps of the taper.  It is easier to demonstrate than describe

[Shainarue]

I will get a cold shut from the cut-off on quarter inch bar if I don't file it flat before forming the taper. Or leave a lump at the end like Latticino said, which I can then just trim or file off later. For this reason, I prefer to cut 1/4" bar with a hacksaw rather than a chisel or hot cut. It's just as fast, if not faster since I don't have to heat it first. 1/4" takes no time at all to cut through with a hack saw.

The cold shut is usually pretty obvious right at the beginning though - so if you don't notice anything until later on, then it's probably from working too cold. 1/4" cools really fast.

[Glenn]

if you are going to work the end of the bar, then cut it hot.  A couple of end on hits and it will be flat, or a couple hits and it can taper.  If you want it cut cold, use a pair of big wire cutters, or use a chisel to score the bar and bend to break it.

[Frosty]

I have a pair of bolt cutters for cutting stock cold, up to 3/8" rnd. I have a small pair for up to 5/16" but the large pair makes a cleaner cut. After taking a heat, before forging I run a hot rasp across the end to deburr. If I'm going to be using the stock cold I deburr it on the bench grinder.

Frosty The Lucky.