February 22, 20251 yr Tried folding up a large file to get the preform. Works ok good practice forge welding (five I think) but in the end lose too much metal and what’s left is toy sized.
February 23, 20251 yr Yeah, files lose a lot to scale because of the teeth or lose it to grinding the teeth off. Might have been okay without the long beard. What's it weigh? Frosty The Lucky.
February 23, 20251 yr Author Frosty about 12 ounces. I had it white a long time for all that forge welding, probably not too good for the steel. Didn’t have any material to pull down languettes either. So not a very good method but I enjoyed it.
February 23, 20251 yr How old was the file? If it was simple steel it wouldn't need to be nearly that hot to weld. However the newer files are loaded with chrome and other alloying metals to make them hard making them harder to weld. Years ago I was given a couple farrier's rasps and did a little experimenting. If I didn't grind the teeth off the results were a cold shut bar and after grinding it clean it was barely 1/4" thick and scale ate it up anyway. Were I a bladesmith and wanted to use some of those old files I'd sandwich them between lower carbon steel and fold them a couple times pattern's sake. The way I control scaling if I need to is by fluxing the piece. It keeps the air off so the steel won't scale but it does get messy splattering molten borax around. Wear a leather apron, etc. the burns smart. Frosty The Lucky.
February 23, 20251 yr Author Frosty, Most of my forge welding has been with mild and I should have remembered high carbon welds cooler. I have had similar results to yours with rasps (too thin) and don’t really like them anymore. I saw a video the other day of a smith making a rasp axe with this separate poll and the folded ends method and wanted to try it. My junk pile didn’t have any rasps but I found the big file and wanted to give a whirl.
February 23, 20251 yr If you use the right flux you can weld much cooler than yellow, I watched a couple farriers hold a friendly contest to see who could weld the coolest and both welded at mid orange seemingly effortlessly. Both were using a commercial flux, something black but a while later I was at the welding supply looking at the ingredients in welding/ brazing fluxes. Except for some minor things they all used the same things. Sooooo I bought a can of Petersons blue, #1 I think, the stuff without iron oxide in it. Forge welding became almost a no fail thing and I got pretty sloppy to test it. Better than an effective flux a 1lb / pint can cost $26 instead of well more than $100. Frosty The Lucky.
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