First forging

This has been the longest "back burner" project in history, but I finally got around to building a forge. I've been itching to hammer something out, so after running some errands this morning, I fired up the forge and started hammering on a farrier's rasp. I know, it's a bit ambitious for a first attempt, but that's the way I roll.

I got it hammered into the shape I wanted, then folded it over and cranked up the heat to attempt a forge weld. I used borax for flux and waited till I thought it was hot enough and went at it. I think I ended up trying to weld 4 different times, and I believe the 3rd and 4th actually welded. I think I might have been a bit impatient to start with and didn't allow it to get up to heat. I have nothing to go by but color, and I'm just learning that.

It's very rough, and very apparent that the weld is uneven. It welded in places, and failed in others. But there's no teacher like experience, and I enjoyed this one. Perhaps the biggest thing I learned is how much easier it would have been to handle the rasp with a set of box jaw tongs. Looking forward to Trackrock and learning from some craftsmen there.

Looks like you have been having some fun today. Look forward to seeing you and everyone at Track Rock. I want to learn how to catch yellow perch like you posted about a few weeks back.
Doug
Jn. 3:16

Looks like a fine start to me. I hope to meet you up there this time.

Yeehaaa.......and so the games begin!
Little more to getting a good solid weld than meets the eye, but good first effort. A lot of us have taken a little easier route by inserting a dissimilar high carb metal in as a center bit. Usually the weld goes better between different hi-carbs. I actually used worn edger blades with good success. Still all recycled steels and some really tough material.
Biggest deal is making sure the teeth are ground flush and the steel is clean before trying to weld it. Then the flux on the steel needs to look like sizziling butter on the verge of burning off on light orange-yellow hot steel. Need to be sure it's that way through the complete stack. Don't pound to close but "push" it together with a little force for the initial weld set.
Also stagger lap the cutting edge so that you don't have a seam right on the cutting edge. Hardest part is getting the tight weld all the way across at the thimble area without messing up the hole too much. Tighter it is there the stronger the hawk will be.

onedude said:

I want to learn how to catch yellow perch like you posted about a few weeks back.
Doug
Jn. 3:16

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I might know a thing or two I could help you with.

Razor Blade said:

Looks like a fine start to me. I hope to meet you up there this time.

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If he's in town, I'm going to try to drag Alan with me. He said he met you a while back.

Anvil Head said:

Yeehaaa.......and so the games begin!
Little more to getting a good solid weld than meets the eye, but good first effort. A lot of us have taken a little easier route by inserting a dissimilar high carb metal in as a center bit. Usually the weld goes better between different hi-carbs. I actually used worn edger blades with good success. Still all recycled steels and some really tough material.
Biggest deal is making sure the teeth are ground flush and the steel is clean before trying to weld it. Then the flux on the steel needs to look like sizziling butter on the verge of burning off on light orange-yellow hot steel. Need to be sure it's that way through the complete stack. Don't pound to close but "push" it together with a little force for the initial weld set.
Also stagger lap the cutting edge so that you don't have a seam right on the cutting edge. Hardest part is getting the tight weld all the way across at the thimble area without messing up the hole too much. Tighter it is there the stronger the hawk will be.

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Thanks Carl, it's bits of wisdom like this that I'm hoping will shorten the learning curve with trials and maybe not as many errors. After thinking about it all afternoon, I think I had my heat ok. The flux was bubbling like hot lava. A couple things I neglected to do: I didn't clean the rasp first. It was a little rusty and I failed to brush away the scale prior to attempting the weld. But like I said, experience is the best teacher, and like John Powell said, the only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.

I like the hawks you guys create, Nice.

I'd be proud of that, I assume you plan to use it? Can't hurt to try!