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yes, the heated cooked coal we are calling coke, and the clinker and slag are what we throw away into a pile behind the forge. I got the names comfusulated (confused).
As one of my smithing teachers told me...
"when your white hot metal knife blade starts throwing off
those white sparks, son, the project is ruined.... " :oops:
Caius Fabius Maior
Charles Foxtrot
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We get a very good fire from the Mesquite charcoal.... turned a dolabra yellow orange on Monday. Took about a minute to hammer an edge onto it.
Bellows size.. yeah we mulled that issue over and over. Did the math and the amount of air we chose move seemed optimal for what we wanted/needed to do.
Hibernicus
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How many different photos will we see in your profile Hibs????
Personally I preferred the white Tux shot - very James Bond :lol:
Sulla Felix
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Quote:and the clinker and slag are what we throw away into a pile
What?? Don't you know they sell those at RenFaires as "dragon poop"? You probably have a gold mine there, brother!
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
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Sulla: Profile pics.... seemed the thing to do... maybe a dozen and a half ..so far... Dinner jacket pic... walk in to a nice restaurant in a white dinner jacket and watch the level of service rise astronomically.. 'sides Mrs Hib thinks its.... fine! :wink:
Hibernicus
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Here's a few more pics...
first pic: gotsta eat.. Mrs Finnegan called for lunch!
The second of the forge bed with ash from almost 80lbs of charcoal
Third, the hammer sharpened edge of a dolabra. It was orange up to the white soot line. This is one of the dolabras we made on a similar forge.
Hibernicus
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I agree with Svlla your Avatar is worth a thread on its own  D ? !:
Regards Brennivs
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When you have all this why do you envy our mud huts
Caratacvs
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BTW the bread in the pic was baked in the bread oven.
Of note: a gentleman in another forum might have a pic of a bas relief of a larger Roman bellows. He's sending it to me. We shall see!
Hibernicus
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Dudes!
We got the forge hot enough today, Saturday the 17th, to fuse sand together!
There was some sand in the base.. used to fill the voids between the bricks... and we fused a paatch of it together! Hot!
Hibernicus
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Quote:yes, the heated cooked coal we are calling coke, and the clinker and slag are what we throw away into a pile behind the forge. I got the names comfusulated (confused).
As one of my smithing teachers told me...
"when your white hot metal knife blade starts throwing off
those white sparks, son, the project is ruined.... " :oops:
So what colour do you need to weld iron/steel? as in the pattern welded blades?
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
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The exact temp for forge welding varies depending on the alloy in question. However, general speaking, you want white to a glowing blue/white just BEFORE it start sparking. (Sparklers indicate you are actually burning the metal.)
Another critical piece of info for forge welding involves striking. The metal at these temps is like butter. Firm "smacks" with the hammer are all that is needed to fuse the pieces together. Striking really hard does nothing but mash the metal and expel the semi-molten surface you're trying to get to fuse.
Whole books have been written on forge welding ("How to Forge Weld on Blacksmith's Anvil For Those Who Have Diligently Tried and Failed" by Robert M. Heath) but I have 2 last pointers.
Practice often. And practice on high carbon steel OR real wrought iron. Mild steel has just enough carbon to make it a pain to weld but not enough to lower the welding temp.
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Thanks for the advice! So just firm whacks, not skull krackers....and white but no sparklers....got it!
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
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Salve Gobea!
I want to practice forge welding using some rebar rods I picked up BUT from you comment, would like to know your experience. Are these the mild carbon steels you are urging us to avoid?
Thanks for your post, by the way> Great to see us joined by true Celts.
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Rebar is an odd beast unto itself. While most rebar is mild steel there are various grades that are designed for specific tasks and therefore have different compositions. In general, I'd suggest treating it as mild steel unless a file, spark or break test indicates different.
Since I've the opportunity to reply again, let me add some info about flux too.
Flux has two purposes. First, it creates a barrier that inhibits oxygen contact, and therefore scale formation, with the metal. Second it's acidic and will dissolve any scale that had formed before the flux's application. That said it should be remembered that flux is not glue; more is not better.
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20 Mule Team Borax. Cheap flux.
M. Demetrius Abicio
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