[TheForge] welding rod question

[Dave Brown]

At 15:05 11/30/01, you wrote:
>Is there a rod that is more like mild steel than 6013?  I was just welding a
>1/2" rod back on itself to make a plant hanger and when filing the weld to
>blend it notice that the weld is harder than the steel and therefore tricky
>to file to blend it in.  I think I remember that the pure iron people sell a
>welding rod that's supposed to be better with pure iron, so is there one I
>should use if I'm gonna forge the weld?
>
>Thanks,   Jeff Valentine

Sometimes I'm a little slow off the mark and it takes a while for some 
things to work their way thought the twists and tangles of my mine.

Have you ever considered gas welding the parts?  You can use mild steel, 
the same as your project's stock, for the weld.  Then when you file or even 
if you use a chemical coloring agent you will get consistent results across 
the weld.  I've just learned gas welding myself, and although not quite as 
convenient as clipping on the ground cable, flipping the switch and 
b-z-z-z-z-z, it's not all that cumbersome to set up.

Just a delayed thought.

Dave Brown
Blacksmith/Tinsmith
Green Bay, WI
ABANA, UMBA, GoM, MODA, ARG