[TheForge] Pure Iron

Tue Jan 29 16:37:01 2002

John,
It has been reliably reported that pure iron will twist (and bend?) more =
readily at a moderate (red?) heat than at a high (yellow? orange?) heat.  =
Apparently, this is not a new observation, either, but was in the =
literature over half a century ago.  I have none of this first hand.  =
Contact artandmetal.com for more information.
I'm no metalurgist, but some insight comes from looking at the Temil chart =
(which you can access from our website http://www.njba.abana-chapter.com/ =
via the button for my "guide to the abana website")
Notice those solid lines zinging across the red part of the chart, =
separating regions "A1" "A2" and "A3"?  Those demark the different solid =
phases of steel.  Notice that the left hand side of this chart, correspondi=
ng to pure iron, is completely demarked from the rest of the chart =AF =
because it lacks these same transitions.  With no carbon, pure iron just =
doesn't behave like steel. =20

Bruce

>>> John Chobrda <[email protected]> 01/29/02 02:01PM >>>
Today I forged a fireplace poker out of a piece of 1/2 in. sq. pure iron
I picked up a while ago. I have mixed feelings about this material,
forging was no problem except for the fact that the stock bent where hot
roll wouldn't (away from the color zone) also I wanted to put a twist in
the center of the poker, and that was a learning experiance. I put a
piece in the vice and tried to twist it cold, it does not behave like
hot roll. Has anyone else experianced this? At 5 to 6 times the cost of
HR I don't think I'll use this for any large projects (gates, Fences,
etc.).

John C.

_______________________________________________
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge=20
theforge mail list group photo site is
http://www.photoaccess.com=20
Login:  [email protected]=20
password:  anvil
___________