[TheForge] forging square tube

[Roger R Degner]

Different ways to make a tapered finial 
One is to collapse the middle of the flats with a fuller and then hammer
them to a taper or keep working the material lightly with hammer blows
upsetting the sidewall thickness into a taper.  The first few heats not
much is accomplished but should get faster as the thickness enlarges.
The tube can be top/bottom swages like making bells, candle cups, fruit
ect.
I missed Lorelei Sims at the Guild of Metal conference but she had a
table filled with fabulist stuff.
I did watch another demonstrator doing pipe/tube at the 2002 ABANA
conference.  She made chain links out of round rod and rolled the pipe
ends to capture the U bent rod making the link.  She also did some
flower shapes collapsing the pipe in various places.  When I catch up a
couple of other projects I should rewatch the tapes I shot.

Roger R Degner



e
>Would you care to talk a bit about forging square "pipe" or tube? I 
>would like to make some fairly massive corner posts for a bedframe, and

>since all I have is a 25# hammer, I'd better use tubing! You mentioned 
>once that you had used fine sand to help hold the shape as it's forged-

>anything to look out for? I'm guessing that the ends of the tube should

>be welded shut- should I be leaving somewhere for the displaced sand to

>go? Any issues with the sand solidifying at forging temps? Maybe I 
>shouldn't go too hot... I'd be grateful for any tips or advice that