[TheForge] Upsetting the middle of a bar

[Chris Worsley]

Stephen,

I rarely come across "easy" ways of doing things, just better ways.
I have had the best luck in upsetting the middle of  stock by striking 
the top end of the piece with the bottom end *off * the floor or a base 
such as your swage block, anvil or a plate on the floor as will be 
suggested.
I support it on the edge of the anvil, with the heated portion above the 
supporting edge, turning 1/4 turn every few blows to minimize bending. 
(Bottom end of bar in the air)
Medium and rapid blows, rather than whomping heavy blows worked best.
I heat in either coal or a gas forge, depending on size of job.  Yellow 
heat is best for me.
If you upset too long an area, you can always forge it back to your 5/8 
square.
60 pieces will still take time.
There is always the option of MIG welding the leaves on, heating in the 
forge and reforging the welded area. It all depends on whether you are a 
"purist" or a businessman I guess.

Chris

Stephen McGehee wrote:

>Y'all:
>I have a stair and a parapet railing to make with about 60 balusters,
>each having a long leaf forge welded near the middle of each bar.  My
>stock is 5/8 square.  I am looking for a simple way to upset each bar
>for the weld and am not having much luck.  I have used my coal forge
>with a fairly narrow fire on some and on others, a rosebud to make the
>heated area shorter.  I have been using a 2-1/2" depression in a swage
>block as a base and either a 4# hand hammer or a special tool for my air
>chisel that is a cup about 3" deep.  Either way the process seems far
>too slow.  If I use the air chisel and keep the rosebud on the stock
>constantly at almost a welding heat it barely upsets the metal even
>after 5 heat/upset/straighten distortion cycles.  Using the hand hammer
>seems to be the fastest way, but even that way it still takes 5 heats or
>so.  Is there something basic I'm not seeing here?
>
> 
>