[TheForge] Upsetting the middle of a bar

[terry l. ridder]

hello;

comments/reply below.

On Wed, 27 Oct 2004, Stephen McGehee wrote:

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

disclaimer: i have not tried this so ymmv.

ascii art:
looking down at a table.


hydraulic              +---------------------------------------+ angle
cylinder               |  side support                         | iron
---------+  ram        +---------------------------------------+++---+
         |---------+  +----------------------------------------+||   |
         |         |  |             picket                     |||   |
         |---------+  +----------------------------------------+||   |
---------+             +---------------------------------------+++---+
                       |  side support                         |
                       +---------------------------------------+

the idea is to notch the side supports where you want the upset.
0. apply heat to picket at notch.
1. engage or hand pump hydraulic cylinder to place the picket under
   compression.
repeat steps 0. and 1. as needed.

-- 
terry l. ridder ><>