[TheForge] forging aluminum

[Bob Ehrenberger]

---Original message-----
Hi, everybody.
Has any of you got experience forging aluminum, or know of a good book
or resource on same?
I want to build a decorative screen for a garden, and aluminum would be
the best choice for the location, but can't seem to find anything in my
library about forging it. Is it done cold and annealed, or do you use a
low heat in the forge?
In the dark here...
Thanks!
Andy G.
----Reply---

Andy,
I've seen it done, but haven't tried it myself.  They heat until it will
burn a pine stick, which they keep using to test the metal. When the stick
smoked it was hot enough. I don't remember when to reheat, my guess would be
when it quits moving under the hammer and before it cracks.

Robert Ehrenberger
Shelbyville, Mo.
eforge at centurytel.net