[TheForge] Aluminum annealing temp?

[David E. Smucker]

Annealing temperature for aluminum is 600 to 700 F.   The pine stick, to 
sense temperature works fine.  You can of course forge aluminum not and 700 
F is a good temperature.  Get it too hot and you have liquid.  Just a guess 
but rod you have maybe 1100 or near pure aluminum if it forges easy cold. 
3/8 rod is common feed stock for wire drawing of conductor.  If the rod 
shows lines (very fine) along its length then it was extruded, and is not 
feed stock rod.  In that case is may be 3003 if it bends and works easy or 
6061 if harder.  (Or it could be many other alloys but these 3 are the most 
common in that size.)

Dave Smucker
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Barking Crow" <mail at barkingcrow.com>
To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 9:11 PM
Subject: [TheForge] Aluminum annealing temp?


> I've been playing around with forging some trashpile aluminum rods about 
> 3/8 ".  I forge it cold until I think it may break then stop and heat it 
> with my little mapp gas torch until I think it might be annealed and then 
> let it cool and start again.  Having fun punched and drifted a nice little 
> hole.  I started out to make a wedge of aluminum to put in a collection of 
> wedges of different size, shape, and material that I plan to give my 
> daughter's boyfriend as a gift.  Then I was having fun and kept on playing 
> for awhile. My question is how hot do I have to get the aluminum (a guess 
> since I don't really know what the alloy is) before letting it cool?  I've 
> been heating the piece until it is just barely red in the dark.  Is there 
> a better way?
>
> Thanks,  Jeff in Tallahassee
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Manage membership or unsubscribe at:
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
> theforge mail list group photo site is
> http://www.photoaccess.com
> Login:  blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
> password:  anvil
> ___________
>
>
>