[TheForge] Welding Tool Steel

[Woolley]

Dave,

What I have to say pretty much follows Ray.  I would find out  the alloy of 
the parent metal then use the appropriate rod. The alloy will tell you what 
pre-heat temp is if neccesary.  I would chase the crack with a grinder to 
get good penetration then stick or tig weld or both. A die check would 
reveal the depth of the cracks. Don't be surprised if your welder isn't 
stress relieving, most job shops don't have the means for a controlled post 
heat. Send me your dies, I'll give it a shot.

Regards,
Bill Woolley

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <debmiller at fuse.net>
To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 1:26 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Welding Tool Steel


> Dave,
> I do not have any experience welding tool steel, but I do have a lot of 
> experience completing "hot welds" in power plants, as well as grinding out 
> cracks in 60 ton steam turbine casings and welding back deep vee's 
> successfully.
>
> There are two "secrets". Preheat, interpass temperature control and post 
> heat stress relieving. The challenge in that industry was heating up a 60 
> ton turbine casing to a 450 degree preheat, uniformly, keeping welders 
> from pasing out from the heat, and then stress relieving the whole thing 
> by taking it up to 1150 degrees for 8 hours and then letting it cool down 
> while insulated, another couple of days.
>
> I would think that if he is not brazing the joint, he may be preheating 
> the dies pretty hot for welding, possibly the source of the color 
> difference with the surface metal, and then welding over a cover pass with 
> a more corrosion resistent filler. Then heat the whole thing up to stress 
> relieve it and let it cool very slowly.
>
> The heat treating experts can tell you what temps to use without affecting 
> the temper of the dies.
>
> Ray Miller
> Cincinnati
>
> ---- David Childress <trollkeep at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I have a work problem I am hoping someone here knows about.  I work in
>> a stamping plant and sometimes (Maybe often) we break die blocks and
>> have to weld them back together.  Usually they break again.  We had a
>> welder in Indianapolis who could weld things we could not and his
>> welded blocks never broke again.  He has been welding tool steel for
>> 45 years and now only works sometimes and has too much to do.  I think
>> that he has been flowing brass through the broken places and then TIG
>> welding the surface.  He does no finish work but his welds are narrow
>> and take no time to clean up, better than anything my welders can do.
>> My die makers say you need a big "V" and then fill it up to get a
>> strong weld.  It dows not look like the old outside welder does more
>> than break sharp edges and his welds never break.  I had a block he
>> welded break across his weld and there was something not steel behind
>> his weld and the new break did not follow the old break at all.
>>
>> How does he do this?
>>
>> David Childress
>> _______________________________________________
>> 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
>> ___________
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> 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
> ___________
>
>
>