[TheForge] Pattern welding...

[Todd Rich]

Around 1998, or 99, I learned how to pattern weld using a natural gas 
blown forge. (actually a crucible furnace, but it made a passable forge)

Never had any real problems with it, used 20 Mule Team borax for flux.

Around late 2000, I moved out to PA from Idaho, and didn't have a place 
for my forge for several years, and when I did get some time with it, I 
was having regulator problems.  Got that all dealt with earlier this year 
and I'm back up and running (minus a power hammer, but I'll have that 
fixed in a month or so), and this summer I started back in trying to 
pattern weld.

Crud!  I having a real hard time with it this time around!  It seems the 
more I try and fix it, the harder it is to weld!

Well, it looks like there were 2 factors that were causing me problems....

First off, they changed 20 Mule Team.  I don't know what they did, but a 
friend of mine who does jewelry work and uses 20 Mule Team borax as a flux 
confirms that it behaves differently for her.  It turns blue, but seems to 
work fine for her purposes.  For me at the forge, it sticks to everything 
and doesn't want to come off, even with a wire brush.  The hammer face 
builds up a layer of black borax slag.  The anvil has a dark blackish mark 
where I've been working the billet.

I went ahead and bought a 8# bucket of sodium tetraborate pentahydrate, 
and when I tried it this weekend, it behaves the way I remember 20 Mule 
Team used to.  Doesn't build up on the hammer, and with a gloved hand 
brushes right off of the anvil.

However, I'm still having a hard time getting the last layer or two 
to stick!  And the more I try, the harder it gets.  I'm trying different 
hammers, and hitting it lighter and harder and working smaller areas. 
Heck I'll put it back in a get it even hotter.....wait a minute....

I take the billet out and set it on the anvil, give it a few seconds, and 
lightly go over it.

Arghh!!!  Welds like a dream.  I've been getting the billet too bloody 
HOT!  I've heard so many recommendations to make sure it is hot enough, I 
never thought I might be getting it too hot!

Reasons I was getting it too hot.

1.  Different forges.  The one I'm using now is a purpose built forge 
using propane with Reil type burners.

2.  Different altitudes.  I learned at 3000 feet above sea level.  Now I'm 
about 100-200 feet above sea level.

3.  Color perception.  My forge has 2 colors for me.  Red and orange. 
When it gets hotter, it is just a brighter orange to me.  I've never seen 
yellow or white out of my forge, though I've had other people tell me I've 
gotten it that hot.  Plus with the safety glasses I'm using to block the 
IR from the forge, it all looks red to me.

I didn't have time to weld up another billet this weekend, but I'm going 
to do one tonight to confirm my observation.

Just thought I'd pass along my boneheadedness to help somebody else avoid 
it themselves.
 			Todd