[TheForge] welding without flux

[Washington, Aubrey O.]

In the 19th cent. blacksmithing books that I've read, frequent reference is made to using "sand" as a flux.  It seems that some smiths had their own secret sources of special river sand, etc. to use for flux.  I don't know what, if anything, was commercially available.  I suspect that since they were mainly welding wrought iron, the specific flux did not matter quite so much.

Aubrey

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From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net [theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Ben Barrett [stircrazyben at gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 12:59 PM
To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: Re: [TheForge] welding without flux

Right on, Frosty, that is what I've been hearing.  I'm still pretty
new to all this, but have been learning a LOT by playing with oxy-acet
torch welding, and yes indeed that is a great learning experience (one
of the best learning tips I've gotten, it seems).  I'm surprised to
hear that so many folks never heard of forge welding without flux.
Sure you might end up with a dirtier or slightly weaker weld, but it
is equally possible to rely too much on your flux and have a dirty or
weak weld using more common methods :)
I've not seen anyone put a pile of burning coke on their anvil yet,
though!  I've used a slug of steel, separately heated.
It all makes sense, the same things are happening without flux in a
forge weld.  I'm feeling a vague similarity between hand sanitizer and
welding flux -- we collectively survived a lot and have come a long
way before either were in popular use..... but their purposes have
been served by other means, using certain mosses in old-timey surgery
or simple coal dust for basic flux.  What was used before the wire
brush become commonly available though?
I think the bottom line is to remember that the flux is not a catalyst
or otherwise a requirement for a forge weld.  It helps though ;)

~ben



On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 10:48 AM, Jerry Frost <akfrosty at mtaonline.net> wrote:
> This isn't magic, just get it hot enough and all you have to do is touch
> them together.
>
>  For a good idea of what heat you want do some oxy acet welding.
>
>  Frosty
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