[TheForge] Metal working problem...again

[Keziah's Forge]

Wood end grain - even pine - is far too hard for brass, bronze, copper etc. 
You can even put a fabric pattern in brass by lining your end grain with it. 
You need something wit minimal or no texture tat is much softer than the 
metal and much wider than the hammer face:  like a leather sand bag, 
sorbathane (high density urethane) pad or several layers of lead sheet.  You 
also need to aneal the metal to dead soft before the final working: heat to 
dull red and water quench.  A little boric acid (pickle) in the quench will 
clean it as well.  Then the final doming will work harden it back to just 
about right so that it doesn't bend from normal use.





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Fels & Phoebe Palmer" <artgawk at thegrid.net>
To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 4:22 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Metal working problem...again


>> Hello all;
>> This is a problem that i keep running into, brought it up before, thought 
>> i'd try again.
>> I have a batch of small pieces,mostly bronze, belt buckles and openers 
>> mostly, that are in the "road kill" stage
> where they are all cut and shaped and i've worked over one side
> thoroughly with my treadle hammer and assorted tooling..so they are
> pretty detailed.
>> Next, i need to give them some 3D shape, depth and form.
> I heat up small areas, place them face down on wood ( green pine end
> grain) and strike them on the back side.
>> That works fine, except for 1 thing...the crisply embossed front sides 
>> get squashed, mashed, mushed and smeared. It's frustrating.
>> I'd appreciate any (um, constructive) suggestions.  pete f
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