[TheForge] Forge welding

[Steve Bloom]

At 04:39 PM 8/3/2011, you wrote:
>[snip] concept of "wet forging"
>[snip]Can anybody here speak to the efficacy of this method?

Japanese technique - and often referred to as the "wet anvil' 
technique.  Prime idea is that scale is harder than hot steel.  Pound 
on the scale and you create divots which later have to be ground out 
(more correctly, everything other than the bottom of the divot has to 
be removed to bring the surface down to the bottom of the divot).  By 
using water on the anvil and the hammer face, the resulting steam 
expansion will blow off the scale and reduce the amount of work 
needed to remove the marks.  Obviously far more important when it's a 
sword to be hand-finished rather than a knife that is being ground on 
a high-speed 2x72 belt.  I use the technique all the time and like 
the results.  In fact, I have fabricated a holder for a small bucket 
that hangs on the side of my knife-maker's anvil.  When I'm forging, 
the hammer head sits in the bucket unless it is in my hand. When I 
bring the steel to the anvil, I pick up the hammer and splash a bit 
of water on the anvil face, then start whacking.  Remember to throw a 
bunch of baking soda in the water to prevent rusting the anvil.

Steve (ironflower.com)