[TheForge] forge weld stainless?

[me at wargoth.com]

The triangle of solid state or "forge" welding is  heat, pressure, cleanliness... taking any of those factors to an extreme reduces the amount necessary for the others, for example, in forge welding we are generally going to an extreme of heat, light pressure, and moderate cleanliness, but industrially, you sometimes see explosive welding, where explosives are used to create tremendous pressure to weld large plates together, or also another form of solid state welding where 2 polished surfaces are placed together in a vacuum with moderate pressure and light heat applied. Early satellites had problems with polished parts in the vacuum of space welding themselves together, so much so that we had to develop special coatings that wouldn't gas off in vacuum. Many is the time where I would have a small handful of horseshoe nails in a coal forge and get distracted and allow the heat to get close to melt point, and between the nickel coating keeping the O2 off, and the pressure of the weight of the coke and the nails themselves would result in a welded clump of nails which showed no signs of burning or melting, they just simply all welded together. There is also a 4th, non-tangible factor to forge welding, but it is tough to control. Attitude, If you think you aren't going to get the weld, you probably won't, but when you are confident, you will have much better luck. Honestly, alot of the time, I find it far easier to just brush, flux, and beat a weld while I am working rather than walk across the shop to the MiG welder where I have to turn it on, put on a mask and pull a trigger... takes too dang much time. Much easier just to smack it together.

Sent from my android device.



-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Fels & Phoebe Palmer <artgawk at thegrid.net>
To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sat, 22 Dec 2012 4:45 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] forge weld stainless?

Bob:
What's the triangle of welding?
Stellite too! Wow!


On Dec 22, 2012, at 1:11 PM, me at wargoth.com wrote:


Jim Hrisoulas has a recipe that some of us refer to as "steel glue" that contains florspar and a few other ingredients that slip my mind. Stuff works a treat on most high alloy steels including L6 and Stellite. Stainless is certainly ornery to forge weld, but most alloys will weld at substantially lower temps than straight carbon steels. Just keep to your triangle of welding and I'm sure you will eventually get the hang of it.
Sent from my android device.



-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Ehrenberger <eforge at centurytel.net>
To: theforge <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Fri, 21 Dec 2012 8:43 AM
Subject: [TheForge] forge weld stainless?

One of the members of BAM wanted to know about forge welding stainless 
steel.  So have any of you done it and what flux do you use?

Robert Ehrenberger
Shelbyville, Mo.
eforge at centurytel.net


______________________________________________________________
TheForge mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:TheForge at mailman.qth.net

TheForge mail list group photo site is
http://www.photoworks.com
Login: blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
Password: anvil

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
______________________________________________________________
TheForge mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:TheForge at mailman.qth.net

TheForge mail list group photo site is
http://www.photoworks.com
Login: blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
Password: anvil

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

______________________________________________________________
TheForge mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:TheForge at mailman.qth.net

TheForge mail list group photo site is
http://www.photoworks.com
Login: blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
Password: anvil

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html