Forge welding with Kerosene

Joseph Bandeko

Joseph Bandeko

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Dec 9, 2021
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Hello y'all!
Probably a dumb question, but I'd rather ask and save myself the trouble. Will it work to use any kerosene for forge welding? or does it have to be something specific?
I just got some Klean-Strip 1-K kerosene, it's supposed to have fewer impurities but IDK if that's good or bad.
Thanks!
 
Pretty much any clean hydrocarbon will work. Kleen-strip, Kerosene, Brake cleaner all work. You don't want anything with a low vapor pressure (making it easily ignited) like gasoline or such.
 
I used some really old diesel for a san mai test coupon that welded up nicely. Only a datapoint of one, but it was a successful one.
 
I made some damascus a few days ago using the kerosene and it worked great! nice clean solid welds.
I'll probably put up some photos in the "What's going on in your shop" thread when I'm done with the blade.
 
Forge welding using kerosene produces a carbon shell around the billet which is somewhat fragile. Pay close attention when pulling the billet from the forge; so as not to fracture the carbon shell.
 
Equally important is that once you start welding and drawing out, do not let the billet cool below around 1600°F before putting back in the forge.
Scale starts to form at lower temperatures and will cause laminating problems.

Dr. Batson and I forged a 400+ layer billet from O-1 in one continuous series of heats by never letting it drop below cherry red. Seven folds and about six heats per fold to weld and draw it out. IIRC, it took us about an hour-and-a-half to do the billet by hand. We quickly brushed it off before and after each heat. We only lightly fluxed it at each fold.

I've seen folks use kerosene for the pre-forging soak and never flux it again by keeping it hot all the time for each drawing session. Once they draw it out to three times the length they let cool, surface grind, cut and stack, tack weld with MIG or TIG, soak in kerosene again, and do the next series of heats to weld and draw again. Start with ten layers, draw and cut into three pieces, do a total of three draws and stacks and you have a 270 layer billet. Seven re-stacks will look like a tamahagane hada.
 
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