forging outdoors on cold days

madpawn

madpawn

Joined
Jan 5, 2017
Messages
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I'm hooked on this new hobby and want to do more forging. But, I am using coal and it is freezing out. What is the lowest temp outdoors you can forge in? Even in Summer I'd notice steel cools fairly quick from forge to anvil.
 
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And a cold anvil doesn't help either. I'm currently working in an unheated building and it's difficult to keep forging temps up when it's under 35f.
I have been known to preheat the anvil when I really need to forge something.
 
I can't remember who it was, but someone did the math on wind and cold and it's affect on steel temps at forging levels. It was something like 1/100ths of a second difference over 100°F. The bigger problem is keeping your muscles warm enough to work the hammer at that temp. . .
 
1900F steel doesn't care if the ambient is 70F or -7F. The difference is little. Contrary to what seems logical, the steel doesn't really cool any noticable amount faster on the cold day.

The biggest cooler is the anvil. Warming it up will help a lot. One simple trick for an outdoor forge is to put a small pan or burning coal on the anvil and let it warm things up.
When you can feel the anvil being warmer a few inches down on the sides, that will make the blade stay hot longer. You can place the pan back on the anvil as the steel is in the forge for the next heat. Other tricks are wrapping 20 feet of pipe heater tape, or a drum heater strap around the anvil. These will take hours to warm a cold anvil up, but are good for keeping the anvil warm once it warms up. A 1000-1500W 220VAC drum strap is only around $40-50. That is the simplest method to get itw warmed up and to keep it warm if you take a break. They have thermostats to set the temp between 50F and 150F.

I regularly forge at 20-30F. I have a 3X10X1" bar of steel I stick in the forge while it comes up to soak. Once it is around 1000F, I set it on the cold anvil. I repeat as needed to keep the anvil warm.

I have never thought of it before, but I have a bunch of 500W heater rods. They are self controlling electric rods 12" long and about 1/2" thick. I used to use one to heat my oil, but since I switched to Parks #50, I don't need it warmed. I could weld tubes on both sides of the anvil and stick one on each side. Put them on a timer to start warming the anvil early in the morning and it will be all nice and warm when I come out. I'll have to park that idea in my project book.
 
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It helps also to minimise time a workpiece remains contacting your anvil. Especially blades as its fairly thin stock. Practice slightly lifting between each hammer strike.
 
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Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
since I switched to Parks #50, I don't need it warmed.
Click to expand...

My 5 gallons of Parks #50 arrived last week along with 5 pounds of Satanite. Now all I need is that low manganese 1075 from Aldo and I'm going for that hamon! Thanks for all the info fellas. Looks like I can be forging sooner than I thought!
 
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One way I keep my anvil warm is place it right in front of the forge. With 4-5 inch dragon's breath (not good, I know :eek:) it keeps the anvil and me warm.
 
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