I've lost that welding feeling, whoa that welding feeling

Mark Williams

Mark Williams

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For the life of me for some reason I cant get the mild steel to weld in a wrapped style tomahawk anymore. I can weld 5160 and 1084 to the mild steel all day long but not to itself. I melted some hard brazing rod in the forge to pour an inlay piece, Could that have done it? I dont get it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Mark
 
Yes melting the brazing rod is what is the root of the problem.
The copper residue left inside the forge can interfere with forge welding.
 
Are you trying to weld mild to mild or mild to high carbon?

I have welded alittle low to low and it takes alot more heat to get low carbon steel to weld to itself.

I also use the same forge that I weld in for doing copper/ns mokume and have not had any problems with copper contamination. Well that I know of anyway.;)
 
Originally posted by Laredo7mm
Are you trying to weld mild to mild or mild to high carbon?

Its 1018 to 1018 that's kicking my butt. I'll try cranking the heat way up tonight and see if that helps. I may have been pushing the envelope welding with this little forge anyway. It might need to be relined by now.

Mark
Click to expand...
 
Interesting, you posted this yesterday and last night Bobby Hatfield of the Rightous Brothers is dead. He was found dead in his room a half hour before he was to preform with his partner Bill Medley in Michigan.

RIP
 
Mark-

That is probably your issue. When I did those candle sticks for my parents X-mas gift last year, I had to weld three pieces of 0.5 rod together and it was a @$&%#*!

From what I understand, high carbon steels weld at lower temps than low carbon. I usually weld my high carbon in the orange range and it took light yellow/white to get that low carbon to weld.

Plus it couldn't hurt to reline your forge if it needs it anyway. That will take out the possible contamination factor.

Good luck!
 
Originally posted by PhilL
Interesting, you posted this yesterday and last night Bobby Hatfield of the Rightous Brothers is dead. He was found dead in his room a half hour before he was to preform with his partner Bill Medley in Michigan.

RIP
Click to expand...

Man aint that a trip. I better not make any more posts with parts of songs for fear that someone might croak. Ahh what the heck.

My next post will be a song about my new forge.

" I'm gonna build me a biggo forge, and it's name will be indian George"

Feel free to add to the next verse
 
I went to an open forge a few weeks ago which was all on welding and doing some different twists and some animal heads. What I caught on the welding was with the milder steels like 1018 the temps need to be higher than with high carbon steel. It could also be the way your holding your mouth...... :D
 
Originally posted by Gouge
Man aint that a trip. I better not make any more posts with parts of songs for fear that someone might croak. Ahh what the heck.
Click to expand...


Quote some verse from any song by eminem. Use your power for good!!;) :D
 
1018 pending where it came from can have alot of recycled metals in it... therefore the elemental make up maybe a little odd... including elements that form tough oxides will inhibit forge welds...eg Cr,Ni etc
- try another piece of 1018 and see if you get the same result?

this is one scenario...
(use a better flux)

the lower the alloy the higher the welding temperature ... try welding in the " near Sparkling heat" and you should have less problems with 1018..

Greg
 
Just kidding I.G.

I have some flux on order. I've been using the 20 mule team stuff. I think I will still try a higher heat tonight to see what happens.

Thanks for all the input guys.

Mark
 
Mark, I was really surprized when I went to the open forge since I was thinking the lower the carbon the less heat required to weld. I think once you get some anhidrous boraz you'll leave the 20 Mule Team with your wife. I don't do a whole lot of welding but have always had better results with the real stuff although I know alot of fellows use the 20 mules regularly.

Greg, the 1018 is usually 1018 thats why most blacksmiths use it. I think you've got it confussed with A36 but right now I'm thinking I could have that number off but anyway thats the one that has all the crap in it.....
 
Ray the crap steel is A36. I've seen some of your welds on hawks Ray and they looked like you had no trouble to me. On one it looked like you had either taken the high carbon all the way back to the eye or you had just drifted it out of a solid bar. I think it was a post in the outpost.

I wish they would hurry up and ship my flux. I'm also waiting on a crapload of chromium trioxide.Damned hazardous shipping fees are bogus. I've got a show at the end of the month and things aint lookin good. I'm going to go ahead and make a few out of solid barstock just to have some made. Got some 5160 and 4150, it says 4150 on the bar anyway.

Mark
 
Mark, A36 is what I was trying to come up with. Yes, on some of the hawks I did use the 1018 with a piece of high carbon sandwitched all the way back to the eye. I prefer the solid bar ones the best. Haven't made a hawk for a few months but I'm starting to feel like doing it again. Plan on making a couple new hammers real soon first.
 
Hi Ray

yepp ... made a mistake.. bout the 1018..
Generally, I call all the low carb stuff 1018 by habit.. ouch.. guess it caught up to me.. haha

G:eek:
 
I wonder if you couldn't just put another coat of ITC-100 on it and the forge will be ok. I have found that ITC and Satinite etc good sooted up after awhile and do not heat as well as they used to. Try a coating. That should also trap copper if that is an issue.
Good luck, Ken
 
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