Problems forging 440C

T

Tuck

Joined
Jun 29, 2003
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I was attempting to forge some chunks of 440C down to flat stock yesterday. When I got to where it look like I was finally making some progress, the steel fell apart in big chunks. Anyone have an idea of what I did wrong? Too hot maybe? - Tuck
 
I've never tried forging 440C before though I did try a squirrel tail once with it and when I heated the tail to bend it it just broke as you experienced.
 
Yup - too hot. 440C gets very red short. Harder to forge at a lower temp, but that is what's necessary. Make absolutely sure its been annealed before you begin forging. Use a low red heat and a bigger hammer.
 
I am not a blacksmith but we melt metals and stainless comes apart like cottage cheese just above 2500 and carbon steels don't start to run untill above 2700. Like the man said I also think a lower heat is required but so is a bigger hammer.
Good luck
 
It contains enough Carbon (.95-1.2 %) to get good and hard & enough Chromium (16-18%) to be fairly corosion resistant. And I got a deal on it!
 
Originally posted by Tuck
It contains enough Carbon (.95-1.2 %) to get good and hard & enough Chromium (16-18%) to be fairly corosion resistant. And I got a deal on it!
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It does that all on it's own, with proper heat treat. It really doesn't need to be forged. just grind a blade out of it, and heat treat.

You can beat on it all day long, and you still end up with no improvements, and maybe some detriments.:eek:
 
The pcs I have are about 2" x 3" and range form 1/2" to 1" thick. After more hammering today, I think I'll forget about the 440C for a while!
 
Originally posted by AKA Knife Knut
Just out of curiousity, from a newbie to knifemaking, why are you trying to forge 440C?
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Holy Guacamole, John! Why not? I forge 440C all the time. You just have to know how it acts. You want almost a black heat - just a little red, and it'll forge fine. I always anneal real good first and anneal after forging before heat treat. I lucked into some 3/4" rods of 440C. Shame not to smack out soem blades out of it. Be patient and careful and you'll forge a fine blade. When opportunity knocks you have to be able to answer the door! :D :D
 
But, like already mentioned, why? If there is going to be no benefit, why forge it?
 
Originally posted by jhiggins
Holy Guacamole, John! Why not? I forge 440C all the time. You just have to know how it acts.
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Jeesh, Jeff, is there anything of hot steel that moves slower under the hammer? I did it just once many years back, and that, quite frankly, was once too many. :D

Tuck, don't feel bad, I did it not too long ago with a bar of Daisho DC53 (mod D2). Sure felt bad when that stuff red shorted, cracked, and fell in the forge. Might keep the flux outta the kaowool, though. :) Told my bud in a prophetic moment I feared not being able to get that big old bar reduced in size for him....well, I was right, and I was wrong, both.... :( It's much smaller now.....hehe
 
I hate to be a stick in the mud but, 440C is the only stainless I play with and I get mine from Admiral and have never had a problem. I think for the price, you'd be better off just getting some 440C barstock from them and making blades as opposed to the time you'll spend hammering little pieces flat. Unless your a glutton for punishment... like alot of us are.
;)
 
I hear you, J. Mike, you make sense also. Stock-removal if you can. I happened upon a shite-load of 440C in round stock form... lots of it. I forge it when I feel frisky and my arm is up to it, but yes its pretty tough stuff. Now if I had a Bullhammer... :p
 
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