the point of cutting away vs moving what reckoning do you hold with the structure of your material when you go to re-forming to such an extent?
Ernest,that depends on which structure is in question:
The Micro-structure of steel is composed of "grains".Each a very regular crystall within itself,held together by molecular laws governing such;and where the two grains come together,the so-called Boundary,a number of very complex bonding principles is involved.
Boundary being an imperfection in a crystall stops energy from transferring as it would through the perfect structure.Such interruption of force can do a number of things,but generally can be viewed as Strenghening,("toughening"-as in resistance to Deformation).
A series of other imperfections of this structure,known as Dislocations,also act similarly,and unless taken too far act to help material to resist certain forces.
However!The grains of steel "dissolve"-decalesce-Each and every time material reaches the so-called Critical,or Austenitic temperature.Around 1450F or 870C ,and as the T then fall back down,they again re-form.
So the answer is No,for micro-structure.
But for let's call it Macro-structure things may well be different.
Lets say that the material is sufficiently old,and was made by piling("kneading",an attempt to homogenise iron by mixing the slag inclusions in into finer and finer layers,as you would cutting butter into pastry dough).
Then these slag-inclusions,being mineral,and Not a part of the metallic matrix,separate the iron layers/fibers,ruining the solid bond between them.
THEN one may start watching it closer.
Often in the past,working with very dirty iron,the smith relied on arranging these "fibers" in a knot-work(in a manner of speaking,but actually iron,like rope,Is strong in Tensile manner,and that principe Is used).
So then some unjudicious cutting,like cutting through any part of a knot in rope,May affect the integrity of the whole.
But for a 100-some years now we've been going over more and more to Homogenious alloys,and such things are in the past.
Cutting and grinding have long become a part of the process,it just depends on Efficiency.
(speaking Very generally,Forging is the most cost/energy efficient method,exceeding casting and machining something like 7-8 times...).
So today,unless working with some old steel,the issue is only one's own forge-welds.They,if contaminated,act as the fibrous stuff of old,but even if solid,can never achieve 100% strength,and are thus used strategically(they're strongest in Sheer,and are so positioned if possible).
Controlled hand-forging is very challenging,and in the past,a very skilled,and Very experienced smith could forge a tool practically to a finished shape.So it looms before one as a Zen ideal of sorts,but in practical sense it's the ultimate indicator of all the decisions you make in the process,have the mass gone to where you've planned on,and asked it to go?Are you worth a damn,as compared to the old guys?!
