Setting up shop, may need advice on a few things

Natlek said:
Obviously you have fun :) You are Scandinavian , Viking make some excellent steel long time ago :p So go and do it right !
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Im having a ton of fun, a few more days before I will be at shurap's skill level. I don't think any amount of watching YouTube will get me there, so onward thru the fog! Tho I do love watching his videos!


Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Is that puddle on the forge floor tile metal or a glassy material?

Also, from the photos it looks like you could use some welding lessons :D
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The puddle looks and feels like metal, looks very much like the suface of the 440C bits that fell out of the billet. And when it happend, it looked very much like it came out of the cracked billet.
Im thinking maybe there's some flux material in the 440C powder, if it's even 440C powder and not some weird china alloy.
I have not seen anything like this online, but it don't look glassy at all.

I now have about two days of welding experiance, maybe I should have watched some videos about that as well. Im learning a lot each day, and I have a ton of respect for all of you who own these skills and make it look easy. But I don't feel I can learn all of this from a books or YouTube, I need to feel it with my hands and practice.


I got somewhat of an BLO (billet looking object) out of the canister material, it's not pretty and I am trying to cut it with a cordless angle grinder. I need to buy a real one, the other one is really handy on the boat. Cutting bolts and what not, but for this kind of job I guess not so much.



Went thru two batteries, and got maybe ½way thru the end of the billet.
The can was not a big issue, came of quite easy most likely due to all the cracks.



I will continue cuttin into this, once my batteries are charged again.
Again thanks for your comments, I know this isn't the pretty stuff most post.
But I am having fun, learning something new and maybe I do it a bit upside down.
Constructive criticism is very welcome!
 
Hmmm, I can't say that I ever tried, but I seriously suspect that you won't melt 440C in a canister and have it flow out like that. If the 440C melted the ball bearings would have melted as well. Generally you need an induction furnace and gas shielding to melt/cast stainless steel. IIRC, it melts around 1400-1500°C 2600-2750°F). A really good forge will run at that temp, but it will also eat up the refractory fast.

The sooth shiny puddle looks like brass or some lower melting metal like pewter? If you take a sharp pointed tool (chisel or graver) and push it into the puddle does it make a mark or dig in? If you peel the puddle off the tile, can you bend it easily?
I know this sounds silly, but are you sure the can of powder wasn't 440°C (825°F) powdered solder or something?
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Hmmm, I can't say that I ever tried, but I seriously suspect that you won't melt 440C in a canister and have it flow out like that. If the 440C melted the ball bearings would have melted as well. Generally you need an induction furnace and gas shielding to melt/cast stainless steel. IIRC, it melts around 1400-1500°C 2600-2750°F). A really good forge will run at that temp, but it will also eat up the refractory fast.

The sooth shiny puddle looks like brass or some lower melting metal like pewter? If you take a sharp pointed tool (chisel or graver) and push it into the puddle does it make a mark or dig in? If you peel the puddle off the tile, can you bend it easily?
I know this sounds silly, but are you sure the can of powder wasn't 440°C (825°F) powdered solder or something?
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The powder was from a company selling atomized steel powder, for induction furnace smelting and injection molding.
I have looked over the order and conversations, what I ordered and what is talked about is 440C Stainless tool steel.
If there is something else in there, I have no way to tell. But it's deffently not soft, it won't dent, bent of even scratch very easy.

A small piece from inside the billet, have been stuck between the canister and some ball bearings.
Next to the puddle on the firebrick


Took a file to it, to grind down into it and get a flat surface.
After a good while I took the angle grinder to it, as my old file wasn't doing much to it.
Then gave it a little sanding on some 400 grid I think, the writing on the back was pretty faint.


Now a quick rub on the puddle revealed, I have made Damascus Firebrick :confused:


Not seen anyone do that before, so im pretty proud about that ..(Happy Viking Dance).. not sure if it will make a good blade tho.
On another note, I need to buy an corded angle grinder. To my own surprice, I am still not thru the more solid part of the billet.

Thinking about a 750W Makita model or 1200 W DeWalt angle grinder. Input would be nice here!
Also would it be worth it, to buy a diamond disc or something? Not sure if they are for tiles and cheremcis only, or if they would be a durable option compared to normal cuttin wheels.
 
My file work, is prolly just as sheit as my welding.
But this is me filing on that little chunk, from inside the cracked end.

https://streamable.com/0ncf6n
0ncf6n
 
Santa YouTube arrived with a new Angle grinder today, made it less of a challenge to cut into the stainless steel and ball bearing turd.

I was able to cut a somewhat solid chunk out, a lot more solid then what I had expected. Given it cracked as it did, I was told here and elsewhere. That I had set up, an near impossible task!
At least for a total noob with a 4 lbs hammer, but I feal I have learnt something from this.


If nothing else I got myself a new angle grinder, thats always a big win buying new tools.

Okay maybe it have a few cold shots and inclusions, but I really feel this would make a perfect Vegan Steak knife!

Uhh is that ball bearings I see there?



Will try to find something to edge it in
 
Seems that there are enough steel to make knife , fire up forge :) Look cool ...maybe to cool with that balls and stainless :thumbsup:
 
Remember to leave a weep hole in the cannister so it does not explode. You will know how well the welds are by whether the cannister explodes. Seal it all the way and it will explode. I've had it happen and it is scary. Enjoy the learning, there is a great deal to learn. Regards, Fred
 
Thanks for the feedback, I will think about how I am gonna attack the billet from here.
To be honest, I was not expecting this at all. Before starting, I had already read in old threads, that ball bearing canisters where very hard to do by hand hammering even as a team.
Also found others who had said it could be done, but not much about how beside light tapping it.
Im not sure it won't just crumple, once I start forging on it. (Won't hold me back tho)

Thanks for your input, tho I am aware of this potential danger. Safety is a serius matter, and it can't be said too many times.
Packing the billet tight, got to have some inpack on this tho. The amount of air trapped in there, left to expand during heat-up. So I did my best to pack, vibrate and repeat to leave as little air in there as possible.
Im enjoying this very much, I am sure I'll have plenty! And much more bitter flavored fruits of learning, to eat on my journey learn this beautiful trade.
Hopefuly not in the shape of a pomegranate, exploding with red hot ball bearings flying everywhere. Should it happen, knock on wood, let the camera be rolling!

Im also very much interested in finding out, if this is solid and have worked.
Can I do it again, with the same or better result.
 
For anyone interested, here's the first video of my Forged in Failure journey.
Hope you enjoy, any constructive criticism is very welcom.
So far it's been alot of fun, also had fun editing this. Specialy how fast it show's, that I get tired from the hammer.
To my defence I am used to caring, if a fishing reel is 10 grams too heavy or am I using 0.3gr or 0.4gr lead shots.
A 4 lbs hammer, it's something else then sports fishing thats for sure. :oops:

Have fun!
 
Thanks mate, that video is from a trip to Italy. Most my videos are on a different channel (and in Danish).
I just finished the subtitles, there might be a few bad sound areas.
 
Appearances can be deceiving!

Apparently it wasn't enough that it looked solid :D
As I stuck it into the forge today and killed it for good!



Next I will try with something else then ball bearings, maybe some 1084 flat bar with 440C powder between them.
 
Pali Fisher said:
Appearances can be deceiving!

Apparently it wasn't enough that it looked solid :D
As I stuck it into the forge today and killed it for good!



Next I will try with something else then ball bearings, maybe some 1084 flat bar with 440C powder between them.
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Don t blame ball bearings :D
Here's what happened...........I think :) It is much easier to melt powder steel then solid steel....and you prove that :D 440 C powder steel get to temperature much faster then balls from solid steel .Your forge run very HOT and simple melted 440 powder before balls get to same temperature .Next time try to slowly heat canister so everything inside can get to same temperature ....
 
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