"spreading" steel

[jdm61]

I have some 1 1/4 x 1/4 inch stock that I would like to "stretch" out to 1 3/8 or even 1 1/2 x 3/16 flat if possible. I have a press but no power hammer. What is the quickest way to do that?

 

[kuraki]

In my experience you try to draw it out longer. That way it gets wider. But if you try to draw it out wider, it will just get longer, so it's key to do the opposite of how you want it to move

 

[GrenfellsBrutalForge]

Use a cross pein strike parallel to the edge. Once you smooth the strikes out the stock will be wider. Go easy, you only have 1/16" of thickness to work with.
Actually just forging the bevels will easily gain you 1/8", then reducing the thickness as well will likely get you to 1 1/2".
Easy enough to do by hand with a hammer.

 

[Lieblad]

The "quickest" method is run it thru your rolling mill. But need to calculate volume to know if its even possible to meet your desired dimension.
Otherwise, do what you can on anvil.

 

[jdm61]

I don't have a rolling mill and I have been told that those tend to stretch lengthwise for the most part.

The "quickest" method is run it thru your rolling mill. But need to calculate volume to know if its even possible to meet your desired dimension.
Otherwise, do what you can on anvil.

 

[Willie71]

I have some 1 1/4 x 1/4 inch stock that I would like to "stretch" out to 1 3/8 or even 1 1/2 x 3/16 flat if possible. I have a press but no power hammer. What is the quickest way to do that?

Heat it up until it's bright red/orange, and hit it with your hammer on the anvil.

 

[JTknives]

At 100% efficacy and no scale you could get a 1.666" wide bar that's .1875 thick but I think 1-3/8 is more realistic maybe a tad more. The trick will be gental forging and leaving enough left to clean up and no deep hammer marks. But why not just forge the knife you want out of it. You could easily hit 1.5" and wider if you forged the bevels.

 

[Salem Straub]

JT's pretty right on there. But, if for some reason you do need to just spread a bar out for a significant length, try making some very mild width-drawing dies for your press. I know I've seen people use them. I believe Nick Wheeler posted a pic with some width drawing dies at some point...
They wouldn't even have to be all that mild a profile, if you used them with a 3/16" stop block.

 

[jdm61]

Perhaps I should have been more specific. I have like 250 lbs of 1.25 x.25 Cru Forge V bar that I want to use for "bushcraft" style knives and .125 wide does not suit some of the designs that I have in mind.

At 100% efficacy and no scale you could get a 1.666" wide bar that's .1875 thick but I think 1-3/8 is more realistic maybe a tad more. The trick will be gental forging and leaving enough left to clean up and no deep hammer marks. But why not just forge the knife you want out of it. You could easily hit 1.5" and wider if you forged the bevels.

 

[Salem Straub]

You could always just sell some if it to me! My CruForgeV stash is dwindling, and was only 1" wide anyway. I like wider stock for pattern welding.