sticky press dies

P

patternweld

Joined
Feb 10, 2000
Messages
84
I've been fighting with my press dies for some time now. After the initial weld, the excess flux sticks so bad that I have to chip it off of each die. I've tried spraying non-stick cooking spray (it kinda works, but not really) and I've tried polishing the die faces (no difference). It's not a real big deal, but if someone has a simple solution for my aggravation, I'd love to hear it.
Oh yah, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!
 
I keep a new wirebrush next to the press. When I remove the billet to put back into the forge I brush the hell out of the dies, then put the dies under pressure 2 to 3 times and brush again before the next heat. Do you per heat your dies before you start??
 
I have been using more and more closed containers for damascus lately. My forge and press has never been so clean. Use light gauge sheet metal and have your local sheetmetal shop bend the containers in standard sizes. Load them with the steels and weld the seams and lid. a small peice of cardboard under the lid will burn the trapped air and prevent scale inside before the steel is up to welding heat.
 
Hi,
I use a little dab of beeswax after the die is preheated.
Then occassionally retreat after knocking the scale off with a glove or wire brush. Yes, it really works.
Happy squeezing...Ken
 
I just swap dies from a welding to a forging set that don't have flux hanging on them. Got tired of trying to quick clean the welding set.
 
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