Xref: utzoo rec.org.sca:4698 trial.rec.metalworking:18 Path: utzoo!telly!attcan!uunet!sco!daveu From: daveu@sco.COM (Dave Uebele) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca,trial.rec.metalworking Subject: Re: Blacksmithing Message-ID: <7317@scolex.sco.COM> Date: 31 Jul 90 18:10:41 GMT References: <1823@otc.otca.oz> Sender: news@sco.COM Reply-To: daveu@sco.COM (Dave Uebele) Organization: The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. Lines: 49 In article <1823@otc.otca.oz> wayner@otc.otca.oz (Wayne Robinson) writes: > > I use borax, but I can only weld on a "new" fire. After a few hours >I just can't get it to welding heat. At least I can't burn the steel:-). >A blacksmith friend on mine has the same trouble with hip portable forge >so it could be a design fault. What do you people use as flux? > > Wayne. It is certain nice to know there are other blacksmiths out there. I personally prefer electric glue (arc welding) to forge welding, mostly since I've already invested considerable time getting the hang of it. I've played with forge welding once or twice without too much luck. One these days... Anyway, my friends who forge weld have made several comments about fluxes. You can use the borax you find in the store (used for laundry) but it has problems. It has too high a water content. It tends to "dance" around on your piece as the water boils of. Borax is one of those chemicals that can "store" water in its molecular structure. Try a welding or pottery supply place for fluxs that contain borax. These should just spread and coat the piece being fluxed. I've also heard you can use fine sand (melts to silica) or rice hull ash. A couple of things about fire tending. One reason you might be able to weld only on a "new" fire is if you are not cleaning out your clinkers. Most coal has some compounds that don't burn and then tend to collect in the bottom of your fire, restrict your air flow, and pull heat out of your fire. I dug a clinker out of my fire the other day that had formed a whole circle around the grate. I'm not if I could describe clinker finding in your fire over the net though, it has a different feel to it when you probe with your fire rake. Use a sharp point to on your rake or other fire to tool probe around. It has a glassy feel to it, usually pretty hard and sometimes a little sticky. Once you pull it out, it have kind of a bulbous look and once it cools, it is hard and brittle, lots of colors, browns, blacks, and reds. Coke is more "spongy" much lighter. After you dig out the clinkers, try to pack the coke back in, pack more coal around the edge and give it a medium to strong blast to help the fire get re-established. For ease of fire starting. I generally smother my fire with green coal at the end of the day and let it smolder awhile. The next morning, I have a nice pile of coke to start the new fire. I generally start a little fire with newspaper and kindling. Once that is going I add small pieces of coke and increase the blast. As that gets going, add bigger pieces of coke and start banking the edge of the fire with coal/water about the consistency of thick mud. You should have a nice fire going by then. -- Dave Uebele uunet!sco!daveu or daveu@sco.com