First time and really confused

Gahagan

Gahagan

Well-Known Member
Ok I am forging out some Damascus for a guard. I did the initial stack, cut, ground, stacked, forged, cut, ground, stacked, forged. I did this 3 more times and on the final on it is refusing to weld. Has this ever happened to anyone? I have pulled it apart. resurface ground it welded it back together and try to forge weld it 3 time already and it is just not doing it. What could be the problem?
 
What flux are you using and how hot are you getting it? How do you know what temp it is to weld? Are you welding in bright light and can't judge the temp or do you have a pyrometer? How long are you soaking the billet?
 
Ok I flux with mule team 50 borax. I eyeball the welding temp in a dimly lit shop. I look for the flux and metal to be swirling and then wait a little longer to make sure it is heated all the way through. I then pull it out and hammer it moving all the way up and down the bar and then flip and do the other side. I have done this often and this is the first time I have had bars completely refuse to weld.
 
The welding color is called "white hot" It's actually a bright lemon yellow. The flux will be sizzling like bacon frying. You only have 5 seconds to weld it with light taps under the hammer and then put it right back in to bring it to welding heat again. It will take several heats to assure a solid weld by hand.
You didn't say what steels you are using.

I wish you would buy some anhydrous borax instead of 20 mule team. Anhydrous flows so nice at a lower temp and easily covers you surfaces where 20 mule will foam up and not flow well before scale is able to form.
 
One guess, not knowing the alloys involved, could be that you have ground into layers that have high chromium content and they don't want to go together. See if you can get it to stick by putting a shim of a plain carbon steel between them.

Doug
 
I got them to weld today. I fluxed them and let them sit for about 15 min. I then hammered them lightly and repeated another 4 times. I have never had this much trouble with a bar hopefully it wont happen again.
 
Actually my best source of pyrometers and thermocouples has been Ebay. The thermocouple should be ceramic shielded and the pyrometer should be good for 2400-2600°.

Doug
 
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