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Problem with metal splintering/crumbling.
June 10, 2015
12:48 pm
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Dreygan
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So I am trying to practice tapers and such, but I keep having this problem with the fine point splintering, or kinda crumbling like dry clay. Since I am just worried about form more than anything right now I've been buying my material from home depot. Is it a poor quality metal or am I overworking it in some way that is causing the crumble? I'd really like to get this figured out cause it is frustrating to be feeling good about what I'm doing, and then having it basically fall apart.

 

thanks for the help

June 10, 2015
5:24 pm
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Lee Cordochorea
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Tiny bits worked at too low of a temperature will indeed crack or split. Keep it at least a bright red when hitting it.

 

As far as the Home Labyrinth metal - it's extremely expensive. There are many places to buy A36 or 1018 for less than what the Labyrinth charges. Yes, you have to buy more to get the good price, but you'll go through it and you'll save lots of money in the long run. I get my mild steel from either Clackamas Steel in Clackamas or from The Steel Yard in Portland. I pay $0.50/lb at the one and $0.35/lb at the other.

No matter where you go... there you are.

June 10, 2015
5:43 pm
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Dreygan
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but i wanna be lazy.... lol. Yeah I bought some at the steel yard a while back. i should probably do that. Thanks for the input.

 

As a follow up, is there a way to fix it after the fact? would forge welding help it? or is it better to just cut my losses?

June 11, 2015
5:51 pm
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Lee Cordochorea
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Can't hurt to try welding it closed, right? Watch your heat closely on a small part - not much difference between "just right for welding" and "just burnt up & gone."

For small bits, I like to keep a block of steel next to the forge to use as an anvil. That way there's no heat lost walking from forge to the big anvil.

No matter where you go... there you are.

June 12, 2015
9:11 am
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Morgan A. Kirk
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*Writes down notes.*

I've had some splintering when working quite small, but it was dark so it was hard to keep an eye on the heat. (Could see the dull red known as black heat, yeah?) If you're using rebar, I've found that stuff can be rather touchy material, especially when working cold (like in the example before stated), so I suggest not using the stuff too much. If you watch your heat, though, it should work fine.

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June 13, 2015
1:48 pm
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Neil Gustafson
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When you are drawing a taper, start with a short taper at the end of your bar. When you draw a taper, the outer surface moves before the core of the material does. If you don't taper the end of the bar first the outer surface will be longer than the core, This is seen as splitting. You may also be forging too cold, when you loose the red colour, stop forging, start straightening (planishing), always put your material back into the forge straight.

Good Luck

Neil

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