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PSA: I think the 'forge welding is always a nightmare' talk is overblown
I used to struggle with it for years, getting maybe 1 good weld out of 5 tries. Then I spent a solid month just practicing on scrap mild steel, focusing only on heat and flux control. Now, after that focused practice, my success rate is more like 4 out of 5. The biggest change was ignoring the 'get it white hot' advice and instead watching for a specific, bright yellow sparkle on the steel's surface. Has anyone else found that the common wisdom on forge temp for welding is just plain wrong?
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terry6775mo ago
Right on, that sweating stage is the real deal. I had the same trouble for years until I started working with an old propane forge that had a bad thermostat. I realized that if I cranked it to what people call "white hot," I was burning the flux off too fast and the steel was just sparking out. So I started pulling the piece out when it was a dull orange and just letting the flux start to bubble and roll, then I'd tap it. That moment when the flux goes clear and the surface gets that oily look is when you get a solid stick almost every time now.
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the_elliot5mo ago
Yeah, I read something similar in an old book from the library. It said the 'white hot' thing is a sure way to burn your steel and ruin the carbon content, which makes the weld brittle. They talked about that quiet, shiny surface you mentioned, calling it the 'sweating' stage. It made way more sense than just going by color alone. I mean, every forge and set of eyes is different, right? Following that old advice was what finally got my chain links to hold.
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