Just found out that a forge weld requires WAY less heat than I thought

I was reading an old blacksmithing manual from the 1800s last night and it said forge welding works best at around 2300 degrees F, not the 2700 I've been cranking my forge to. No wonder I kept burning my steel on the anvil. Has anyone else been overdoing their welding temps?

3 comments

3 Comments

brian_rivera5913d ago

Bright cherry red" and "white heat" are about as reliable as my ex telling me she's just "going out with friends." Yeah, sure, maybe in a perfectly dark room with calibrated eyeballs, but in real world shops it's a joke. I've welded under fluorescent lights and in direct sunlight, and the color is completely different every time. You're way better off using a temp gun or even just getting a feel for when the steel starts to "dance" or sparkle at the right heat. Carbon content matters too, but if you're burning your steel like a charcoal briquette, you're definitely cooking it too long. So yeah, those old timers probably got it right in their dark little sheds, but I'll take a thermostat over a "it looks kinda cherry red" guess any day.

ray36313d ago

Funny you mention that manual, because the older books sometimes refer to "bright cherry red" or "white heat" which can mean different things depending on the lighting in your shop. A lot of guys weld by color, but daylight versus a dark forge shed changes everything. 2300 is a solid target, but I've found the actual temp depends on the steel's carbon content, too.

kim81913d ago

Huh, so are you saying the old "cherry red" guides are basically useless if you're working under fluorescent lights or outside? Because I've seen guys swear by color matching and it seems like it would be way too subjective. How do you even tell the difference between a good welding heat and just getting the steel too hot if the lighting messes with your eyes?