Mike Ferrara wrote:
Don, if you're refering to my use of the term "fagot weld", it's a common name for welding 2 or more pieces of stock that are stacked as appsosed to other types of welds like lap, jump, forked, split... ect. Other names that are sometimes used for it are "lump weld" or "pile weld". I don't know where the name came from but I suppose that these days it's safer to call it a lump or pile weld. If you scarf the ends like smitty does I suppose it's sort of a cross between a fagot weld and a lap weld maybe? I don't know if scarfing the ends works better or not (I don't make that many bar shoes) but I just taper the ends slightly, overlap them and weld it that way. It seems to work ok.
When I practice welds like that I just take old shoes or any other odds and ends I have laying around. I fold a piece over on itself or bend it around untill the ends meet and weld it up. Some smiths recommend doing at least one weld every time you have a fire going to stay sharp. Using s**** makes it a little easier, faster and gives you a way to test your welds. To test the weld. put it in a vice and twist or bend (at a red heat or even cold) and see if it holds up. If it was really welded it should stay that way through quit a bit of abuse. You probably wouldn't want to do that with a nice shoe after you get done forging it. IMO, you should test your practice welds because there are welds and then there are "glue jobs" that can almost look like welds.
what tells me mike is when i can get to reset the bar shoes
2 or 3 times if you can do this your weld is not to bad
we use to think years ago you need the iron as hot
as you can get it infact in the coke fire we wer
told not to bring it out until you see the starlights
this is not the case
a true heat is most inportant and wer you hit it
its not how hard you hit it its wer you hit it
then it depends how clean you want the scarfs
your own preference
i like to see a nice strong bar
wouuld you agree mike