Just a side note to all this. As much as I hate to admit my own ******ity, I was actually using the wrong flux.... It was a wonder I got any of those bars to stick!

I've been working on my forge welding more and have had better results with the correct flux

Hey smitty, got any stories like that?....

When useing the coke forge you can weld with out flux Brian
and if you want to be fussy just throw a bit of flux

just to tidy your scarfs up
glad to see you got the grips with welding in the gas forge

Smitty, I tried to PM you, your box is full.....

Thanks i will check it out

Should be ok now

I'll get it out....

I've tried a couple of welds without flux but I didn't find it easy.

If the joint is CLEAN, all you need is heat and pressure. Get the metal hot (plastic) and molecularly close and you have cohesion.

Oxidization (scale) and steels that need to be worked far below the melting temp of the scale are what complicates the issue and that's where the flux comes in.

Mike my test to recieve my certificate from my school ,was we had to weld a barshoe and use sand as flux. Worked of course, now I know everything works in a coal forge!

Gary Hill wrote:
I think sand is one of the "traditional" fluxes. Now days it's probably easier to find a box of borax in the grocery store than it is to find "clean" sand.

So here I am back to square one again.... Went out to the shop today to practice my forge welds.... Four bar shoes and at least twelve attempts at welding later, not one complete.

I am beginning to think my gasser is not hot enough. Someone suggested that the weather could be a deterring factor (barometric pressure) It's raining and has been for over 15 hrs. :confused:

Any thoughts... On the weather thing? I don't get it. Sometimes I have no problem getting a stick, sometimes I can't get one to save my life. Got frustrated, pulled about sixty clips and called it a day....

Practice, practice, practice.....

Hard to say Brian. The heat in some gas forges is marginal and some might not do it at all. I have a NC wisper and I can weld but I have to let it run for a while and get good and hot.

I'd rather use my coal forge when I have a choice. There is no doubt that a well designed gas forge can get hot enough and some of the knife smiths build some real hot rods.

Brian Purrington wrote:
http://www.horseshoes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3217&highlight=forge+welding

This is one thread with a lot of good tips on welding. It helped me get mine going the right way.

Mikel