The forgeability of steel really has much more to do with the metallurgy than the dendrites. Ideally (for the sake of having an aesthetically desirable finished product, you do not want to forge crucible steel at a temperature equal to or above that at which the dendrites would go back into solution. This was honestly not a great example because I did not get a full liquid melt. And to be sure, later forging this billet, it did end up fragmenting because there were inclusions within the bar that were not apparent from the outside.
Honestly it was nothing to see... just looked like plain 1095. My most recent crucible ingot (posted last night) has a faint, noticeable etch so I'll try to get some footage of that.
@@timberanvil3788 Thank you for the reply. Do you think the lack of visible pattern is due to the materials used, or the process? I've read that with induction, the currents "stir" the melt so it becomes homogenous. So I suppose it's not possible to make crucible steels with a visible pattern in this process? Maybe if a lower heat is used? Enough to fuse but not enough to fully homogenize? Sorry for the question, I'm really intrigued by these induction furnaces but I would like to make visible patterns, so I don't know if that's even possible. Thank you
So you're correct in that induction heaters stir the melt - I don't know that I'll be able to capture on camera how aggressive the stirring is due to how bright it is but take my word for it...IT STIRS!!! In the aim of getting a quality forging at the end of the day, this homogenizing is EXACTLY what you want. As far as the visual features of etching, I cover this quite thoroughly in my latest full-length video that I literally just posted so please check that out! Thank you for reaching out!
It absolutely was...but simultaneously heartbreaking that the forges are all cold and the workers long gone. This was the blacksmith shop that serviced a gargantuan steel mill that shut down in 1992.
If youre lacking in heat, and the crucible is rated for 3000°+, id recommend anthracite coal. Idk how many times ive melted my workpiece in my forge, leaving it in there 15 seconds too long😂 I believe with a blower, anthracite can reach temps of up to 4000° Hell it looks like the surface of the sun
Actually I've scaled down the size and am successfully brewing crucible steel in my induction forge. I would like to get back to the approach of using charcoal (for history sake).
It does but not drastically so in my experience. This coil was formed around a 1-1/2" diameter rod and I'd have no issue using it down to 3/8" diameter (frankly I went down to 5/16" in this video). The problem is breathing room. I initially made this coil 1" diameter and as I was forging a knife from some 3/4" diameter O-1 tool steel, I was really struggling to not hit the coils and short them as I forged the blade wider (it makes some sparks and the applied current drops to zero but it otherwise doesn't seem to impact anything). So I upped it to 1-1/2" and I find it to be fantastic for my most common material size (5/8"). I will make more coils - I have the material to do so but presently, not a huge need. Swapping coils takes less than a minute so really not a big deal. So far, the coolest thing I've made in this coil is a hatchet head from a RR spike - I forged the head down into the bulk of the spike - at a welding temp to avoid cold shuts, then upset the spike into the bulk, then found the center and forged against the corner of the anvil almost all the way through, brushed and fluxed then folded and forged welded the bar into a 5/8" x 1-1/4" x roughly 4". From here, I upset it down to about 3-1/2" by about 3/4" x 1-1/4", punched and drifted an eye then forged a hatchet. At a point, it became too wide to fit in the coil and I don't have one of an appropriate size so I fired up the propane forge and finished it...I need to make another one and do a YT video for it I suppose! Cheers! JD
BTW, I just finished editing a full length (16min) video demonstrating forge welding with this thing - it feels like cheating it's so easy! Thanks for watching!
This thing is a monster - my friend's forge maxed out at a 300g ingot - we tried scaling up but found we weren't getting full liquid... I'm willing to bet this can do a full pound (454g) ingot.
Yessir! Scored it for free from work - was used in past research and development work but hasn't been used in a couple years. I found out who I needed to talk to in order to legitimately acquire it and was given the green light. Didn't come with a chiller so I had to buy one ($380). WELL WORTH IT!!! This thing is remarkable!
Yeah full disclosure, I'm HORRIBLE about maintaining my shop...it just decays into a catastrophe over the months then I get my butt in gear to clean up. Honestly, having RU-vid playing on my TV in the background is a phenomenal help - I don't know why but I have no energy to do anything when it's quiet (I live alone). Cheers and thank you for watching!
Thank you so much for your support! I've been doing this for almost a decade! I feel I need to share the experience and some of my wisdom in hopes that others can benefit...or at least be entertained a little!
@@garybednarz and thank you for watching! I hope you learned something. I posted another couple shorts yesterday evening on actually using this forge and it worked brilliantly.
Unfortunately that entire crop failed - historic drought this year - it was too much to water every day. The wheat only got about 4-6" tall and never produced seed heads
That barn looks exactly like the inside of the barn in Titans S4E8 “Dick & Carol & Ted & Kory”, where Raven wakes up in the barn in the town of Caul's Folly.
wait till they find out that since the barn is over 100years old that they have to do the repairs to it using the same method and materials they did back then to build it.
That applies only if one wishes to restore to perfect, period-correct preservation. That's not my objective. I'm very grateful that the last several owners of this property didn't apply that mindset to renovating the house or my heating and air conditioning expenses would be staggering 😂
@@timberanvil3788 um no it depends on where you live really. Pretty it's more or less it's a county based law in the US but if you don't use period correct stuff could be fined if you live in an area within the us or a country with that kinda law. Mostly you find it in more big city areas rather than rural areas.
@@sartheemowolf not to worry, what you're talking about only concerns places on state or federal historical registers which my old barn is not. I'm not the first one here to make significant repairs to this structure. Three owners ago the roof was replaced from the original leaking cedar shingles to a more modern OSB sheeting with asphalt shingles on top. Quoting Wisconsinhistory.org "Myth #2: If my property is designated “historic,” I won’t be able to make any changes to it and I will have to open it for tours. Fact: Even if your house or building is in a locally designated historic district, you will be able to make significant changes to your property. Historic district zoning only regulates renovations that are readily visible from the street, and local design review generally allows flexibility for making rear additions to a structure. Historic zoning also does not impose any regulations on the design and use of a building’s interior. It is only if you receive tax credits or some type of grant for your rehabilitation efforts that your interior work would be subject to review and approval. Also, there is no law that will require you to open your house or building for tours, regardless of its listing on either the National Register of Historic Places or a local district designation."
@@timberanvil3788 just wanted to make sure and thank you for the information on if it was on the historical list where you live. I hope you get all your repairs done safely cause I'd hate to see a good barn end up too much disrepair.
@@sartheemowolf hey no worries! Trust me, I hate seeing beautiful barns go to pot - there's one about 1/2mi from me that's completely gone - damn near nothing but frame - surprised it hasn't blown over...and about 4mi away is a gigantic barn that's on its way out too...once the roof starts leaking all hell breaks loose - very sad to see beautiful old barns fall into disrepair but a lot of folks simply can't afford a professional roof restoration let alone siding. I'm beginning to look at siding this barn as the south wall is pretty horrible and the west isn't much better.
Thank you! Technically crucible steel - made that one in a class I took with Ric Furrer of Door County Forgeworks (look up video, "Secrets of the Viking Sword: Ulfbhert" (PBS documentary - that's him) - when weather warms up I'll be making my own!!!
Thank you! Don't know exactly but I'd guess 250# not bad. It's all good now. No incidents - haven't plugged it in to play yet but everything turns freely as it should!