Historical / Traditional forgewelding with SAND (Scarf weld) (After 6 months of inflammation) 

That's true, for the people reading this ... "White Quartz sand" or "Silica Sand" is used to lower welding temperature and keep the iron from oxidation to make a clean welding surface. The sand forms a reaction with the iron-oxide (Wüstite) that forms on the surface. When the metal is starting to sweat ... we sprinkle some sand on the 2 pieces that we are about to weld. The silicon in the sand reacts with the wustite to form fayalite, which melts just below the welding temperature. The impurities can be driven out of the weld when done properly ... and it all results in a very strong forgeweld. Note that without the correct deepness of the fire, more oxidation will occur and the iron will burn faster than it will melt. Sand is the oldest flux used in history for performing forgewelds, even though sand works perfectly fine ... sometimes iron filings are added. Anther old flux are wood ashes, but the technique is much more like applying borax ... the iron is heated to a yellow heat and then wood ashes are sprinkled on the pieces (don't be to frugal with it ;-) push the coal away, put the iron in the fire and then bury the pieces with the coal again. (no fresh coal ... i mean the cokes that are already smoked out) Only then the pieces are slowly heated to welding temperature. I hope this is helpfull for anyone 😉

Hahaa you want to see a break test .... you made me curious ... i'll send you a video from the break test🙃😉

The industrial revolution began in western europe in the 1350s after the great plague. Workshops became more widely mechanized. Forge welding is very strong when it's cleanly made, and it's still done by nasa and other highbtech companies, because it will weld together most metals, for exemple titanium and steel, copper and aluminum... Tho because these metals are finnicky with oxygen and impurities, the weld is done in a vacuum. The technical term is diffusion bonding. Iron oxides are very forgiving and will melt at a somewhat low temperature, especially with a flux. That's why primitive methods will work for welding iron together.

@@jeanladoire4141 There were no significant signs of the Industrial Revolution in the late 1350s. I’m sorry but that is incorrect information. It did not reach the Nihon Rettō and Ryniku Archipelago region and its cultures till the late 1860s. I agree that scholarly debate over the beginning of the IR exists, however, the accepted historical consensus for the Industrial Revolution is 1760 to 1840…Feel free to check that and if you disagree please explain your findings, cited literature, and why you think so... Your date suggests you are confusing the IR with the Renaissance period of European history. Though less debated, the Renaissance has a scholarly consensus spanning 1300-1600 for its beginning and end encompassing many wonderful developments within the arts and technologies of the time… To be clear and validate to some degree, I work professionally within the…folk styles…of historic restoration arts from stone carving and ceramics to timber frame architecture, woodworking, and even textiles. This also includs what I would call basic blacksmithing vernacular metallurgy skills as well. I come to places like this because I do not possess the tools anymore and I'm very pleased with the skills I'm seeing develope amount the next generation of artisan trades people like Simon...

@@JayCWhiteCloud no, there was a proto industrial revolution in western europe in the mid 14yh century, and there are PLENTY of proofs of that, just visit any old water-mill, or old forge, water-powered mechanical hammers start being a thing in that period, where production of steel, paper and all kinds of materials increases SIGNIFICANTLY. Look at any medieval manuscript, there is a BIG différence between early and late 14th century in equipment. Before that, steel was much less accessible and expensive. After the 1350s whole armies start being equipped with whole suits of armors. It's during that period that the workshops of Milan (northern italy) started increasing drastically their production, exporting their équipments across europe. Italian-made armors were used trough France during the late 100 years war. Also it's during this period that crossbows with steel prods were introduced. I focus on improvements in metallurgy because i'm a blacksmith, but it's évident that there was a surge of mechanization and production in the 1350s and i have always heared that it was a proto-industrial revolution. I've never heared of 1600s IR tho.

@@jeanladoire4141 Your “proto-industrial revolution” in “western Europe” is called the Renaissance in all known, and accepted academic circles of value to good information... f you wish to…” make up things”...you have that prerogative. Since I work in this field professionally and have not only designed, and restored but built period-specific “water wheels” I am going to trust my 40 years of pragmatic and practical "real world" experience and doing this work over someone’s…” I think”...reinvention and interpretation of history... There was production of steel in this period and that has nothing to do with it being part of the Industrial Revolution (I.R..) Water-powered “hammer mills” (of several I’ve seen and/or have designs for) again are millennia old and pre-IR and Renaissance both, and found in several cultures pre 1300s… As to looking at…” any medieval manuscripts”...I have corresponded with academics who study them and have examined them for myself. The difference you reference has no bearing on this being any type of I.R. but is part of the Renaissance period in all of Europe with very significant and variant discoveries made in steel manufacture. If (?) all you do is read, may I suggest actually “doing” more in the tangible before you draw erroneous conclusions based only on speculation of what “you think” you know and understand from “looking at” some texts? What is evident in this period in Europe is a mass exchange of information and growth, yet much of this was already known in parts of Asia and the Middle East before this period and being “rediscovered” during the Renaissance period by those in Europe, with much of it coming in with new ocean trade routes and the expansion of the “silk road.”

@@JayCWhiteCloud Very interesting to hear both of you lads, we often refer to the "HEAVY" Industrial Revolution as in 1760 untill 1840. I'd like to use methods before this period or just in the beginning, I don't use machines and so it is not heavy industrial... quite the opposite. In 1300, 1400 and 1500 was still the Late GOTHIC period in Flanders in Belgium ... Renaissance had it's peak in Italy at 1400 i think? Only afterwords the Renaissance became more common in Flanders. In 1300 there was already a very very early "industrial" period but we don't call it industrial cause there were no machines involved and everything was still relying on handwork and it's knowledge around it. This remained as the most important way of producing wrought iron untill the heavy industrialisation ... Only water powered or wind powered mechanical structures such as the old trip hammers, windmill saws, etc. were starting to be used and built. NOTE that every mechanical structure like this was made without the machines and thus (to me not considered as Industrial) even though it was starting to be commonly used to smelt and forge wrought iron in square bars and in a more efficient way with less effort. In this early period there were lots of villages in and around Liege that smelted and forged wrought iron in a better quality then before, because they could use the trip hammers to forgeweld smoother and faster. The smiths would forge day in day out on making meters and meters of iron.

Yes it is commonly used together in later periods ... great grandpa would be 1900s i guess? That is already industrial i think... in my point of view it's not really traditional, traditional would be before industrialisation. BUT in medieval times they did use a mix with iron filings and sand😉