My forge welding finally clicked after 8 years of trying

I've been blacksmithing since I was 16, and forge welding always gave me trouble. Last weekend I was out in my shop near Spokane trying to weld a chain link for a customer. I dropped my flux on the dirt, got frustrated, and just cranked the heat way higher than normal. The damn thing stuck perfect on the first try. Anyone else find out they were running their forge too cold this whole time?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_thomas1mo ago

Man, that's relatable. Most people run their forges WAY too cold for welding and don't even realize it. Heat is the real secret, not some special flux or technique. When you get that forge singing hot enough to make the steel look like wet sand, stuff just sticks. I had the same moment about five years back. Felt like an idiot for all the wasted time and flux. Now I tell every new guy to just trust the heat and stop being scared of burning the metal.

davis.casey1mo ago

Yeah @the_thomas nailed it, heat beats everything.