Forge welding
Forge welding is a solid-state welding process[1] that joins two pieces of metal by heating them to a high temperature and then hammering them together.[2] The process is one of the simplest methods of joining metals and has been used since ancient times. Forge welding is versatile, being able to join a host of similar and dissimilar metals. With the invention of electrical and gas welding methods during the Industrial Revolution, forge welding has been largely replaced.
Materials
Forge welding between similar materials is caused by solid-state diffusion. This results in a weld that consists of only the welded materials without any fillers or bridging materials. Forge welding between dissimilar materials is caused by the formation of a lower melting temperature eutectic between the materials. Due to this the weld is often stronger than the individual metals.
Temperature
The temperature required to forge weld is typically 50 to 90 percent of the melting temperature. Steel welds at a lower temperature than iron. The metal may take on a glossy or wet appearance at the welding temperature. Care must be taken to avoid overheating the metal to the point that it gives off sparks from rapid oxidation (burning).
Applications
One of the most famous applications of forge welding involves the production of pattern-welded blades. During this process a smith repeatedly draws out a billet of steel, folds it back and welds it upon itself.
Another application was the manufacture of shotgun barrels. Metal wire was spooled onto a mandrel, and then forged into a barrel that was thin, uniform, and strong.
In some cases the forge-welded objects are acid-etched to expose the underlying pattern of metal, which is unique to each item and provides aesthetic appeal.
Flux
Often a flux is used to keep the welding surfaces from oxidizing, which would produce a poor quality weld. The flux mixes with the oxides that do form and lowers the melting temperature and the viscosity of the oxides. This enables the oxides to flow out of the joint when the two pieces are beaten together. A simple flux can be made from borax, sometimes with the addition of iron filings.
Early examples of flux used different combinations and various amounts of iron fillings, borax, sal ammoniac, balsam of copaiba, cyanide of potash, and soda phosphate. The 1920 edition of Scientific American book of facts and formulae indicates a frequently offered trade secret as using copperas, saltpeter, common salt, black oxide of manganese, prussiate of potash, and "nice welding sand" (silicate).
