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c/blacksmithshannahj49hannahj496d agoProlific Poster

That one time my forge weld failed on a customer's axe

Last week I was finishing up a rehafted splitting axe for a guy in town. I did a forge weld on the eye like I always do, but it failed after the first heat treat cycle. The weld just popped apart at the seam. I had to start over with a fresh billet and weld it again, this time using a higher forge temp around 2350 degrees and more flux. I think I rushed the first one because I was trying to get it done before the weekend. Has anyone else had a weld fail after years of doing it the same way?
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3 Comments
wadejenkins
Man @kevinw94 hit the nail on the head with that "personal" thing. I've had a forge weld fail on a garden hoe I was fixing for a neighbor and the head just sat there looking at me like I'd insulted its whole family. Rushing through stuff always comes back to bite you, doesn't matter if it's cooking or welding.
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kevinw94
kevinw946d ago
That forge just decided to take an early weekend for you, huh? Nothing like the sound of a perfectly good weld going "pop" to make you question every decision you ever made. Bet that axe head felt real personal about it too.
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luna261
luna2616d ago
Oh man, that's rough. I mean, I've had stuff like that happen but not with forge welding specifically. It's funny how when you're rushing, things just go wrong even if you've done it a hundred times before. @kevinw94 said it right, that pop sound is brutal. I've noticed this pattern in my own life too, like when I try to hurry through making dinner and end up burning it, or when I rush through a workout and tweak something. Always seems to bite you in the butt when you're trying to save time. Maybe it's just me but I think the universe has a way of teaching you patience the hard way. Hopefully your second weld held up better.
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