I am hoping to try some forge welding eventually, but have a few questions first. Firstly i know anhydrous borax is the way to go for flux, but it also eats the forge lining pretty fast. My questions is will it eat the wool and upper lining due to fumes or is it just the molten flux dripping onto the bottom brick that eats it. If it is just the bottom brick i am not concerned too much because i have a large quantity of boiler bricks I can replace. I would however hate to have the vapour eat the wool in the sides and upper lining since my forge is new and i do not want to have to rebuild it any time soon. Also if it is mostly just the drips, my thought was to fab up a small stainless drip tray basically that would cover the bottom lining of the forge. Does anyone think this would work? I really want to try some welding and maybe some small damascus but i dont want to ruin my forge either. Any advice here would be greatly appreciated.
Grayzer, I'm not sure if the drip tray will work (maybe for a while), but I recently watched a video forging crushed W's and in the video he explains that the borax only ruins the bricks here's the video link http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=8vYW44iLP78 hope this helps somewhat!
the flux eats the cao wool where it drips only.not the fumes.i put some kiln cement on the bottom of my forge and it seems to protect it well.tmr.
I agree. Have only has an issue where it drips. You could buy some kiln shelf and cut to fit the bottom of your forge. Use it as a sacrificial piece. I've been using my coal to weld and propane to just work and shape it.
Thanks for the replies guys, I have quite a quantity of 1 inch thick boiler bricks that are about 4x16 so i may just throw one of those in the bottom and see how it works.
Brandon I have been down this road many times. I have used special motar,stainless steel, special brick and at high temperatures borax will eat them all sooner or later. Most likely sooner than later. Vesuvius makes a motar called SUPER 3000 and it works the best of anything on the market. I coat the wool inside my forge with it and it works to stop the borax from eating it. This is a premixed mortar and is available from Alliance refractories in Calgary or Edmonton. I comes in a pail that weighs about 55 pounds. Google it and get the PDF spec sheet I tried to attach it but it is all garbled. This only thing that I have found that will work and give lasting results. I have a pail of it and if you want some the next time you are in town give me a call and I will give you some.
Thanks Cal, i had not heard that product mentioned before. I know some guys have used bubble alumina, ITC 100 and other types, but all had problems with eating the lining. If i can track down some more wool i may just end up making another forge and dedicating it to welding (or attempted welding most likely). Thank you for the offer also, i dont end up in Regina all that often but if i do i will give you a call. Thanks again guys.
Hey guys sorry to but in like this but you got me wondering about something now. I bought some "20 mule team borax" is that ok for flux or should I get the anhydrous borax?
thats all I've ever use as for lining most of it's at the bottem but I seem to get alittle flux everwhere in my forge, dont ask me how maybe I'm just messy... but I do have a mix of high fire grog and koalin clay covering the insulations, it's not much but forms a hard shell that seems to slow dont the insides from wearing down!
