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Mild Steel Bar Stock Forged from an Ingot
Mills roll steel ingots into bar between grooved rolls. Before rolling mills, and in any forge today, the same shapes are drawn out by hand: cut a billet from a low-carbon (mild) steel ingot, heat it, and hammer it longer and thinner, square first; then eight-sided and round in a swage block for round bar and rod, or flattened for flat bar.
Hand-forged bar is not as exact as rolled bar: measure it and allow for that. Mild steel does not harden when cooled in air, so the bar is left to cool on its own.
Advanced
A day per few metres
Instructions
1
1
Where the ingot comes from
Where the ingot comes from
The ingot must be low-carbon (mild) steel.
2
2
Light the forge
Light the forge
Build a deep, clean charcoal fire in the forge with the air on.
Materials for this step:
Charcoal - Lump10 kgTools needed:
Blacksmith Forge3
3
Cut billets
Cut billets
Heat the ingot to a yellow heat and cut billets from it on the hot-cut hardy, striking with the sledgehammer. Wear apron, gloves, glasses and ear protection.
Materials for this step:
Steel Ingot5 kgTools needed:
Hot Cut Hardy
Sledgehammer
Blacksmith Tongs
Anvil
Leather Apron
Welding Gloves
Safety Glasses
Ear Protection Muffs4
4
Draw out square
Draw out square
Heat a billet to yellow. Hammer it on the anvil face, a quarter turn after every few blows, so it stays square as it lengthens. Return it to the fire when it cools to red; never let it spark white.
Tools needed:
Blacksmith HammerBlacksmith TongsAnvilBlacksmith Forge5
5
Square bar
Square bar
For square bar, stop at the size you need and true the faces under the flatter.
Tools needed:
FlatterSledgehammer
Digital Caliper 6-Inch6
6
Round bar and rod
Round bar and rod
For round, knock the square's corners down to eight sides, then turn it in the swage block's round groove under the hammer until round. Smaller grooves give rod.
Tools needed:
Swage BlockBlacksmith HammerDigital Caliper 6-Inch7
7
Flat bar
Flat bar
For flat bar, draw the square wider and thinner on its edge and face, then smooth it with the flatter.
Tools needed:
FullerFlatterSledgehammerDigital Caliper 6-Inch8
8
Straighten and cool
Straighten and cool
At a low red heat, sight along the bar and tap it straight on the anvil. Lay it on the floor to cool in still air.
Tools needed:
Blacksmith Hammer
Straightedge9
9
Clean and measure
Clean and measure
Wire-brush off the scale, cut to length, and record each bar's size and length.
Tools needed:
Wire Brush SetDigital Caliper 6-Inch
Tape Measure10
10
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
Drawing out troubleshooting.
Flow
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Materials
2- 10 kgPlaceholder
- 5 kgPlaceholder
Tools Required
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