Just had a forge weld fail on a custom gate hinge at the worst time

I was in my shop last Thursday trying to finish a set of heavy hinges for a client's garden gate. The fire was perfect, the steel was clean, but when I pulled the pieces from the forge and set the weld, it just didn't take. I heard that dull thud instead of a good stick. The whole billet split right at the joint. I had to cut the ruined section out, re-prep the ends, and start the heat cycle over from scratch, which added about two hours to the job. Has anyone else had a weld fail when you were sure everything was set up right? What do you check first?

2 comments

2 Comments

keithwalker15d ago

Check your heat color right before you pull it. Sometimes the core isn't as hot as the outside looks. A cold heart will kill a weld every time.

wade76715d ago

My buddy had that happen on a railing bracket last month. He swears his flux was old and clumpy, so maybe check that first lol.