Cold forging - an alternative to hot?

People have long noticed that the warm up can forge metal into almost any shape. Forged products look great in any interior. They can be an element of decor as wooden and stone cottages.

Among the owners of private houses, there is hardly a man who would not want to have a wrought-iron fence, railing or staircase. But despite the many advantages, the product obtained by means of hot forging - a process in wherein the metal under the action of high temperature become plastic due to the high price available not all. However, there is an alternative - cold forging. Its main advantage is not only low price, but also the availability of technology for self-repetition.

Cold forging - a process in which the metal is not exposed to heat, and is attached to the product form due to its bending, crimping and welding multiple blanks.

Some experts believe the name "cold forging" is not quite correct. According to them, by forging process can be called only plastic deformation hot metal. Nevertheless, the name stuck. Moreover, users

FORUMHOUSE They believe that in some cases, cold forging can be a worthy substitute for hot forging. So whether it actually will be discussed in today's material.

Especially cold forging

There is a widespread belief that the product obtained by bending out monotonous, more like a factory stamping, delivered to the stream. However, practice shows that with proper approach, using the cold forging can create true works of authorship.

Most often by cold forging do:

• bars on the windows;
• elements canopies, canopies for railings and the input group;
• Decorative elements for fences, doors and gates;
• curly legs for tables and chairs;
• decorative elements: stands for flowers, fireplace grates, framing pictures, mirrors, etc.

Often under Art - hot forging, issued products obtained by cold deformation of special equipment, hereinafter welded into one unit. For example, the fence elements, fence or gate. Moreover, the uninitiated person, immediately and does not understand in what way the product was manufactured it.

Leshy 2 (FORUMHOUSE user):

In my opinion, forged elements formed by cold deformation (bending), do not look worse at the same elements performed manually - hot forging. And cheaper.

Kholmoff (user FORUMHOUSE):

Cold forging allows you to use a rather simple set of equipment to create standard elements - torsion bars, roll peaks, volute, spatial bending elements. And then, by combining this set (of about 10-15 species of typical elements) to create complex patterned products. Master the bending process can be any person who owns plumbing tool, it would wish.

Conventional geometric shapes, in combination with curls and waves may look very nice in the metal because the most complex of any pattern composed of a plurality of simple elements.

A significant advantage of cold forging, hot forging to - high performance. For work that requires a lot of space. There is no need to equip and foment forge, pounding a hammer on an anvil. Changing only the snap-in, you can quickly create a variety of elements, but to connect nodes need good master welding business.

Kholmoff (user FORUMHOUSE):

I once I was doing cold forging and learned to cook semiautomatic two days.

Gameday recommend to start practicing in the cold forging with simple products. It is necessary to "fill the hand", to understand the behavior of the metal during bending and then move on to more complicated and large-scale works.

To obtain a good result, the process of cold forging should be divided into a number of successive stages:

• The idea and the statement of the problem.
• Schematic sketch ideas by hand on paper.
• Accurate portrayal of the product, or by hand, or in a graphics program.
• A breakdown of the whole product into separate simple elements.
• Simultaneous, or printing on the printer, the product units in full size.

Some printers support printing a poster, t. E. print of a large image on A4 sheets, then they just have to stick together.

• Calculation of the required amount of material.
• Manufacturing of the individual elements.
• Grinding and assembly (welding) the individual elements into a unitary structure.

Despite its apparent simplicity, the occupation of the cold forging requires a thoughtful approach and smart calculation of all the details of future products. FORUMHOUSE experts recommend - to visualize ideas to prefabricate the individual components of a wire real size. This will help to understand how the various elements are combined with each other and in time to correct errors or to find a better combination of patterns and the individual elements.

The main elements obtained by cold forging, are:

• Feet and peaks. These elements are rolled from a metal rod.

• Curls. Includes: volutes, Czerwonka and snail. At the volute, or, as it is called donut, the ends are bent in one direction. Czerwonka like the $ sign. Snail resembles a comma.

• The rings are made of rod, round or square, wound on a special holder. Obtained kind of spring steel which is then cut into rings.

• Torsion. One of the most common elements. It is obtained by twisting one or more rods.

All these elements can be done by combining all three of the process.

It:

1. Extractor hood. Through this process, by reducing the cross section of the workpiece, it increases in length. Thus, the tabs are usually prepared and the peaks, which were placed in a special metal or raskatochnye the pressing machine. Due passing the workpiece through the rolls, and the progressive reduction of the distance between them, the material is rolled. Also on the rollers may be applied to the relief notches which impart certain surface texture of the workpiece.

2. Torsion. Metal (strips or bars) are twisted along its axis. Spinning can be one, two, three, or more workpieces. For this purpose one end of the preform (or preforms) are placed in a vise and the other begin to rotate along an axis. If you roll a few bars, and then tighten them by applying force along the axis, they will disperse the arc. Get thickening of intertwined twigs called "Torch" or "basket".

3. Gnuto. Metal bend on a special machine using templates.

To bend the metal in different planes, you simply snap and uncomplicated machining equipment. On the market there are many tools for cold forging. But because of the high price of their purchase is only justified if further profit planned. Novice master, dealing with the cold forging "for himself", may well do homemade machines bending metal.

At first, you can do a simple jig and mandrel inserted in the usual bench screw. For example, to make the torsion bar can be clamped end of the workpiece in the vise, and then put it on the pipe, and with a ratchet, twist the preform along its axis.

Alexei62 (FORUMHOUSE user)

All the tools for cold forging (other than the machine) can be improvised.

Cold forging is most often used the following tools:

• Gnutik. With it, the workpiece is bent at a certain angle.

• Snail. With it, the blank is folded in a spiral. By changing templates, you can change the bending radius.

• Lantern. it device It reminds snap lathe. With this tool, the metal billet intertwine with each other to produce the same name element.

• Wave. The operating principle of the instrument is clear from the title. With it, the metal is attached to an undulating surface. The distance between "ridges" of the waves and their height can be adjusted depending on the machine configuration.

• Twister. Twisting the strip or rod along the longitudinal axis.

The principle of operation of all these machines is quite simple. It is based on applying of a certain force to the workpiece through the levers, leading to deformation of the metal. Gnuto machined metal occurs manually. To facilitate the work, some machines are equipped with electric motors, which increases their price. Many home masters prefer to manufacture machines for cold forging alone. Also, with the advent of the experience, and the increasing complexity of products, we have retrofitted machines of various accessories - patterns, conductors, stops, stops.

This opens up a lot of room for creativity. Each artist makes adaptations to suit your needs. It is important to respect the principle of reasonable sufficiency. Often, the most beautiful products can be made using a minimum of tools.

Secrets cold forging

One of the main issues novice master: "What is the metal for cold forging?". According to members of the forum have to bypass local metal bases, and get acquainted with the list that they offer. the most common "black" metal is used for cold forging. Coil size bands - 14 and width 16 mm, thickness 4.2 mm. Bars - a square with sides of 10 mm. Such material is easy to bend. Thicker material, e.g. 20h4 mm strip may have to be cut first.

Alecko7 (FORUMHOUSE user):

The square of the rolls is now often sticks to the cold, so the output have the cold-worked is very hard metal. It is necessary to anneal. Also, when the cold forging is necessary to consider the fact that the generation of fake metal can "play" by changing its shape.

After all the blanks are made, they are assembled and welded, which is convenient to use a special assembly table. Before welding, the finished products must be cleaned.

Advice from FORUMHOUSE: before welding, the electrodes can be warm / dry in a special termokofre or ordinary household oven. This makes them stay longer heated and the moisture gain in the harness that improves the quality of welding.

Just a Ded (user FORUMHOUSE):

I recommend the assembly table lined like notebook "in the box". This will help quickly and correctly, without unnecessary time-consuming measurements, arrange all the details. The presence of clamps required! It worked well the so-called - with parallel clamp jaws. They allow you to "crawl" in hard to reach places.

When assembling the structure on the table, the master just need a "third hand", which is used as quick-clamp or clamps.

Finishing touches becomes a painting of the finished product. This step is very important. Even the most beautiful pattern can be spoiled by sloppy finishing. And there are some recipes.

Cosolapyj (user FORUMHOUSE):

Products obtained by cold forging, advise cover patina. It will emphasize the texture of the material.

But branded patina is expensive. Therefore forumchanin he offered his - "budget" recipe patina. He takes the silver powder or gold paint, fills it with varnish for metal or wood. Next, we take a small brush, and stir the mixture, (silverfish not yet settled) in a circular motion lightly touching the workpiece patiniruem it.

Another secret forumchanin: decorate the products obtained by cold forging makes rust.

Cosolapyj (user FORUMHOUSE):

If the metal is not rotted through, the corrosion touched, it becomes spectacular texture and does not require additional decorative surface treatment.

This product looks "antique", as if he had more than a dozen years, and not a remake.

Cold forging process is fascinating, it is necessary only to try to put work and effort. As the saying goes: "Who is sick metal - it's forever." The reward will be the same unique decor items made with their own hands!

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