Tools/forge/induction

Some of the tools at the Hackspace are potentially hazardous to use, for these tools members are required to have an induction before they can use them. Inductions provide the most basic information on how to safely and effectively use the simpler functions of the tools, we appreciate that some members may have professional experience on some of these tools and in this case please tell your induction provider and the induction may be very reduced and just cover any risks or procedures specific to rLab. Some tools have multiple levels of induction in order to cover more advanced uses of that tool without making the basic induction take too long, higher induction levels will introduce some of the more advanced features of the tools but as with all inductions are only intended to provide basic information on the capabilities of the tools and how to use them safely. Some members of rLab may be willing to offer more detailed tuition beyond basic induction level or offer guided practice sessions in exchange for beer money or assistance on their own projects.

For all tools you are only required to take level-1 induction before use, after that you may perform any task that you feel confident you can do safely, higher levels of induction may be useful to you in performing more advanced operations but are not required before doing tasks covered in them so long as you're confident of your ability to handle those tasks without risk to yourself, others, or the tool.

PLEASE NOTE : All induction providers are volunteers who are providing inductions to the best of their ability but are NOT qualified instructors. Inductions are provided on a best-effort basis but you and you alone are responsible for your safety while using the tools and for satisfying yourself that you can operate the tools safely. There are professional training courses available from various providers in Reading and the surrounding area if you feel they are appropriate for the level of work you intend to undertake. Reading these notes is NOT a substitute for an in-person induction.

Note for wiki editors : Please do not edit induction pages unless you are one of of the people that gives that induction

The Forge can heat beyond 1600 ºC, uses high powered electronics, has the risk of igniting metals and many other hazards, for that reason an Forge is compulsory before using the forge. Induction normally takes about 2 hours.

Safety

Topic	Detailed Contents	Rationale
Suitable Clothing	Old Clothes, they're going to get burn spots Overalls are best Avoid synthetic fabrics, they burn and melt Heavy, Steel Toecap boots are a very good idea, but at least stout shoes, no sandals, no open-toed shoes	Suitable clothing is essential for safety
PPE Required	Goggles are required at all times while forging. Hot scale can fly off the metal as you work it. Welding gloves or heat-tolerant work gloves - dop rods will get hot! Anti-vibration gloves if you're doing a lot of forging Ear protection while hammering	Good PPE to protect from specific hazards
Workshop hazards and mitigation	Good air circulation needed - doors open but only slightly, monoxide hazard and detectors - immediate shut-down and evacuate if they go off Heat buildup in the laser room Slip hazard from quenching oil Hazards of metals high in nickel, chrome, cadmium etc, and protection needed Arc-eye hazards of welding	Hazards other than fire that could impact the rest of the workshop
Fire risks	Fire and burns are the single largest hazard in forging. Clearing the area around the forge of all flammable materials, especially sawdust and the bins Be aware of hazards of flammable vapours and solvents, keep well away from the forge	Things that can cause fire
Dealing with Fire	What types of extinguisher to use on what sort of fire- CO2 or dry powder for electric fires Using fire extinguishers Calling for help, alerting people Consider if the fire is small enough to fight What types are suitable for what fires We cannot extinguish metal fires, use the vermiculite to smother or place on a safe surface Fire hazard from quench oil How to use an extinguisher	Have to be ready to deal with a fire if it happens
Burn treatment	Evaluating the seriousness of burns Basic burn first-aid	Shouldn't happen, but it's always a risk and people need to know how to deal with that

Theory of steel forging

[Draw the iron-carbon phase diagram on the board covering 0-1.5% carbon and 0-1500 ºC]

Topic	Detailed Contents	Rationale
States of steel and their properties	Ferrite - Soft, workable Cementite - Hard, Brittle Pearlite - Soft layered structure, normal resting state for most steels Austentite - High temperature structure, soft, malleable, workable, dynamic structure Martensite - Not a natural structure, formed by heat treatment, very hard, very strong quite brittle Spheralite and Banite - Useful industrially but we can't make them here	Need to know the basics of how steels respond to heat in order to know how to work
Critical Temperature	Is at least 727ºC and can be more depending on %age carbon Steels are generally magnetic below critical and non-magnetic above it. Steel is formed above critical temperature and plannished below it. Magnet can test for critical but learn to use colours Other alloys can have different working temperatures Bronze is much lower Stainless steel is higher Damascus steel is much higher	Vital concept for forging
Hot hardness	Is a measure of how easy to forge the material is, small changes in composition can cause large changes in hot-hardness	Key concept in working with different steels.
Heat treatment processes	Annealing Heat slowly to above critical temperature Soak till even temperature Cool as slowly as possible, utilising vermiculite Some steels have a thermal "no-go" zone where you can't linger, check the datasheet Results in a soft steel that's cold-workable Normalizing Heat slowly to above critical temperature Hold it there for some time, time depends on thickness and your patience Cool reasonably slowly Relieves stress and lowers risk of cracking subsequent treatments Not all steels can or should be normalised Hardening Heat to specified hardening temperature Quench in air, oil, water or brine according to specification sheet Leaves steel very hard and very brittle Too slow cooling leaves metal soft, too fast will crack it Tempering Heat to temperature and time specified in datasheet Reduces brittleness in hardened steels to make them useable	Basic ways to change the properties of steels
Heating Errors	Working a steel too cold - Very hard work and risk of cracking Working a steel too hot - Hard to control and risk of crumbling from hot-shortness	Knowing the serious errors and how to avoid them

Practical Forging

Topic	Detailed content	Rationale
Work Holding	Tongs Type of tongs we have Consider where to grip Keeping the tongs from overheating You can ask for someone to make special tongs if you need them, or make them yourself Dop Rods Much easier work-holding especially on items where you only work on one area at a time. Welding onto the dop rods Emphasize the need to use a LOT of weld material Need to normalize the welds What happens if we're not hot enough, or too hot! They are GOING to break, what to do when they do Watch for starting of cracks DO NOT TRY TO CATCH THE HOT METAL Pick it up IMMEDIATELY with grips, place onto hot-safe surface Allow to cool at least partially before re-welding Grind off any loose material and re-weld	How to hold work in a safe and effective way
Examining and setting up the Forge	Describe the forge and it's parts Visual inspection for loose pipes, coolant leaks & electrical faults	How to get the forge set up
Powering the Forge	Plug it in - Both the 3-Phase for the forge & regular plug for the coolant. Vent the radiator to remove air from the system. Turn on the coolant, followed by the induction forge	Hammering technique	Holding the hammer You need a grip tight enough to keep control but, Avoid a "Death grip" on the hammer, you'll wind up with sore fingers and it won't help Wear welding gloves for occasional use to protect against vibration, if you're forging regularly then get specific anti-vibration gloves Using your body Find a comfortable position, the anvil might not be the right height for you but do the best you can Aim comes from your arm, power comes from your shoulder Striking Positioning yourself so that the hammer strikes just as it come parallel Never strike directly on the anvil, they're both hardened and may crack Using a light tap every few strikes to "reset" you position What the different zones of the anvil do	Avoiding RSI and other injuries from the process
Shaping metal	Heating to a suitable colour, testing with magnet if you need to Don't touch metal to anvil till you're ready to strike Just get the feel of beating on the metal, try both hammers, see what it's like and don't assume you should use the heaviest you can Consider the shape we're working towards The need to come to both dimensions at once and not over-work in one direction Correct any error immediately, don't let them grow We can't fix over-thinning Looking at the metal as it cools, seeing what needs to change Drawing out using small hammers, large hammer on step, large hammer on side, edge of large hammer Cycling draw out and flatten Keep thinning, flattening, drawing out till target shape Try to get the surface nice, so you can do less grinding Plannishing below critical	Actually moving metal around with the hammers
Normalize and anneal when done	The need to normalize after forging to relax the metal Annealing to make it more workable for subsequent finishing operations Normalize for at least 2 cycles and maybe more for complex or precise shapes Fix geometry before cycles Using the vermiculite to slow down cooling to achieve maximum softening Furnace cooling is also an option and may be more controlable Using thermocouple to avoid any no-go-zone the metal may have	Post-forging treatments to make usable parts

Shutdown and clean up

Topic	Detailed contents	Rationale
Shutting down the forge	There should be no cooldown time needed. To be sure, leave coolant on while putting away the anvil - this should be sufficeint time for any residual heat to dissipate. Re-cover the forge and wheel the forge back to its storage. Sweep the area and return any displaced equipment to origional positions	Safe shut-down when done
Putting everything back for the next person
Problems	If you saw any problems with the forge, contact the maintainers If you got any good photos, upload them to wiki or post on Discord!	Keeping people updated on status