Hammer vs press for laying down a weld - which actually gives you better control?

I been doing this for about 5 years now, mostly blades and hooks. Started out using a hammer for everything cause that's what my mentor taught me. Lately I tried using a press to lay down weld beads on a san mai billet and man the difference was wild. The press gives you this dead even squeeze but you lose that tactile feedback. Hammer lets you feel the weld set but you gotta be so careful not to cold shut. I'm torn. Had a billet delam on me last week using the press cause I think I didn't push the heat right. Any of you guys switch between both or stick to one? What's your call on a 4 layer stack?

2 comments

2 Comments

diana_bell7417d ago

Idk man, I feel like the press is only good if you really dial in your temperature control first. Did you push the billet all the way through the weld pass or stop short? Because I've noticed a lot of guys who start using a press just mash down once and hope for the best, which is why they get delams. With a hammer, you can feel that little shudder when the weld takes, and you can adjust on the fly. I'd say for a 4 layer stack, have you tried doing the first couple passes with a hammer, then switching to a press for the final squeeze? That combo might give you the best of both worlds without losing that feedback you need early on. Just a thought.

logan_schmidt17d ago

That shudder you're talking about is actually the scale popping off the surface, not the weld taking. I've watched a few billets under a mag light and the real weld happens when you see that orange line squish out on the third or fourth pass. So swapping to a press after a couple hammer passes might actually miss the critical weld timing, not help it.