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Pro tip: preheat your anvil before you weld on a hardy tool, or you'll hear a pop you won't forget
Was in the shop last Tuesday welding a new hardy tool out of a chunk of 4140 when I heard a loud pop and felt heat hit my face. I'd laid a bead straight onto a cold anvil and the plate cracked right at the toe of the weld, sending a hot flake past my ear. Now I run a torch over the anvil face for about 30 seconds before I tack anything onto it, no more pops. A guy named Ray at the Columbus guild meeting showed me that trick years ago and I got lazy on it. Anyone else have a preheat routine they actually stick with, or do you just roll the dice like I did?
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angela20425d ago
A hot flake past your ear is insane. I flinched just reading that. The pop alone would've made me jump, but feeling heat hit your face means that piece was moving with real force. You got lucky it missed. I've heard guys say cold anvil + hot weld = trapped moisture flashing to steam, and the anvil acts like a big heat sink pulling the weld cool too fast, which sets up stress right at the toe. Thirty seconds with a torch sounds like cheap insurance compared to a trip to the ER. I'm not rolling those dice.
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