What is cold metal forging

DIY forged products: types of forged products, how to make a similar product with your own hands - Machine

What is cold metal forging

If you have purchased a plot of land, be it a house or a dacha, the question of registering the plot always arises. One of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry that shows the owner’s self-sufficiency and good taste is forged items. It can be either just a forged barbecue or entire compositions of forged products.

From forged metal you can make gazebos that are striking in their beauty; a bench or staircase will fit perfectly into any interior. Forged fences are made, even balconies. You can make a railing on the porch.

Today you can make all this beauty yourself; it is not difficult, as it might seem at first glance. The fact is that these things can be created without resorting to the services of a forge. You can use DIY cold forging machines right at home. And photos of forging clearly illustrate the results.

Types of forging machines

For cold forging work, special machines are used. Moreover, each curl or bend requires its own machine for cold hand forging. They are:

  • With manual drive;
  • Electrically driven.

The first ones are used when it comes to small amounts of work. They are easier to create. Their downside is low productivity. Drawings of a forging machine with your own hands will clearly show the entire process of their assembly.

The latter will be necessary if we are talking about the continuous production of forged products. They have much higher productivity, and do not need to exert physical effort - the drive is carried out by an electric motor.

For those who are just taking their first steps in making forged items, it makes sense to start with a machine called “Snail”. A do-it-yourself forging snail will be an excellent assistant when making a gate and a bench.

If the first steps have been completed and there is an interest in developing the chosen direction, you need to move on to mastering the torsion bar machine. With it you can achieve the use of non-standard approaches to the execution of forged products. Your things will acquire individuality - you can diversify the products produced.

Cold forging stages

  • Although the process of making forged items is very exciting, you need to remember that this process must be carried out in a certain sequence.
  • To understand the sequence of technological actions, you need to know the stages of forging or the elements of forging yourself:
  • Draft.
  • Broach.
  • Firmware.

The draft is necessary to increase the existing metal workpiece from the side by reducing the height. It is performed under fairly high pressure.

Broaching reduces the cross-section and increases the length. The workpiece needs to be heated, then “passed” with a hammer.

Piercing is the creation of holes inside a workpiece. The holes in the workpiece itself can be made of different sizes and diameters.

After the stages of upsetting and broaching, the structure of the item becomes more fragile. It is important to take this into account in the future and be extremely careful when working with the product, since the item can simply be broken.

Step-by-step instructions for forging

All forged items can be made with your own hands right at home. It will not be possible to make special patterns, however, you can make all the basic elements yourself. It is important to follow all stages and technology.

There are several technological stages:

  • Checking all calculations. Even minor inaccuracies can spoil the entire final result. Correcting errors will be very difficult, and often impossible.
  • Assembling a decorative composition.
  • The elements are fastened together by welding. However, it is important to remember that it can cause damage to small decorative elements.
  • Processing of the resulting product - by sanding and painting the entire resulting product.

Disadvantage of cold forging

The only disadvantage of cold forging is the inability to correct errors during the process. If the workpiece is damaged, then it will have to be thrown away, at best, as scrap metal, or kept as a souvenir and used for training in the future.

The whole point of cold forging is that the metal is not heated, but is bent by processing in a “cold” form. This is how the metal is given the desired shape.

The advantage of cold forging is the absence of the need for special equipment, as well as the absence of the need to use fire-hazardous equipment; the manufacturing conditions are acceptable for any person with any health. The use of high temperature conditions is not required.

DIY forging photo

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DIY cold forging secrets

What is cold metal forging

RUSENUKR

Most of us know what forging is, but at the same time we imagine a flaming forge, a red-hot metal part and a blacksmith in a heavy apron hitting the workpiece with a huge hammer.

All this is true, however, this idea concerns the so-called hot forging, but there is also cold forging.

This method of working with metal does not require the workpiece to be heated in order to process it, so it can be used even in an apartment, not to mention garages, country houses and other unsuitable premises.

Cold forging of metal can bring additional income.

Do-it-yourself cold forging is not only a hobby that helps pass the time, but also an opportunity to create unique products that will not be embarrassing to decorate the interior of your home, make a beautiful fence and much more.

Apart from this, if you master this craft well, it can bring you extra income.

Do-it-yourself cold forging of metal will require some initial investment if you want to truly master the art and fully work with the material. It is the combination of accumulated experience with suitable equipment that can bring many pleasant moments into your life.

Features of cold forging of metal and places of application of products

Friction and lubrication during cold forging and cold extrusion.

Cold forging of metal has a special effect on the material being processed; it not only changes its shape, but also simultaneously strengthens its structure. This method provides better strength for the product than casting or stamping.

Passing through special equipment, the metal rod not only changes shape, but is also pressed during bending, which allows the finished product to become much stronger.

True, for inexperienced craftsmen this is rather a minus, since if they bend the rod incorrectly, it will be more difficult to correct the situation than to start over with a new rod.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0_BY3qVDwM

It is precisely these properties of products made by cold forging that allow them to be used as:

  • elements of the home's exterior decor, such as railings or cornices;
  • grilles for protecting window openings of houses and various institutions;
  • fencing the site (fence) or its elements (forged gates and a wicket in a country house);
  • special metal furniture both for use inside the house (chairs, tables) and in the garden (benches, swings);
  • elements of interior decor (fireplace grate, shelves, flower vases).

Equipment for cold forging of metal with your own hands

Types of forging.

If earlier a limited list of tools and equipment was used for cold metal processing, then over time, work experience and new technologies made it possible to invent and create a fairly decent set of specialized tools that significantly expanded the horizons of blacksmiths' skills.

Thanks to this, even an inexperienced craftsman can create beautiful products from metal rods. Moreover, much of the necessary equipment can be created by cold forging masters themselves; there is nothing overly complicated about it. What equipment do you need to get to work?

  1. The bender is probably the main tool for cold forging in any metal workshop. Its task is to bend the metal rod at the desired angle that you set in advance. He will also help you make arcs of the radius you need from blanks.
  2. The snail helps create a spiral from suitable blanks. An element such as a spiral can often be found in the products of metal craftsmen. Snails can be either purchased or homemade. The radius of the spiral is chosen by the master and can be anything.
  3. A flashlight is a more complex device that makes not individual elements from single rods, but a whole complex. The name suggests that this equipment helps to make a metal element of lanterns from several intertwined rods. The flashlight is also suitable for creating such a product as a basket made of metal rods. The material can be used in rods of various diameters and cross-sections.
  4. The wave helps the master make curved elements, as evidenced by the very name of the instrument. From rods of any profile and size you can make smooth sinus-shaped elements of future decor.
  5. Twister is a lot like Flashlight. It is designed for weaving various rods around a longitudinal axis. That is, it is used to create some kind of braid or volumetric decorative elements.

If cold forging with your own hands is not just a temporary hobby for you, but a business to which you want to devote a lot of effort and time, then you need to acquire this equipment. And over time, perhaps your skill will require even more complex and professional equipment. But the listed list of equipment is the required minimum. Moreover, these tools are easy to make and use.

Manufacturing products using cold forging

Cold forging machines.

It’s quite easy to make some simple decorative compositions with the help of a suitable tool, even in an apartment. It is only necessary to follow certain stages of work:

  1. The first step is to understand exactly what you want to do. That is, make a detailed and clear sketch, which should reflect all the important details and indicate the dimensions. It is also necessary to correctly correlate your desires and capabilities, that is, to understand whether the equipment that you have can fulfill your plans.
  2. The next step is to calculate the required quantity and quality of material. Buy the number of rods and the brand that you need for the job.
  3. When starting work, be careful when setting the equipment parameters; a small mistake is enough to damage the product, which will be more difficult to fix.
  4. Having prepared all the necessary elements, proceed to their assembly and fastening. Since the rods are quite thin, be careful when welding so as not to damage them.
  5. The last step is the processing of the already assembled product. This usually requires sanding and painting. It’s even better if you treat the surface with a suitable primer before painting.

The financial aspect of such a hobby

Cold forging requires quite significant costs, and you should be prepared for this if you decide to try your hand at this business. The main costs are in three areas - materials, equipment and product processing.

  1. Various metal rods are used as materials for cold forging. Their cost varies quite a lot, but, for example, to make an ordinary flower stand you will need twigs worth 1.5-2 thousand rubles. Naturally, the more complex and rich the design, the more blanks will be needed to manufacture it.
  2. In order to save money, you can make the equipment yourself, but we still advise you, if not immediately, then over time, to purchase professional equipment. It is much more accurate and durable than amateur crafts.
  3. Processing the assembled product will also require costs. At a minimum, you will have to spend money on paint, and possibly on primer and varnish.

In addition to purely financial costs, you will need to allocate a lot of personal time, since in order to achieve significant success in the field of cold forging, you will have to gain the necessary experience. In addition, do not forget about finding a suitable room for work, storage of materials, equipment and finished products. The room does not require special conditions, but it is advisable to place it separately from living rooms.

But if you are planning to make working with metal not just a hobby, but an activity focused on selling your products, then all your expenses will undoubtedly pay off. You will not only be able to sell your products, but also decorate your own home with decorative metal products, improve your summer cottage or country house. It is in your home that you can expand to its fullest extent, since it is the house and the garden that absorb the bulk of products made by cold forging.

Source: https://stroystory.ru/kovka/process/6677-sekrety-holodnoj-kovki-svoimi-rukami.html

Do-it-yourself cold forging as a separate art form

What is cold metal forging

Recently, the demand for exclusive products has increased significantly. One has only to look at a forged gate or grille, and one immediately gets the impression of luxury and wealth. Many people are interested in how to make products using the cold forging method with their own hands, and it turns out that it is not at all difficult.

Cold forging is a method of forming metal products under pressure. This method consists in the fact that the metal is not heated before deformation, but is bent using special machines. Forged patterns will decorate garden fences, stair railings, windows or entrance doors. Simplicity and low cost will allow anyone to quickly master the process and independently bring their ideas to life.

Using the cold forging method you can create incredibly beautiful products.

Purpose of forged products

Do-it-yourself artistic forging has firmly taken a leading position in the modern market. These products can be found not only on fences and gates, but also on beds in ordinary apartments. There are several types of products where forging is used most often:

  1. Gates.
  2. Fences.
  3. Lattices.
  4. Stairs.
  5. Gazebos, barbecues.
  6. Furniture and its accessories.

In practice, such a list can be replenished endlessly. After all, it is with the development of progress that forged elements can be useful for anything. What makes them popular is not only the strength of the material, but also its elegant appearance.

Due to such a great demand for forged products, one can’t help but wonder why people like elements of artistic forging so much. After all, metal is a cold, heavy material that is subject to corrosion in the environment. In contrast to these negative factors, there are many favorable ones:

  1. Durability.
  2. Exquisite beauty.
  3. Increased protective functions.
  4. Possibility of production according to any dimensions and sizes.
  5. Full possibility of imagination in manufacturing.
  6. Forged products combine well with other materials.

And this is not the entire list of advantages of forged elements. If we combine all the above expressions, then metal objects are durable, strong and very beautiful products.

History of the forge: description of cold forging

Forging is a process of processing metal to give it the desired shape, turning a blank (blank) into a product.

For people who are unfamiliar with the peculiarities of metal work, the word “forged” is associated with a forge, where a blank is heated from 800 to 1000 ° C and processed with a hammer to give shape. But in everyday life, items made by cold forging are more often used.

Pots, teapots, patterns on gates and doors, metal stands are made by deforming metal under pressure without preheating.

Beautiful forged elements can be created even at home without the presence of special expensive equipment

Cold forging is an easier, safer and more ergonomic processing method than hot forging. Main advantages:

  • equipment for cold metal forging is cheap and ergonomic;
  • low labor intensity;
  • quick job training, low qualification requirements;
  • the ability to create a unique ornament from basic elements.
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The downside is the limited working surfaces and materials: rods, sheets and plates.

Cold forging is one of the ancient methods of metal processing

Hand-made cold forging is historically older than hot forging. The first products were discovered in Egypt and Mesopotamia and date back to the 4th-3rd millennium BC. Initially, ore was used, which was deformable after being hit by a stone. Cold forging was used to make gold jewelry. Soft metal was easy to process with stone hammers. The oldest product was found in Egypt, it was made 8 thousand years ago.

Several centuries later, by observing volcanoes, people learned that high temperatures made it much easier to shape metals. They began to build blast furnaces and the profession of a blacksmith appeared. The Stone Age gave way to the Iron Age, and not only jewelry, but also dishes, weapons, and garden tools entered people’s lives. The principle of operation of the forge is still preserved, but the equipment for cold forging has been modernized.

Using modern equipment you can create products with a large number of forged elements

Basic tools for cold forging at home

The creation of a unique product always begins with material calculations and the development of a detailed work plan. The easiest way to think through the moves is to create scale sketches of forged products, write down the dimensions and select the necessary tools. The choice of material deserves special attention. The metal should be strong, but bend easily.

Important! Hardened sheets or rods cannot be used. Under the influence of temperature changes, the structure of the metal changes, it becomes brittle and can break under pressure.

There are two types of do-it-yourself metal forging - rolling (working with rods) and stamping (extruding sheets under a press). At home, the first option is more often used. To press sheets, you need to make a special blank for deformation. Common rolling tools: bender, snail, twister, wave and flashlight.

Cold forged elements can be used to decorate stairs

A bender is a basic tool used for bending rods at different angles. The spiral elements of cold forging are twisted using a snail. For shaping, it is best to choose rods with a diameter of 10-12 mm. Choosing a material that is too thick can significantly complicate the work of the master.

A twister machine is used to twist rods along the longitudinal axis. The wave, accordingly, is intended to create wave-like elements. The flashlight tool is used to work with several rods at once. They are installed on the equipment and bent by rotating the lever.

Unique cold forging technique

Using practical and high-performance equipment for forging with your own hands, every owner of a private house, cottage or country estate can create a beautiful and stylish decoration with increased functionality with their own hands.

The cold forging methodology actually assumes the ability to produce, using a machine and a pre-selected sketch, individual products and elements that can later be combined into one design:

  • twisted fences and patterned, stylized gates to decorate the entrance group;
  • unusual and airy decorations for residential or commercial buildings, baths and saunas;
  • skillful and elegant fencing for balconies and loggias, open terraces and recreation areas;
  • metal and stylish benches, garden furniture and individual furniture elements;
  • forged bases and decorations for the construction and installation of stairs between floors;
  • original and unusual decorations for free-standing and attached gazebos;
  • openwork lanterns and various grilles to highlight functional areas around the house;
  • forged elements for decorating an area for cooking over an open fire.

In addition to the opportunity to decorate your garden in a practical and unusual way, the cold forging technique can be used as an effective and profitable opportunity to start your own business and develop a profitable business.

Self-made homemade cold forging and individual products will perfectly fit into the concept of landscape design based on a combination of natural and natural materials and a combination of textures.

Disadvantages of metal elements

No matter how good people say about forging, there will always be bad things. Moreover, in this case, the disadvantages force many people to abandon forged elements and products.

Of course, the main and main disadvantage is the price. The fact is that most of such work takes a lot of time and effort. In addition, various expensive machines and the cost of the metal itself play a role. For example, if you compare a regular fence made of profiled sheets and the same fence with forged elements, the price can almost double or even triple.

The next and final disadvantage of forging is its susceptibility to corrosion. No matter how well the material is processed, the metal will always be poorly affected by humidity and dampness.

Types of products

If we consider the types and styles of forging, they offer enormous scope for creativity. This is one of the main advantages. You can make both simple and strict products, and more complex ones with elements of special bending and design. Whatever the type of product, it is always easy to combine and install with other building materials and architectures. According to the method of work, forging is divided into two types:

Despite the fact that both options provide the same product in structure, they differ greatly in price and features.

Cold forging

It is performed without heating the metal and, accordingly, is subjected to greater mechanical pressure. Usually they use special machines for cold forging, but there are cases when cold forging is done with your own hands in various homemade ways. There are several advantages of the method:

  1. Lower cost compared to hot.
  2. Availability of elements.
  3. Possibility to combine patterns using welding.
  4. More convenient possibility of making it yourself.
  5. Less exposure to work hazards.

Objectively speaking, you can find a negative side. Let's note a few disadvantages of the work:

  1. Restrictions on working with elements.
  2. More standard and geometric types of work.

We can confidently say that cold work will completely replace hot work in terms of price.

Hot forging

This type of forging was invented long before cold forging. After all, previously there were no powerful machines and other devices to bend metal without heating. However, this type is much more practical than the cold one.

When heated, the metal becomes more ductile, which means it is better able to stretch, compress and bend. When working with hot metal, you can make a more complex element than with cold metal.

The process of applying the cold forging technique

Having initially determined what can be added to the composition created on the site, it is necessary to prepare in advance for the independent production of functional or decorative decoration by purchasing the necessary equipment and materials.

Preliminary preparation of the project and sketch will help you strictly follow the drawn up work plan, saving your own time and producing exactly the product that will decorate the territory, giving it individuality.

Having prepared in advance everything you need for forging with your own hands, you can study several master classes and try to make several simple elements or simple structures yourself to gain practical experience.

Using the cold forging technique does not require large financial investments, allowing you to decorate your home and site with spectacular and functional structures or individual elements that will please the eye.

Torsion machines

Craftsmen recommend twisting rods for artistic forging without using machines at all. To prevent the part from bending at the end clamped in a vice, under the far end, you should use a stand with a small cutout on top where the rod should be secured.

Torsion machines

Rotary machines can speed up work and improve the quality of manufactured elements. Since the load greatly affects the support, the stand must be of increased strength, for example, channels welded together from one hundred millimeters.

The source material is held in place by a square frame. Due to the reduction in the length of the rod, you should carefully check the reliability of the frame. To do this, the tailstock is made of a sliding type. Cold forging of machines implies high quality, otherwise the product will be fragile.

Any tool for cold forging requires careful care, timely repair and adjustment. And hand-made artistic forging requires skill and discipline from the master. All circuits, forging machines and even homemade machines require order and cleanliness.

Source: https://tstmoskva.ru/uchastok/holodnaya-kovka-svoimi-rukami-kak-otdel-nyy-vid-iskusstva.html

Cold forging of metal is the processing of various types of metal

Cold forging is a special method of metal processing that is carried out without heating the workpiece.

  1. Cold forging technology
  2. Cold forging equipment
  3. Areas of use
  4. Advantages and disadvantages of cold forging

Cold forging of metal is used much more often due to the fact that this technology has a less labor-intensive process and more economical costs, in contrast to hot forging.

The essence of cold forging is that the bending of metal rods occurs mainly thanks to special hand tools and some machines.

Cold forging technology significantly increases the strength of the metal and its resistance to damage. This is due to the metal pressing process. Thanks to this, products made using this technology are distinguished by their durability.

Another feature of cold forging is the creation of stencils for the serial and precise production of certain parts.

Stages of manufacturing forged products:

  1. The stage of creating a sketch of a future product. At this stage, it is necessary to calculate the exact dimensions of the product, its shape and decorative elements. Thanks to the sketch, it will be clear exactly how many materials and what tools are needed for production.
  2. After acquiring all the materials and setting up the tools, you can begin creating individual elements. At this stage, everything is limited only by the master’s imagination. The main thing is to check the sketch of the whole workpiece so as not to miss anything.
  3. After creating all the necessary elements, you can begin to create the overall product by welding.
  4. The last stage is to bring the product into decent shape. It is necessary to clean the welding seams and paint the resulting product.

Before painting, it is recommended to coat the product with a primer.

There are three main types of cold forging: bending, embossing and pressing.

Cold forging equipment

Many people ask the question: “what is needed for cold forging of metal at home?”

The main equipment for cold forging is considered to be hand tools, welding machine, power tools and basic machine tools.

Hand tools include various pliers, hammers, sledgehammers, file sets, and vices.

Read also: DIY barbecues: dimensions, photos, forging

Power tools:

  1. The most important power tool is a DC and AC welding machine.
  2. Grinder – for cutting metal and cleaning seams.
  3. Drill or hammer drill – necessary for drilling metal. Reverse is required.
  4. Machine for grinding hard-to-reach places.

 List and description of so-called “machines” for cold forging:

  1. A snail is a device with which you can create products in the shape of a spiral. The maximum diameter of the processed rod is no more than 12 mm. If you make the machine yourself, you can process a larger diameter.
  2. Bend - with the help of this device, you can bend metal rods and tubes at the desired angle.
  3. Wave - thanks to this device you can create products similar to the name. Using equipment, you can process various workpieces (pipes, rods, hexagons).
  4. Twister - this device is necessary for creating twisted products along the longitudinal axis. A must-have tool for artistic forging.
  5. A flashlight is a device for interweaving metal rods to create certain products.
  6. Volumetric - a device for creating three-dimensional patterns on a product.
  7. Template – devices for creating arcs and circles.

All of the above “machines” are easy to use. However, if you start your own production, sooner or later you will have to purchase professional multi-profile machines powered by electric motors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x6adFRs—I

It is advisable to acquire a metal press.

Many professional blacksmiths advise creating these machines yourself.

You should not purchase multifunctional devices; they will fail much faster than narrowly targeted machines.

Areas of use

Cold forging technology is very popular due to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. Also, using cold forging, you can quickly create impressively sized products.

In most cases, the cold forging method is used to process metal rods and pipes of small cross-section.

The most common products using cold forging technology:

  1. Various fences and fences
  2. Decorative furniture for the site
  3. Security bars on windows and doors.
  4. Fireplace grates
  5. Various forged fittings
  6. Decoration of residential premises

Products made using cold forging technology will create a rich look for your home or countryside. The main advantage in the design of plots and park areas is resistance to natural phenomena. No additional care is required for cold forged products. It is enough to paint the surface of the product once every two years.

To create a more noble appearance, products are coated with various types of spraying.

To create these products, you will need to study the entire manufacturing process from start to finish and become familiar with working with the necessary devices and power tools.

In cold forging, the temperature of the metal remains at or below room temperature. In this case, plastic deformation of the metal occurs. Under the influence of external forces, the metal acquires such advantages as: increased strength and hardness, as well as the acquisition of protection against corrosion. In most cases, low-carbon types of metal are used for cold forging.

Advantages and disadvantages of cold forging

Advantages of cold metal forging:

  1. No high-temperature heating of processed workpieces is required
  2. The surface strength of cold forged products is much higher than that of the same hot forged products
  3. The accuracy of work performed during cold forging is superior to hot forging
  4. No further processing is required after the item is made
  5. High productivity thanks to the possibility of mass production.
  6. Cold forging equipment can be installed in any room
  7. Possibility of product aging
  8. Easy to use equipment.
  9. Economical.

Cold forging of metal is increasingly becoming a hobby option for owners of their plots and country houses.

However, this technology also has its drawbacks:

  1. During the processing of workpieces, it is necessary to expend significant effort to deform the metal
  2. Availability of specialized equipment
  3. Metal loses its flexibility
  4. Requires pure metal
  5. Simplicity of manufactured products. There is no uniqueness of handmade work, as with hot forging

If you engage in cold forging technology as a hobby, after gaining the necessary experience, you can try to open a business in this area.

With a good command of this technology and developed imagination, you can create truly beautiful products.

Source: http://solidiron.ru/obrabotka-metalla/kovka/kholodnaya-kovka-metalla.html

Cold forging of metal

Hot or traditional metal forging has been known to people for several millennia. A forge standing on the outskirts, a furnace blazing with heat, a heavy hammer flattening a red-hot workpiece on a massive anvil - this is the image of a blacksmith known to us from literature and cinema.

blacksmith craft

It takes many years to learn the intricacies of the blacksmith profession, and it takes a long time to gain experience. The work of a blacksmith is hard, harmful and very labor-intensive. In addition, the forge is a source of increased fire danger. All this scares away our contemporaries who want to try their hand at working with metal.

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Cold forging

But there is a way out - this is cold forging technology, which allows you to give rod or pipe blanks the required shape and create curved and twisted parts of a wide variety of shapes.

Why is cold forging used and what products are produced?

Using hot forging, you can forge a product of almost any shape - from a ship anchor and a cart axle to a metal rose and a grape vine.

Cold forging is used to produce a limited number of elements from which a talented designer can assemble a custom product.

Forged rose bottle standForged rose fenceForged products

A wide variety of products are made using the cold forging method. These are, first of all, elements of gratings and fences - both the rods themselves and the crossbars, tops, and decorations.

From a distance of several meters it is difficult to distinguish it from a forged lattice. Any lattice will be enlivened by curls and spirals that form intricate patterns and ornaments. An ordinary fence, therefore, in addition to its utilitarian purpose, also acquires artistic value.

For this you will need a bend, a snail and a torsion bar.

Wrought iron bench with table and lamp posts woven with vines

Forged stands for lanterns, railings for bridges over ponds, awnings and porches, tables and benches look great in the local area. And it’s a good idea to make the gazebo itself from a forged rod. Curls and spirals will give it unexpected lightness and airiness for harsh metal, and twisted supports will emphasize the upward desire.

Forged barbecues are also widespread today, also complementing the economic purpose with an aesthetic impression. The barbecue itself is lost among the canopy, patterned walls and supports, and the roof decorated with curls.

Parts of balustrades, staircase railings and balconies are also very popular. Curls and spirals are also widely used here, not only as decoration, but also as a structural element. A baluster twisted along the longitudinal axis looks very appropriate, and corner supports are often made from several rods twisted together. They also make the so-called on a torsion bar machine. “flashlight” - several rods bent in a spiral, connected at the ends by welding.

Fascinating wrought iron door handleWrought iron wall hanger in country style at the entranceExclusive wrought iron door deadbolts

The next area of ​​application of cold forging is details of room decor and furniture.

Door handles and latches, fireplace tools and hangers, umbrella stands and cornices for curtains and curtains - small curls and twisted rods are widely used here.

Furniture is made both for garden furniture, which is not afraid of precipitation and changing seasons, and for home furniture, combining metal with wood and fabric.

In industry, in art and home workshops, many metal processing methods are widely used:

  • Casting.
  • Hot forging.
  • Hot and cold stamping.
  • Mechanical restoration.

The main difference between cold metal forging is the use of the tendency of metals to undergo cold plastic deformation, or change in shape without breaking its integrity. The change in shape occurs under mechanical pressure exerted on the metal.

Cold forging technology has undeniable advantages:

  • Low labor intensity.
  • High performance.
  • Low energy consumption.
  • Low qualification requirements and ease of mastering work skills.
  • High repeatability of parts in a series.
  • The possibility of various combinations of basic elements to create unique designs, patterns and ornaments.

The cold forging method allows you to quickly and economically produce large series of identical elements, for example, parts of trellises or fences, and such a fence will cost tens of times less than when producing elements using the hot forging method.

Cold forging also has some disadvantages:

  • Limited set of operations and basic elements.
  • Limited choice of starting materials: square or solid rod, rolled profiles, metal strip.

Solid barProfile barsMetal stripSquare bar

In other words, if the required part can be made by cold forging, that’s good, if it is not one of the basic elements, then you will have to choose a different technology.

Basic cold forging techniques

There are several basic cold forging techniques:

  • Flexion. Includes simple bending of a rod or profile, bending in different directions, bending into a curl, ring or spring. It is implemented on machines such as bending, snail, wave, twister.

Bending process

  • Twisting. The workpiece or group of them is twisted along the longitudinal axis. Allows you to obtain twisted elements and tops in the form of lanterns. Implemented on torsion bar machines.

Curling process

  • Flattening. It involves bringing the shape of the end of a rod or pipe to a “houndstooth”, double-sided half-wave and “clean” appearance. It is performed on stamping presses and manual rolling mills.

Flattening process

Cold forging machines

You can make manual machines for cold forging yourself. To do this, you need to have a well-equipped workshop and average skills in metalworking and welding, as well as mechanical processing of metals. Particularly important components, such as the bed and the movable support of the bend, are made of high-strength steel and are difficult to manufacture without a drilling and milling machine.

If such machines are not at the disposal of the home craftsman, then it is better to place the production of the most important components in production.

Recently, leading domestic manufacturers of equipment for forging metal at home have been offering a wide range of hand-held machines at very reasonable prices.

Gnutik

The bending device is intended for bending operations. On the massive bed of the machine, located vertically or horizontally, two fixed stops are fixed - with pressure rollers.

Between them, in the groove of the frame, a movable stop is placed in the transverse direction, equipped with an overlay corresponding to the desired bending shape.

The workpiece is secured in fixed stops with pressure rollers, a movable stop is brought to it using a worm gear and, continuing to rotate the gear with a lever or collar, bending the workpiece at the required angle.

Gnutik for cold forgingGnutik for cold forgingGnutik device

If you connect an electric motor to the worm gear through a gearbox and equip the movable stop with limit switches, you can get a functional analogue of an industrial machine. This will require skills in the design of mechanisms and electrical devices and strict adherence to industrial safety standards.

Snail

The snail, or twister, is used to bend the end of the workpiece into a flat spiral.

The simplest design of a snail is a template made of a thick metal strip welded to a massive fixed base, repeating the shape of the finished curl with a small allowance. The end of the rod is fixed in the middle of the template, and using a bending lever it is sequentially pressed against the template from the center to the edges. The production of such a machine does not require expensive components, but working on it involves a lot of physical effort, and it is not always possible to achieve the ideal shape of the product.

Collapsible volutes with rotation Monolithic non-demountable volute Dismountable volute with rotation Removable volute design

A more complex snail design is equipped with a collar and a rotating ploughshare template.

The ploughshare consists of several links on hinged joints, which unbend as the shaft rotates. The workpiece is pressed against the ploughshare by a roller moving in a longitudinal groove in the radial direction from the drive shaft. The roller is pressed using a lever.

Up to five turns of a spiral can be wound on such a snail.

Wave

The Volna machine is used to make waves and zigzags. You can also assemble it yourself; you will have to buy or order from production only the most heavily loaded components - rollers, which are made of tool steel.

The simplest way to make a wave is to add a special wave collar to the volute with a collar and a rotating blade.

The central and bypass rollers are made replaceable so that the bending radius can be changed. A series of holes are made in the guide roller carrier so that it can be moved closer or further to the main one and thus change the wave pitch.

globe

The globe is used to form an arc of a fixed size with a large radius from a workpiece. Such elements are used as the top of arches. In the middle of the massive base, a bending lever with a pressure roller and a template for the future arc are fixed to the axis.

The workpiece is fixed at the beginning of the template and, moving the lever, the rod is pressed against the template with a roller, forming an arc. It is rarely used, in cases where it is necessary to create a large number of arcs of the same radius. It is easier to make a single arc on a bend.

Flashlight

The machine has several names - flashlight, basket, cone. All of them are torsion bar type machines. One end of the workpiece (or several workpieces) is clamped in a stationary mandrel, the other in a movable mandrel that can move along the longitudinal axis of the part. The movable mandrel begins to rotate using a lever, a gate or an electric drive. The workpiece is twisted along the longitudinal axis.

In this way, a very expressive texture of the surface of a single rod is obtained.

When working with several rods, they are fixed in a mandrel at an equal distance from each other and from the longitudinal axis. After twisting, the resulting spirals are welded at the ends together and an elegant three-dimensional figure is obtained for decorating the tops of grates, cornices and handles of fireplace accessories.

Twister

A twister is designed for winding volumetric spirals and is a piece of pipe fixed on a solid base, with a diameter equal to the required spiral. An eyelet is welded at the bottom - a clamp for the workpiece.

The winding gate has a slot for the workpiece and a stop that determines the vertical pitch of the spiral. By rotating the gate around the mandrel pipe, the master winds an upward spiral. By changing the overhang of the stop, you can change the pitch of the spiral.

Source: https://stankiexpert.ru/tehnologii/kholodnaya-kovka-metalla.html

Metal forging

Processing a metal part by changing its shape and size is called metal forging. As a result of forging, the metal is deformed and changes its parameters. There are hot and cold forging. Can be done with your own hands.

During hot forging, the metal is heated to the so-called forging temperature, it is different for different materials, for steel it is 800 - 1200 ºC, for copper alloys - 650 - 1000 ºC, for titanium and its alloys -900-1600 ºC, aluminum is deformed at temperature — 400-480 ºC.

Cold forging, that is, metal processing without preheating, is also widely used.

It should be noted that the widespread use of rolling and stamping equipment and the use of computer equipment has displaced forging from heavy industry. But, nevertheless, forging is used to create fences, jewelry, locks, knives, and weapons.

Nowadays the cold forging method is popular. Its use allows for savings on the maintenance of production space; with the widespread introduction of cold metal processing technology, there is no need to operate energy-consuming equipment, for example, a forge.

Previously, hot forging was the main method for the production of forged parts and products.

Parts and products obtained by forging are called forging

Hot forging

The metal is heated in a furnace to a temperature at which it loses its strength and becomes plastic. Next, the metal workpiece can be processed using impacts and other methods.  

But heating the metal has disadvantages:

  1. The workshop must be equipped with a forge or muffle furnace. This requires installation costs, equipment maintenance and fuel purchases.
  2. It is necessary to take safety measures, because forging metal involves the presence of open fire.
  3. The specialist must have certain knowledge and skills in hot metal processing.

Forging methods

  1. Manual;
  2. Stamping;
  3. Forging with hammers.

Forging is carried out using hand or mechanized tools. This can be either a sledgehammer or a press powered by different types of drives, for example, pneumatic.

This operation allows you to obtain parts with different dimensions, weights and shapes.

The use of forging increases the mechanical parameters of steel and improves its internal structure. That is why especially critical parts are processed using the forging method. For example, connecting rods installed on internal combustion engines.

Forging is divided into two large groups - hand and machine. For the first, a hand-held percussion tool or specially manufactured forging and pressing equipment is used. Presses and hammers are used for machine processing. Heavy and large parts are processed on presses, smaller parts are processed on mechanical hammers.

Hand forging should only be carried out in a specially equipped workshop. In addition to the heating forge, the workshop must be equipped with a ventilation system and an anvil. It is a significant piece of metal on which technological devices, for example, a horn or a matrix, can be mounted to produce calibrated parts. For the production of anvils, 45L steel is used.

With the help of an anvil, the forging of blanks is done by hand and gives them the desired shapes and sizes. Having a flat surface on the anvil allows you to machine flat parts.

Metal processing using impacts is divided into free forging and processing in dies.

The essence of free forging is to enclose the workpiece between the hammer (press) and the base. The required shape and dimensions are obtained by the machine operator using an auxiliary tool.

During stamping, the metal receives the shape and dimensions within the limits of the tool used for processing. To release the part, a new stamp is required. Stamping is an intermediate technological operation, after which the resulting semi-finished products are sent for additional processing, such as welding or drilling.

Forging equipment

Forging and pressing machines are widely used in industry. It is divided according to the following characteristics:

  1. According to the temperature of the workpiece being processed. For this technological operation, I use forging machines that can process both cold and heated workpieces. Machines of this class are used for processing flat and three-dimensional parts.
  2. According to the operations that can be performed on this equipment, that is, for procurement, main and finishing operations.
  3. According to the method of feeding or removing finished products from the working area of ​​the machine, in practical work they try to use devices for automatically feeding and removing workpieces and waste.
  4. By type of drive, it operates from different types of drives - electricity, compressed air, hydraulics.
  5. According to the main characteristic - the nominal force exerted by the press at the working moment.

Hot Forging Tools

Forge, anvil, sledgehammer and handbrake, pliers, shaped hammers, shperaks.

Induction heaters

Before sending a workpiece for processing using hot forging, it is necessary to ensure that it is heated to a certain temperature. This problem is solved using heating devices. As already mentioned, a forge or muffle furnace is used for heating, but there is another type - induction heaters. Parts pass through these devices and will be sent to stamping and forging operations.

Advantages of heating in an induction furnace:

  • reducing the cost of electrical energy and this is especially important during a time of constant increase in tariffs.
  • increase in work productivity, since heating workpieces in this way allows you to reduce the time required to heat the part.
  • allows not only to accurately position the workpiece in the oven, but also to optimally position it for more efficient heating.
  • no scale remains on the surface of the workpiece and this has a positive effect on the use of stamping and forging tools. This frees up production space.

Artistic forging

Used for the production of small-sized and elegant objects. Artistic differs from traditional in that it is not only a method of metal processing, but a kind of art. Quite often, parts obtained using artistic forging are used when decorating premises.

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Craftsmen who engage in artistic forging are able to produce a variety of products that can fit into any interior. It should be noted that the demand for such things is constantly growing and this is an interesting place for business development.

Source: https://prompriem.ru/metalloobrabotka/kovka-metalla.html

What is cold metal forging

Hot or traditional metal forging has been known to people for several millennia. A forge standing on the outskirts, a furnace blazing with heat, a heavy hammer flattening a red-hot workpiece on a massive anvil - this is the image of a blacksmith known to us from literature and cinema.

It takes many years to learn the intricacies of the blacksmith profession, and it takes a long time to gain experience. The work of a blacksmith is hard, harmful and very labor-intensive. In addition, the forge is a source of increased fire danger. All this scares away our contemporaries who want to try their hand at working with metal.

But there is a way out - this is cold forging technology, which allows you to give rod or pipe blanks the required shape and create curved and twisted parts of a wide variety of shapes.

Differences between cold forging and other metalworking methods

In industry, in art and home workshops, many metal processing methods are widely used:

  • Casting.
  • Hot forging.
  • Hot and cold stamping.
  • Mechanical restoration.

The main difference between cold metal forging is the use of the tendency of metals to undergo cold plastic deformation, or change in shape without breaking its integrity. The change in shape occurs under mechanical pressure exerted on the metal.

Cold forging

Candlestick, cold forging, welding for three candles, Andrey Begun

Cold forging is a technology that allows processing different types of rolled metal : strips, round and square rods, profile pipes - without preheating.

This method is characterized by higher productivity and lower labor costs than the traditional hot forging method. This section provides complete information about cold metal processing technology, the equipment used, manufactured products and elements.

To obtain detailed information about individual aspects, it is recommended to visit other articles on our site, links to which are included in the text.

Cold forging is the bending and pressing of metal blanks , performed by applying pressure to the parts, which is carried out manually or mechanically. Preheating of elements is performed in rare cases. In addition, the method has the following advantages :

  • processing of parts is highly accurate;
  • finished elements do not require additional processing operations: tempering, annealing and hardening;
  • absence of scale and other traces of metal heating.

Bending strips on a bend. Photo Firm Utica

The disadvantages of the technology are

  • limitations of manufactured elements, their standard shape and design;
  • complexity and sometimes impossibility of making adjustments to the configuration of the part,
  • the presence of special, often powerful equipment.

With your own hands

To independently carry out projects using cold forging technology, you do not need any special skills , unlike the hot method of metal processing.

The contractor will need free time, a place to place equipment and process workpieces, consumables for the manufacture of elements, their assembly and painting.

Bending a square on a bend. Photo Firm Utica

The process of producing cold forged products with your own hands includes several stages :

  • developing a sketch or borrowing a finished drawing;
  • drawing a life-size sketch in order to calculate the parameters of all elements and the required amount of materials;
  • cutting metal into separate pieces is done with a grinder;
  • bending and pressing of workpieces in order to obtain the required number of elements of the required shape;
  • assembly of parts into a single composition is carried out by welding or, in rare cases, using clamps;
  • cleaning of welding joints;
  • painting the product.

Detailed instructions for making some products and elements of cold forging with your own hands are presented in a separate article.

Forging business

Often, the hobby of producing cold forging products becomes the main occupation, which also brings in a good income . For those who are still thinking about opening their own business, it is necessary to list everything necessary for the manufacture of elements using cold forging technology:

  • a covered room with a canopy for placing equipment and storing consumables; many craftsmen equip a garage for these purposes;

Universal machine for forging and bending BlackSmith MB21-30. Photo ForgingPRO

  • equipment: universal mechanisms for the production of several types of elements or a set of cold forging machines used to create parts of certain configurations; For beginning performers, hand tools and devices are sometimes sufficient;
  • additional equipment for assembling and painting finished products: work table, welding machine, squares, spray gun.

Reference. Prices for equipment are not provided as costs vary and change.

Depending on the number of projects completed per month, business investments pay off in different periods. Demand and availability of orders are of great importance.

Equipment, machines, hand tools, devices for blacksmithing

Manual and mechanized equipment is used to release elements . To manufacture individual parts, the contractor will need the simplest devices, but it is more effective to use productive equipment.

Universal forging machine Blacksmith UNV2. Photo VseInstruments.ru

The entire range of equipment for cold forging can be divided into four groups , the criteria for classification are technical characteristics, in particular the control method and performance:

  • universal machines are characterized by high productivity, have an automatic control mode, and are used by employees of large companies;
  • machines for cold forging with manual (lever) control: snail, bend, wave, twister, flashlight, globe, for bending profile pipes, rollers for applying goose foot texture; a set of device data is used by both individual performers and employees of small workshops;

Snail type machine PROMA. Photo VseInstruments.ru

  • tools: hammer, forks, as well as a grinder and welding machine;
  • devices: jigs, mandrels, templates, stencils; it is also possible to include self-made cold forging machines in this category.

Buy

In situations where the contractor urgently needs equipment because he needs to start work, he should buy factory-assembled machines. Manual devices such as snail and gnut are the most in demand.

Globe (volumetric) machine for cold forging. Photo ForgingPRO

Products, patterns and elements, samples, where to buy

Purchasing or making your own machines will allow you to start working and producing various elements and products. Using cold forging technology, performers produce a variety of decorative parts from which it is possible to assemble objects for the interior, building facades and landscape design. Product photographs demonstrate the variety of solutions.

Cold forging and welding

Employees of many companies implement projects in the field of cold forging. Customers have the opportunity to buy ready-made elements to make almost any product. Samples of items can be seen on the websites of enterprises, which are presented in the “Where to buy cold forging products” section.

Source: https://kovka-svarka.net/category/holodnaya/

What is cold forging

Cold forging is the manufacture of products during which the metal does not heat up. The required shapes are obtained as a result of exclusively mechanical processing.

This type of processing allows you to fully automate the work. It is less labor intensive and at the same time more economical. The technological process consists of a sequential series of operations, for which special equipment and tools are used.

In this case, sheet or section metal is used as a basis for the manufacture of products. It is bent or cut out according to prepared stencils.

This greatly facilitates and speeds up the process of producing large quantities of items and reduces order fulfillment time.

The characteristics of a product produced by cold forging clearly depend on the reliability and quality of the equipment no less than on the professionalism of the craftsmen.

The manufactured parts are connected by welding. Additionally, to improve the decorative effect, various other technologies can be used: metal torsion or rolling.

What does cold forging give?

This technology increases the strength of the metal and reduces its ductility. The work of a specialist is greatly facilitated and simplified, requiring less skill.

The use of cold forging ensures accuracy and beautiful appearance of the finished product. For large orders, you can create completely identical patterns that will look like exact copies of each other.

In addition, it is with the help of this method that the original effect of metal aging can be achieved.

Things become more resistant to damage and shock, which increases their durability.

In addition, this is a fairly economical method, in which the product will be cheaper, but not at all worse than the product after the hot method.

Application of cold forging

Due to the fact that this method allows you to quickly produce fairly large products, it is especially popular when making fences, fences, gates, gazebos, various gratings and railings.

Such things can be safely used outdoors to decorate a personal plot, garden or the facade of a house.

However, the possibility of producing more elegant products for the interior is not completely excluded. Fireplace grates and flower stands, decorative vases or stools - all this is possible with this technology.

Copper plating or gold plating is often used to create original decor.

Source: http://kovkafm.ru/chto-takoe-holodnaja-kovka.html

Is it possible to forge metal with your own hands?

You can find forged products in various areas of human life. Window grilles, fences, lanterns, garden furniture and other products made through the forging process look elegant and attract the attention of passers-by. Even with the development of homemade technologies, metal forging did not fade into the background. She continues to gain popularity with renewed vigor.

Types of forging

Metal forging is a process that is used to change the shape and size of workpieces. Processing is carried out using special devices and tools. The workpieces can be heated or remain at room temperature. The process is divided into two methods - hot and cold.

Hot forging method

Hot metal forging involves the process of processing a workpiece after it has been heated. An increase in temperature is required to make the metal more ductile and pliable. The heating temperature depends on the type of material used. After heating it is easier to process the part. This can be done without the use of levers or special equipment.

To heat metal, forges are installed in workshops. Coke coal is used as fuel. It saturates the metal with carbon during heating. However, hot forging is not suitable for all craftsmen. This is due to increased costs for forge fuel and bans on the use of flammable equipment in garages.

Cold forging method

This is a metal processing process that does not require the installation of heating equipment and the expenditure of funds on the purchase of fuel. The blanks are connected by welding, and they are bent and pressed with special devices. Cold forging is a less expensive process that does not require additional workshop space or compliance with strict fire safety requirements.

However, the cold processing method has significant disadvantages.
Without heating, metal hardly changes its shape. To make work easier, the master needs to use manual equipment, the operation of which is based on levers. Mistakes made cannot be corrected. Hot forging or cold forging? My opinion based on the realities of our time.. Antikovka 9 9

Hand forged

Forging with your own hands is a labor-intensive process that requires a person to choose the right metal and tools to be processed. It is easier to use the cold processing method, but it does not provide the same capabilities as the hot method and does not tolerate errors.

Tools

Forging metal at home will require the craftsman not only to have free space and hand tools, but also additional equipment. They will make work easier, improve results and productivity.

For cold forging 

Equipment for the cold processing method is based on the interaction of material and levers:

  1. Snail. A tool for creating spirals from metal rods.
  2. Twister. A device on which an electric motor can be mounted. Designed for twisting two or more rods together.
  3. Press.
  4. Flashlight. A device for creating volumetric spiral parts.
  5. Wave. As the name suggests, this tool is used to give workpieces a wave shape.

We must not forget about the workbench, welding machine, beam, vice.
Special devices can be made independently or purchased. Cold forging - my machines and devices.

For hot forging

Hot forging of metal is carried out using other tools. Common list:

  1. Anvil. Work table for processing workpieces.
  2. Horn. Device for heating parts. It can be either homemade or purchased. It is important that it can be used to heat materials up to 1500 degrees.
  3. Shperaki. Special anvils for decorative processing.
  4. Hand tools. These include a sledgehammer, tongs, and a handbrake.

To perform decorative work, you will need a set of shaped hammers.
Blacksmithing. Blacksmiths. Hot forging. 1h .Shabalin Design

Metal for forging

The metal for forging must be chosen wisely. With a high ductility index, the workpiece will be easy to work with, but the strength of the finished part will be low. Non-ferrous metals lend themselves better to decorative processing. However, they are less durable than black ones. Forging steel and iron is popular. These materials are durable and inexpensive.

When it comes to choosing steel, you need to take into account the percentage of carbon in its composition. The optimal indicator is 0.25%. You also need to choose a material with the least amount of impurities in the composition, since they weaken the structure of the steel.

Forging highlights

Forging with your own hands requires a person to be attentive and careful. When working with metals, you must use protective equipment. The two main forging technologies are cold and hot.

Cold forging method

Cold forging of metal at home involves a simple technological process consisting of several stages:

  1. First of all, the master must create a sketch of the future product.
  2. Using the special devices described above and hand tools, a person needs to create the patterns that are present in the sketch.
  3. The last step is to assemble the parts into one structure. Ready-made patterns are located on the desktop. The master needs to connect them together using a welding machine.

It is enough to learn how to work with welding to successfully create a product using the cold method. After assembling the structure, the welding seams are cleaned and coated with a protective compound. The product can be painted in any color.

Hot forging method

The process of processing metal blanks using the hot method is more complex and labor-intensive. Stages:

  1. First of all, a sketch is created.
  2. The blanks are heated in a forge. The temperature is selected depending on the type of material used. You can heat the entire surface or heat selected areas that will be processed.
  3. Draft. Performed with hammer blows.
  4. Using a hammer, the length of the workpiece is increased.
  5. Shaped hammers can be used to bend hot workpieces.

If you need to twist two heated parts, a twister is used. When performing hot working, you need to know how temperature affects the visual changes of the metal surface. Blacksmiths who do not use thermometers determine the approximate temperature by eye.

For accurate work, it is advisable to buy an industrial pyrometer.
Forging a knife from a file with your own hands.
Hardening Forging metal is considered a popular method of processing metal blanks. Depending on the technique, it can be done by a person without experience in any available room.

It is advisable for beginners to first learn cold forging.

Source: https://metalloy.ru/obrabotka/kovka/metalla-svoimi-rukami

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