Кованые калитки и решетки становятся все более popular. In addition to protecting against intruders in the house, they also perform a decorative function. Traditionally, blacksmiths gave shape to steel products, preheating them to high temperatures (to red light). To organize a full-fledged smith at home is not always possible for a number of reasons. An alternative may be cold forging. With your own hands, you can easily assemble a device for bending steel rods and strips in a cold state.
В старину люди, которые ковали металл, enjoyed incredible prestige among fellow villagers. Some even referred them to sorcerers: the process of forging steel products was so effective and revealing. This profession was considered prestigious. In our century, the age of high technology, the work of a blacksmith, perhaps, is no longer the ultimate dream of young people. Many people do it as a hobby, for the soul. But still the work of a blacksmith is very important and necessary. The industry has mastered the production of a wide range of steel grades. It became possible to shape the metal, avoiding hazardous work with open fire. This method of forging was called cold, and everyone can organize a workshop of cold forging. For this, a barn in a country house, a garage in the city, and even a basement room of an apartment building will be suitable.
If desired, and available time decorativelattices and decoration for the fence can be made by hand. Cold forging, as the name implies, does not provide for preheating the billet to temperatures sufficient for recrystallization processes. So, this process is not so expensive, more technologically simple, eliminates the risk of fire, burns and severe injuries.
As already mentioned, cold forging does not imply metal heating. This means that you can significantly reduce the process, make it safer and more economical.
Even if there was previously no experiencemetalworking works, either in cold forging, making a bending machine with your own hands is not difficult. All you need is the necessary tool, desire and determination.
Yes, this process is quite simple and easy.done by hand. Cold forging, of course, is a good alternative to the traditional blacksmith craft. But the possibilities of such a process are limited.
In the cold state can be processed far fromall steel and alloys. Thus, high carbon steel (with a carbon fraction of 0.65) is difficult to deform in a cold state. Special alloy steels are also very elastic. In this way, they usually treat ordinary steel with a low carbon content, sometimes structural low carbon steel. Moreover, the workpiece (rental) must have a cross-section of a small area. Otherwise they will not be deformed.
During the deformation of steel in a cold state(at room temperature, and indeed below the recrystallization temperature), a huge variety of defects of the crystal structure arise in its structure. On the one hand, this leads to an increase in the strength characteristics (the so-called phenomenon of metal hardening), and on the other hand, the steel becomes more fragile. If the steel is heated, then the redistribution of the atoms of the lattice occurs (point defects are eliminated).
Summarizing, we can say that the mainThe advantage of this process is the simplicity and possibility of doing it yourself. Cold forging, on the other hand, degrades the performance of steel.
Although the work of a blacksmith is considerabledegree of handwork, most of the operations is still impossible to do without the use of assistive devices for cold forging. With our own hands, without the use of ancillary devices, it is hardly possible to twist the rod into a uniform spiral (the so-called snail is used for this), to make bends of a given curvature (a tool is a gnome). Devices, as a rule, are made universal and can work with rental of various sections.
The design of the fixtures is quite simple, andtherefore, they can be made in the home workshop with their own hands. Cold forging machine can also be made by yourself. It is even better than buying ready-made equipment. However, it should be noted that the working parts of such equipment must have high wear resistance. It is best to use high-strength die steels for these purposes, or tool steels. Otherwise, the device will quickly become unusable.
In the blacksmithing concept of "machine" and"Adaptation" have one meaning. The principle of operation of devices and machines can be reduced to the following. The workpiece is installed in the appropriate slot. Next, the free end of the bar is wound up using the auxiliary lever and rollers in the desired direction. Sometimes this kind of machines and accessories are equipped with a mechanical and electric drive. But in this case it will be a full-fledged industrial bending machine, and not a machine for cold forging with your own hands. Such equipment is very expensive. It can also be equipped with a CNC system.
This device is not difficult to collect theirby hands. Cold forging equipment is intended for rolling rolled bars. One end is fixed motionless in a vice, and the other is fixed in the cartridge. The cartridge is driven either manually or by means of an electric drive.
The original ponds can have very different lengths.Therefore, when designing and assembling such a machine, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of moving the vice in the longitudinal direction. Moreover, the course of the vice must be free in order to compensate for the reduction in the length of the workpiece when twisting.
According to external signs and constructiveSuch features are similar to the machines for pipe bending. Performance is quite low. At the same time, the load on the operator is quite large, as a result of which fatigue comes quickly. For this reason, the base must have greater rigidity. On one snail, you can get several different turns. The pinch roller suffers the greatest load, for this reason it should be made of high-strength alloy steel. It is allowed to be manufactured from carbon steel, but with subsequent hardening of the surface layer by the methods of chemical-heat treatment: nitriding, boriding, aluminizing. As such a roller can be used roller bearing, as it is made of special bearing steel SHKH15 and is able to withstand very high contact loads.
This pattern is the most commontool for giving steel rolled the required form. Working with such a device is elementary easy, and all operations can be carried out without help, with your own hands. The dimensions of the cold forging cochlea can vary and depend on the bar of which diameter and length it will be necessary to forge (bend).
There are many designs of snails.But they all have an extremely simple design. The easiest way to make a piece of wood, and then edging it with sheet steel. Such a design with frequent use will wear out quickly. However, for the home workshop is the best option.
This equipment belongs to the categorysemi-professional. The hardest thing to make the mold itself. To do this, most likely, you will have to contact a specialized engineering company. If the stamp has a complex developed forming surface, then it should be machined on a 5-axis CNC milling machine. These services are not cheap. Therefore, if metal forging is just a hobby that can be done on weekends, it is not advisable to buy such equipment. If the forging of metal is the main source of income, the business, and the equipment is loaded with work, then in the end you will still have to partially mechanize manual labor. Such equipment also allows you to significantly increase productivity.
The working matrix is installed on a special hydraulic press. If the budget is limited, you can make a welded structure and equip it with a jack.
Each of the listed devices cando at home. However, it is better, of course, to commission the manufacture of individual critical parts and components to specialized metalworking companies. This will make the product more expensive, but at the same time ensure its reliable operation. Therefore, it is better to give these works to an outsource than to do everything yourself. Cold forging metal on good and reliable equipment will be a pleasure.
To build the machine will need the following tools:
Before proceeding with the assembly, it is necessary to draw a general design drawing, as well as working drawings of individual parts.
Both the machine itself and its equipment can bedo it yourself Both cold forging and other operations related to the processing of steel and giving it the necessary shape need certain skills and abilities. Assembling the machine yourself, without the help or even consultation of a knowledgeable person, is unlikely to succeed.
Cold forging workshopsequipped in very small rooms. And therefore, it is important that equipment and machine tools are universal. In other words, in order to save space and money, it is recommended to manufacture such machines so that they can be fitted with various devices.
As a rule, several holes are drilled into the plate, to which different snails can be attached. The lever with a roller is attached to one of the corners of the table and is non-replaceable.
On the side of the machine are the fingers for the installation of the beater. By replacing the rollers you can get a different radius of curvature of the rod.
A typical machine (device) is shown in the photo.Cold forging do-it-yourself is a hobby of many people. Some were able to turn their passion into earnings, and not a bad one. With the help of such simple devices, real masterpieces are created, without exaggeration.
