There are seven basic processes in blacksmithing;
1) forging
2) drawing
3) bending
4) upsetting
5) punching
6) welding
7) finishing
Probably the toughest one to master is welding. It was done commonly a century ago. but that was for two main reasons; A0 few if any shops had an arc welder. and.. B) Until the dawn of the 20th century, most items were made from iron, which is somewhat easier to weld.
Many don't bother with it today, and I do it rarely, outside of demonstrations. I am assuming you are using a coal forge.. When doing a forge weld, you should thin one piece to a thin "fingernail"..heat it well past red, red-orange, to tangerine, then remove from the fire and brush clean vigorously with a wire brush..then bring it back up to tangerine, take out again.. a quick brush..then put
plenty of flux on the proposed joining spot, and place back into the fire.
Here's hoping you have soaked the perimeter of your coal fire with water, leaving a small center area dry.. this will "cake" the surface. Then, using a straight rod or poker, open a hole in that center, just as you would when using a bar to prepare a hole for a fence post ..Now when you apply the air, you have a blow torch effect. You want to center your weld joint in this hole..pull some hot coals over the hole, leaving only a peep-hole to view through. This reflects most of the heat directly back onto your work.
Watch your piece carefully, since it has to be near white hot..the core solid but the surface flowing..when you come near to actual welding temperature, you should see some green smoke issuing from the fire. Remove from fire, using a light hammer.. strike the "fingernail" with light taps to get a "stick".. then tap down to weld as much as will also stick. Once you have a "stick", brush clean again..apply more flux, place in fire same as before..when you reach welding temp, you can pull it out and use stiff hammer blows now, because the steel won't be rebounding away from the weld spot.
There are flux preparations being sold for various prices, but it truth.. it is hard to beat plain, old 20-mule Team Borax. Just make sure it is pure borax..no soap version.. For variation, I have sometimes used hacksaw filings mixed in, but noticed little difference.
Forge welding is relatively hard to do..and even harder to describe. If you are serious about learning the craft, you should get involved with a local branch of the Artists and Blacksmiths of North America (ABANA).
Here is where you can find a local club. These clubs don't normally meet in a classroom, but in a blacksmith shop.. A couple meetings and you have a good start..along with experienced smiths, pleased to help you out. Here's the website, scroll down until you find your contact:
http://www.abana.org/affiliates/affiliate_list.shtml Check the whole list, because the contacts are scattered throughout. I see you are from Florida..If you don't find a contact nearby..call one of the contacts anyway, they will probably be able to direct you to a nearby group, because likely.. not all local groups are listed.
