Drop-Forging Dies and Die-Sinking (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Drop-Forging Dies and Die-Sinking

The art of drop forging has worked a great change in the product, of the blacksmith shop, both in regard to the quality and the quantity of the work produced. It has created a new branch of the business, and has enabled forgings to be employed in thousands of cases where this had formerly been impossible on account of the expense. Drop forgings are made to-day for nearly every branch of metal manufacturing, although the automobile industry has given rise to a much greater demand for them than has any one other industry. Drop-forgings are made that weigh but a fraction of an ounce, and others that weigh a hundred pounds or over. They are made from iron, steel, copper and bronze. It is needless to speak of the advantages of the operation of drop forging; economy of manufacture, strength, interchangeability, and the general appearance of the product, are all important factors.

The object of this treatise is not, however, to deal with the drop-forging operation itself, but to treat of the dies for this interesting work, and to consider some of the methods and tools used in the die-sinking. The good die-sinker must be somewhat of an all-round mechanic; he must have the knowledge of machine work of the machinist; the skill of the ornamental die-sinker, for sinking the irregular impressions; and a knowledge of steel working so as to know just how the hot steel will flow under the dies. The majority of the drop-forge die-sinkers of to-day have emanated from the ranks of the machinists and tool-makers, but the die-sinkers of to-morrow will be specialists whose thorough training has been acquired entirely in this one important class of work.

Classes of Drop-forging Dies

Drop-forging dies, like dies for the punch-press, are of several different types. Perhaps the most simple form of drop-forging die would be a pair of dies for producing a simple round forging, as, for instance, a gear blank. These dies…