Depends on the type of crack Anthony, but common causes in forged work are material, ie, iron & steel, that is known as "hot short", in other words it does not forge easily and is subject to cracking under the hammer.
The second very common cause of a perceived crack is called a "cold shut". This occurs when the material is not at optimum temperature to achieve a weld, and/or the surfaces to be welded are insufficiently clean and/or a flux has not been used where it was necessary. A cold shut is not really a crack, but it often looks like one.
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