FORMING HOT METAL WITH BARE HANDS - Page 2

mariusgmioc · 22nd May 2017, 06:06 PM

Even red hot, iron is rather hard to shape and that's why blacksmiths' need the hammer. So I firmly believe that forming red hot iron by simply applying pressure with the fingers is not of this world, but of the world of legends.
However, I wonder if it might be conceivable to produce a depression in the surface of red hot iron by applying a strong an quick blow with the bare fist.

A. G. Maisey · 23rd May 2017, 12:04 AM

Yes Marius, you are correct, to actually shape hot iron with your hands is simply not possible. It is something that is part of a belief system.

However, it is most definitely possible to indent a paper thin piece of hot iron with bare fingers, I can be very positive about this because I have done it. I seem to recall commenting on this in a previous thread some time ago.

mariusgmioc · 23rd May 2017, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Yes Marius, you are correct, to actually shape hot iron with your hands is simply not possible. It is something that is part of a belief system.

However, it is most definitely possible to indent a paper thin piece of hot iron with bare fingers, I can be very positive about this because I have done it. I seem to recall commenting on this in a previous thread some time ago.

Hello Alan and thank you for the explanation! However, I was not questioning the possibility of creating a depression in a thin sheet of hot iron but in a solid piece by applying a quick punch with the fist.

Since I assume you didn't try it, nor din anybody elese on this forum, the answer would be pure speculation but considering your experience with working hot iron, it would be a more educated guess than mine.

A. G. Maisey · 23rd May 2017, 12:00 PM

Marius, true keris pijit are in fact made from material that is about as thick as a piece of paper.

The hot iron that I put dents into was also paper thin.

I guess that thicker material could also be indented in the same way, if one were sufficiently strong and sufficiently fast and one's skin was sufficiently thick and toughened.

22nd May 2017, 06:06 PM	#31
mariusgmioc Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Austria Posts: 1,906	Even red hot, iron is rather hard to shape and that's why blacksmiths' need the hammer. So I firmly believe that forming red hot iron by simply applying pressure with the fingers is not of this world, but of the world of legends. However, I wonder if it might be conceivable to produce a depression in the surface of red hot iron by applying a strong an quick blow with the bare fist.

23rd May 2017, 12:04 AM	#32
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,989	Yes Marius, you are correct, to actually shape hot iron with your hands is simply not possible. It is something that is part of a belief system. However, it is most definitely possible to indent a paper thin piece of hot iron with bare fingers, I can be very positive about this because I have done it. I seem to recall commenting on this in a previous thread some time ago.

23rd May 2017, 12:00 PM	#34
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,989	Marius, true keris pijit are in fact made from material that is about as thick as a piece of paper. The hot iron that I put dents into was also paper thin. I guess that thicker material could also be indented in the same way, if one were sufficiently strong and sufficiently fast and one's skin was sufficiently thick and toughened.