forge weld with a wooden block?

[v0dkacollins]

I've got a weird question for the old school blacksmiths. I've been heating and beating on metal for over 30 years, mostly learning the hard way, so I thought I'd seen it all.
But I keep seeing these videos where people start a forge weld by tapping the piece with a wooden block on the anvil. Why the heck would you do that?

Does using a wood block have any benefits for a specific type of steel or a more delicate weld?
I've always been told you want steel on steel to set a weld, so I'm genuinely curious if this is a real technique or just some kind of strange folklore. Any real insight would be awesome.

 

[Clint]

I have hammer welded thousands of iron and steel objects, some of them tiny and some of them very large. most welds are pretty straight forward and they just go together. other welds need two or more heats because of the size or complexity of the joint. Welding is not a frantic operation, but it needs too be executed with confidence and moderate speed. Adding a wooden hammer step sounds like an additional heat and a waste of time to me.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

The only time I use a wooden mallet is to get the knife blade perfectly straight or to straighten out a piece of square stock that bent a little when putting a swist in the steel.. The wooden mallet doesn't leave hammer marks in the steel and your blade can be straightened at a lower heat.
Ohio rusty ><>

 

[Jackson55]

I've got a weird question for the old school blacksmiths. I've been heating and beating on metal for over 30 years, mostly learning the hard way, so I thought I'd seen it all.
But I keep seeing these videos where people start a forge weld by tapping the piece with a wooden block on the anvil. Why the heck would you do that?

Does using a wood block have any benefits for a specific type of steel or a more delicate weld?
I've always been told you want steel on steel to set a weld, so I'm genuinely curious if this is a real technique or just some kind of strange folklore. Any real insight would be awesome.

It certainly looks strange if you haven't seen it done!
The wood block isn’t used to set the weld itself, it’s for seating the scarf or billet which is key in laminate or delicate work.
At welding heat, the steel is very soft and the scale is molten flux.
Using a dense hardwood block applies gentle, diffuse pressure, so it coaxes the layers to nestle together perfectly, and prevents premature deformation.
The wood also acts as a sacrificial barrier, providing a cushion that keeps the molten flux from being immediately squeezed out on the first light tap.
Think of it as a gentle pre-press to ensure perfect contact and retain the flux before you switch to the steel hammer for the actual, high-force weld!

 

[Alan]

Since wood doesn't transfer heat as fast as steel, it keeps the weld at the right temp when you start, which is super important for high-carbon stuff.

 

[FPDoc]

Since wood doesn't transfer heat as fast as steel, it keeps the weld at the right temp when you start, which is super important for high-carbon stuff.

I've done similar by "making" the weld while still in the forge, pinching the pieces with pick up tongs etc. Before finishing on the anvil.