The Forge Calculator
Calculate the required steel length, number of heats, and total working time for forging a bar to a desired final length.
Published by:
isCalculator Editorial Team
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How to use this tool?
How to Use the Forge Calculator
This calculator helps you determine the number of forging heats and total time needed to reduce a metal piece from an initial length to a desired final length, given a specific reduction per heat.
- Enter Initial Length (in inches): The starting length of your workpiece.
- Enter Desired Final Length (in inches): The target length after forging. Must be smaller than the initial length.
- Set Forging Ratio per Heat (0.1–0.9): The fraction of length reduced in each heat cycle. Default is 0.2 (20%).
- Set Time per Heat (in minutes): Includes heating and hammering time. Default is 5 minutes.
- Click Calculate.
Results:
- Required Initial Length: The calculated starting length needed to achieve the final length with the given number of heats.
- Number of Heats: How many heat-and-hammer cycles are required.
- Total Working Time: Heats × Time per Heat.
Note: All lengths are in inches. Ensure inputs are positive numbers. The final length must be less than the initial length.
Previous Results
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Frequently Asked Questions
The forging ratio is the fraction of length reduction per heat. For example, a ratio of 0.2 means the bar length decreases by 20% each heat.
The number of heats is the number of times the bar must be heated and hammered to reduce it from the initial length to the final length, based on the forging ratio.
Enter lengths in inches (or any consistent unit) and time in minutes. The calculator will output in the same units.