spaco wrote:
Yes, I suppose the box half could have been made in two pieces, forge
welded together after being closed around the other half. But forge
welds are generally considered not quite as strong as the parent metal.
And, although the idea of drifting the square hole open to round
after initial forming may sound foriegn to non-blacksmiths, we get used
to extreme hot forming and shape change.

How precise are your pliers, Pete? The ones I have are really tight; you
couldn't get a hair into the joint. If you can make a joint that tight
by forging, that's amazing.

Best wishes,

Chris