Some random action shots (just 'cuz)

[Matthew Gregory]

Oh, Mike... that's too funny. My dad used to make fun of me when I was 14 and said my little arms looked mosquitos had bit them. Bastard still says that!

Funny, my ass... I'm 36, over 6 feet tall and I weigh 150lbs. And I ate over 4000 calories today, and STILL look like mosquitoes have bitten my arms. You big guys really piss me off. If I quit my job and stayed on the couch and stuffed 50 pound bags of Lay's potato chips directly into my arteries I couldn't gain 3 pounds. Your arms are bigger than my thighs! BASTID!


I'd love to get a look at that integral, so get to work!

[Sam Salvati]

Funny, my ass... I'm 36, over 6 feet tall and I weigh 150lbs. And I ate over 4000 calories today, and STILL look like mosquitoes have bitten my arms. You big guys really piss me off. If I quit my job and stayed on the couch and stuffed 50 pound bags of Lay's potato chips directly into my arteries I couldn't gain 3 pounds. Your arms are bigger than my thighs! BASTID!


I'd love to get a look at that integral, so get to work!

You NABS types are real emotional!

[Justin.Mercier]

He's 36 and he looks younger than me... and I turn 26 next Friday =P

My metabolism used to be like that, but it's slowed down recently. I've gained 10lbs, all in the gut area, since thanksgiving, so I need to get more active again.

[NickWheeler]

Matt, I thought you were younger than me...

[Mace]

Whos got tickets to the gun show?
Dang Nick! Your like some kinda knife making super hero!
Mace

[Frank Niro]

I buy Damascus for use. I find your pictures facinating and will watch for any more that go up !!! Thanks. Frank

[scottickes]

You guys are kind'a mean... I might just have to go away and cry now.

Or do like I always do, and fight smartass with smartass (I think it's like fire with fire only more fun).

I had her take this one just for you f'ers that think I quit working out. I weigh 230 now and am stronger than I've ever been, so

And just to rub it in... THIS is MY shop pixie. Chew on that Italian tuxedo/dinner shirt/wife beater......suckers!

Touche'! I think they're just envious!! Nice comeback.....

[NickWheeler]

Well, I had to go to g-ma's and do some good son type of stuff, so shop time got cut back to nearly zilch tonight.

But since I realized there are some folks here that probably haven't seen the damascus process much, I'd add some more of the pics I already took.

Here is a pic of the billet right after it's been forge welded. It is solid all the way through now, and you can still see the layers. That bead of weld you can see is ground off before I do anymore forging so that it doesn't get pressed into my billet.


This is a shot of a billet drawn out to a little over 3x's its original length. There is another fresh, not welded yet, billet in the pic for comparison.



I like to grind the fire scale off between stacking. The power hammer is awesome going into this step, because it tends to blast the scale off rather than press it into the steel like the press can do. I rough it with the angle grinder. Note my handy, dandy clamp that I made that goes into my hardie hole.


This pic shows an end of the billet ground clean of scale and etched, just to show you the layers. The 1084 is what looks black, and the 15N20 resists etching and appears silver.


Here's the billet cut into thirds, and ground clean. If you're careful with the forging and angle grinding, it only takes a half dozen passes with the 2hp KMG and a 60X ceramic belt to get them this clean. The spots you can see are just little dings from the angle grinder, and NOT inclusions.


Here it is back in the forge. Keep in mind that the three layers you see MIG welded together, each contain 21 layers.... Sooooo... when this stack gets forge welded, we'll have 63 layers (not accounting for loss to scale/grinding)




Like I mentioned... these pics are back to basics... But if I look back about 8 years I didn't have a clue how this damascus stuff was done... I thought it was black magic and chickens and stuff

I'll get a buttload of pics this weekend of the Turkishizing of the billet, the blade forging, and some heat-treating and grinding.

All of my smart-ass-ed-ness aside.... I have been hanging around BF for a LONG time and really appreciate the comradere and learning that goes on here. Everything I posted about donuts and working out and pink string tank-tops was just me being a dork, which any of you that know me can attest to. All in good fun.

[Bigfattyt]

Great post. love the pics, the drawings and the fact that you work with liquid hot magma temperatures of steel in a wife beater..........I bet you get occasional manly burns. I would wear one, but everyone asks my wife why the is walking with an fat albino bear in a wife beater.

[Karl B. Andersen]

OK, I'll try again, Nick, what's the tonnage on that press?

[Barker]

Those are cool pics! Thanks for posting them.
-John

[NickWheeler]

Don't know Karl.

[Don Hanson III]

OK, I'll try again, Nick, what's the tonnage on that press?

Karl, Nick's a busy man That is an 'Imagination X Press' and is around 20 ton.

Nick, I also didn't answer one of your questions. My new 100 lb is coming from Sid at little Giant and is a brand new hammer Will look just like this one and the ram weight is actually 145 lbs.

[Fiddleback]

Nick,

I very much appreciate this thread. Its really awesome watching the process like this, and your pics are great!

Thanks!

[Matthew Gregory]

I wish I were younger than you are, bud... sounds like I've got 6 on ya! I've got the mind of a bitter 90 year old, tho... does that count for anything?

Nick, I haven't heard you mention flux yet, so would you mind mentioning what you're using? Are you using anhydrous, or do you just go and buy 20 Mule Team from Walmart or something?

Your website is extremely well done, btw...

[Karl B. Andersen]

Don't know Karl.

OK.
Thanks Nick and Don.

[Maqua]

This is some awesome info! It's like free education n stuff!

[Michael J. Spangler]

damn man you rock Nick. some damn good picstures right there.

i'm looking forward to the pictures on the turkishizing that's something you don't see much info on

keep it up man

[kibuddha4]

Wulf, lol, a room full of naked women would definitely draw my attention but I would have to stop and take a look at the hammer Besides, women are a lot more trouble than power hammers

LOL It's true. My wife asked me if I liked knifemaking more I did her. I told her jokingly of course, "Woman I love you, but I would trade you in for a forge press and a little giant power hammer." Then she proceeded to beat my arm to death saying she thought so. So I said that only if they threw in a bunch of dies with the press if that made her feel better. So now I have two bruised arms. The press and hammer would never beat me so much if i wanted to trade them. LOL I do love my wife and wouldn't trade her for the world. It's hard to come by a woman who buys you things for knifemaking just cause she wants to.

-Mike Sheffield

[T Blade]

Funny, my ass... I'm 36, over 6 feet tall and I weigh 150lbs. And I ate over 4000 calories today, and STILL look like mosquitoes have bitten my arms. You big guys really piss me off. If I quit my job and stayed on the couch and stuffed 50 pound bags of Lay's potato chips directly into my arteries I couldn't gain 3 pounds. Your arms are bigger than my thighs! BASTID!

Yeah Matt, you might be a skinny SH#T but the way I understand it you're still the reigning "Ashokan Wiggly Bridge Thumb Wrestling Champion" so don't worry, be happy