I am fairly new at this I have made sevral blades from cable but so far only one has turned out to my liking, first I am getting a lot of inclusions, second I am quenching in oil and get a hard black coating that all but refuses to come off. any help would realy be appriciated.
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cable damascus
- Thread starter JTT
- Start date
It sounds like you are having alot of problems with fire scale. Make sure you flux it really well, open up the cable so that the flux can get into it and WIRE BRUSH LIKE CRAZY!!!!!
If you could give me some more details I may be able to help you out more specificaly.
Have fun and keep it sharp.
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KSwinamer
Have fun and keep it sharp.
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KSwinamer
Thank you for your reply Kisu, I am using athree burner propane forge, and fluxing with twentny muleteam borax,on the first heat i flux then twist the cable thighter i have been told this helps keep it from straighting out. I hammer it square then hammer the corner round, forge it flat then fold. and forge into a blade. I have even cut the ends and etched to make sure it is solid. I still end up with the inclusions.
You.ve got the right idea by twisting it tighter, but before you do that you have to open up the cable,(far enough that you can look through it) and make sure that the flux is getting into it. This will help in cutting down your inclusions. You also need to make sure that the core of your cable isn't rope or nylon. And check to see if there isn't a plastic layer in it too. Alot of these can be burnt out but the nylon could give you alot of problems. If you still have problems getting your flux into the cable, then you can try a little blacksmith trick I learned when I first started making cable damascus. Take your borax and put some(alot actually) into a heat proof container thats big enough for the size of your cable. Then fill the container with water, open up your cable and dunk it in. The capillary action will draw the flux into all the nooks and crannies
Have fun and keep it sharp
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KSwinamer
Have fun and keep it sharp
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KSwinamer
- Joined
- Dec 14, 1998
- Messages
- 4,870
Try using NEW cable . it can be bought at knife supply houses. IF you have old cable soak it for a few days in kerosene. Swish it around to get the grease out. You may want to try to make a set of round dies to forge the cable round first. Then forge it square. Just a thought. Also I would switch to anhydrus borax for forging. Uncle Al sells A. borax.
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Take a look!!!
No problem JTT
. These are almost the same questions I had to ask when I first started playing with cable. For the flux and water thing, you dunk it cold or a little warm if your water is cold. I think(this is going back to chem. class) that capillary action is more effiecient if the liquid is warm. Thanks Darrel, forgot about soaking it in kerosene
But personally, I'd rather get the old stuff, 'cause it's CHEAP!!!
Have fun and keep it sharp.
P.S. I'd switch your quenching medium, try plain old vegetable oil.
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KSwinamer
[This message has been edited by Kisu (edited 23 February 1999).]
Have fun and keep it sharp.
P.S. I'd switch your quenching medium, try plain old vegetable oil.
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KSwinamer
[This message has been edited by Kisu (edited 23 February 1999).]