Damascus tears

[JTknives]

I have been at the shop tonight working on some Damascus. it is O1 and L6. it has 4 starting layers each around .5" thick and 1.25 wide. everything welded very nice and clean. i then popped in the drawing dies on my press and drew it out a bit. but then i noticed that the 2 L6 layers had a few tears on the edges. i don't think thy go in very far but why? I'm guessing the out side cooled when i pressed it and it split. it's only the L6 with the splits not the O1. I know L6 does not like to be worked cold but i was far from it. i think i was around 2100 - 2200. now what, can i fill with flux and hope thy close up as i work it as thy are on the edges?

 

[efleming]

Hello JT,

I usually stick to around 2300F when forging Damascus. If you have tears, you will have to grind out the splits to get clean metal or they will most likely turn into cold shunts rather than weld.

 

[Bill Burke]

JT sorry too hear of your tears. I hope they didn't cause tears.

I would grind them out of the billett before they tear farther and cause further tears.

 

[sunshadow]

Ditto on the grinding. Either grind to a round bottomed notch or grind back to flat

-Page

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I would grind them out with a round notch. Then bring the billet back up to welding heat ,about 2300F, and re-square all the edges. If everything goes back to square (or rectangle) with no new tears, then proceed to draw down the billet. Anytime there as a tear or split in a billet, remove it or it will show up later.
All that will happen with the round notch grinding is there will be a bit more activity in the final pattern....and that is not usually a bad thing. You loose less steel from the billet than grinding it flat.

Stacy

JT, send me an email. I need to talk to you about some things.

 

[Karl B. Andersen]

JT sorry too hear of your tears. I hope they didn't cause tears.

I would grind them out of the billet before they tear farther and cause further tears.

That made me cry.

 

[Bill Burke]

That made me cry.

that Bad Huh? Were they alligator tears or damascus tears?

 

[Don Hanson III]

Such a sad story.

That mix could cause many more tears

 

[Kevin R. Cashen]

I have been at the shop tonight working on some Damascus. it is O1 and L6. it has 4 starting layers each around .5" thick and 1.25 wide. everything welded very nice and clean. i then popped in the drawing dies on my press and drew it out a bit. but then i noticed that the 2 L6 layers had a few tears on the edges. i don't think thy go in very far but why? I'm guessing the out side cooled when i pressed it and it split. it's only the L6 with the splits not the O1. I know L6 does not like to be worked cold but i was far from it. i think i was around 2100 - 2200. now what, can i fill with flux and hope thy close up as i work it as thy are on the edges?

JTknives, this mix is not for the faint of heart and has given its share of grief to those not entirely experienced with its quirks. Avoid over heating, not only is it bad for the 01, it will cause excessive oxides for the L6 that will make welding much more difficult. When cooling, this mix is much to deep hardening to go straight for room temp with large grains and dissolved carbide, which will result in surface cracking that could very well be your condition. After the last weld the bar must be cycled down in steps before going in for the night. The last heats should be of the nature to spheroidize the steel and avoid any further hardening.

Normally the O1 is the most troublesome in this mix and your L6 layers are interesting to me. What chemistry is it? Is it the L6 offered by Crucible (champalloy) or the L6 offered by Carpenter (R.D.S.)?