Ferry flip question

[jdm61]

I was checking out a couple of threads on slip/tile welding and was reading about the "Ferry flip" method. While that looks like a very effective way of welding up tiles, the only thing that bothered me was that it would appear that the pattern would not match up from one side to the other because the ends were cut at a 45 degree angle and flipped. This would be particularly noticeable at the tip and up by the plunge cuts I would think. I know that scarf welding is more foolproof that trying to get flat ends to weld up solid, but could you, in theory, just cut the slices off of the end of the bar flat and then grind the ends at an angle less than 45 and mate then up.? I thought first about cutting a V notch and one end of each tile and grinding the other to a point, so to speak, but I would be rather worried about all of those little notches welding up solid. By grinding an angle into fla cut tiles, you would still get the benefit of a scarf and the pattern would pretty much match. Any thoughts?

 

[jdm61]

50 looks and no advice?

 

[deker]

Don't forget that you have to draw things out to twice the flipped length after welding and that evens things out a good bit. When I'm making 1/8" stock I usually forge to ~3/16-1/4" thick and then send for Blanchard grinding. I usually see ~1/8" of difference between sides in the pattern. That said, mosaics that repeat heavily (basketweave, etc) make it all but unnoticable. What I really like about the Ferry Flip is that I get full tiles of pattern and no distortion. Look at an accordian cut and you'll get heavy distortion, and the method you're thinking of would clip off the ends of your pattern.

Give it a shot and look at the results. I bet it'll look less "off" than you're thinking.

-d

 

[jdm61]

I was thinking about this where the pattern is one BIG feature with a border of filler, like the radial starburst stuff that Mick Maxen posted on British blades. In that case, there is a big 4 point starburst surrounded by very black plain 10xx. In that case, you would be grnding the angles into the filler part. I figured that you would still have to actually cut rectangular tiles as opposed to sqaure ones so that you can draw the bar out and get a bit more work on the welds. i am going to do the flip first the few times out with a more basic pattern because it just seems to be a lot more foolproof, but I like to know what my options are.

Don't forget that you have to draw things out to twice the flipped length after welding and that evens things out a good bit. When I'm making 1/8" stock I usually forge to ~3/16-1/4" thick and then send for Blanchard grinding. I usually see ~1/8" of difference between sides in the pattern. That said, mosaics that repeat heavily (basketweave, etc) make it all but unnoticable. What I really like about the Ferry Flip is that I get full tiles of pattern and no distortion. Look at an accordian cut and you'll get heavy distortion, and the method you're thinking of would clip off the ends of your pattern.

Give it a shot and look at the results. I bet it'll look less "off" than you're thinking.

-d

 

[Bill Burke]

etch the tiles so you can see the pattern then match them up as close as you can, then mig/tig weld the sides together. you can now grind the bar flat and finish welding.

 

[jzs]

you might check with robert eggerling out of pennsylvania - his eggerling mosaic damascus is famous world-wide...and his "quilted mosaic damascus" is, i believe, composed of the sort of tiles you are talking about - he'd be a very knowledgeable source for the best techniques to do this...you may have seen some of his quilted damascus pattern with a block with "RE" inside it - his initials!...

jzs52@comcast.net

 

[jdm61]

Necro-thread!!!!! In the ensuing 5 years, I discovered that when you draw the bar out, everything tends to line up okay.