First Feather Pattern

A C Richards

A C Richards

Joined
Apr 14, 2006
Messages
3,816
Here's a billet I have been working on the past few weeks.
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And here's a blade.
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Forged to shape but I did not forge in the bevels to prevent any further distortion. Composition, 1084/15N20 15 stack billet with 4-5 stack reforge.

Thanks for looking
 
wow that looks really cool. did you come up with that pattern yourself? I have never seen a pattern like that.

-Josiah
 
I probably would have left it just at the billet stage because I would have been tooooooo scared that I would booger it up!

Very nice! I have no idea how you made that but I would love to learn!
 
Chuck Thats really good for the first one. My first one (ones) turned out like crap. Here is about #5 and I'm happy enough with it but this pattern is a PITA
Did you get only one blade or a loaf? I made a loaf and got 5 blades. This one was forged from a 7" long slice to 9 1/2" plus the tang (short tang) I plan to make smaller blades from the others because the pattern is smaller. Too much forging to shape tends to stretch heck out of it.

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I have the direction going the other way too.
 
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Okay - so where do I learn to make knives too? I don't even know what to say; that leaves me breathless. And Bruce says someone does this better?! I've never been particularly fond of the idea of forging but this is a whole other story. Another dimension.

In fact it's sobering and hallucinogenic at the same time.

Mr Richards, thank you for changing the whole world under my feet. And Mr Bump, thanks for turning it upside down.

<sigh>
 
I think this pattern is so cool. Here is about the best tutorial on making it as I have found http://forums.dfoggknives.com/index.php?showtopic=10411
One question I still have is after you split the billed to make the feather pattern do you simply weld it back together or do you have to clean it up i.e with an angle grinder or something like you would do whenever your re-stacking a regular billet of damascus to clean off the scale?
 
rtj1981 said:
I think this pattern is so cool. Here is about the best tutorial on making it as I have found http://forums.dfoggknives.com/index.php?showtopic=10411
One question I still have is after you split the billed to make the feather pattern do you simply weld it back together or do you have to clean it up i.e with an angle grinder or something like you would do whenever your re-stacking a regular billet of damascus to clean off the scale?
Click to expand...

I use an angle grinder to clean up the scale and dry weld the two pieces back to gether. I dont have tig welder but just used a wire feed welder.

I just got back from that tutorial. Thats great! Yep thats about how I did mine.
 
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I tried welding the whole thing up after the split using flux. It did not even begin to weld properly. So I cut slices off the loaf and ran my bandsaw through the splt. That removed all the crap. Then I just put it in my press cold and pushed it together. Then tig werlded the seams. The nice thing about tig is you can fuse the material rather than adding welding rod/wire. Less to remove later.


Bruce,
Tnaks for the compliment. I got enough for 3 large knives and 1 small one. I think it is going to turn into 4 small and 2 large though.

Still I started with a 20lb billet. Grinding and scale loss is tremendous. But also I make sure I have clean material on the ends so I slice off a piece to ensure pattern. Lost a bunch there too. I might be able to use it for guards or maybe even a belt buckle.

Dave,
You know this is how I got hooked. Forge welded my first piece and that was all she wrote. If it were not for Damascus I probably would be a grinder.... By the way your welcome
 
Nice job Chuck!!!

I too have screwed that pattern up!!
Couldn't get it to flux weld.
I guess I wasn't smart enough to do a dry weld on it!!
Did you get shrink cracks with the tig?? I have tried tig and have gotten cracks every time. So, I have gone to mig and just deal with the down side of grinding out the wire...

Steve
 
That center weld is a tough one to reweld. I dont know why it would be differant than any other weld but somehow its a pain.

I also had real trouble slicing the billet. They say to use a dull chisel with a 1/4" radious on it but my billets would just smash and bend instead of cut so I sharpened it pretty good. The dull chisel would even delam some of the tender welds with that much pressure. My billets werent as big as your 20 pounder and maybe that adds to the tearing and bending.

I had dreams of bowie sized blades and only got folder size. Youre right about the loss from grinding scale and cutting off ends.
 
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