hand forging cable damascus?

V

vance corich

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Mar 31, 2010
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3
My neighbor has a ton of steel cable for elevator repairs, and wants me to make damascus with it. i know i need to take the nylon core out and "steam" al possible grease out of it, but i am unsure how to go about fluxing the steel, and at what temperature i should do it at. thanks for all the help you can give!!
 
You can start with Mule Team Borax from the grocery store. Not detergent with borax. I would sprinkle it on at red heat to let it start melting.
 
You've forge-welded other steel, right?

Forge-welding cable is really just about the same. Heat it, flux it, gently push it together.
 
i actually have not forge welded before, i took a class with audra draper, and i was THERE through the process, but i didnt actually do it.
 
Ok, well... it's not too hard.

1. Pull out anything that's not steel.

2. Heat the cable up to barely glowing.

3. Apply a little flux. It should melt into the strands a little.

4. Twist your cable tighter.

5. Heat it up more, say the low end of orange.

6. Add more flux, don't be shy. Won't hurt the steel.

7. Heat to welding heat. That's "the same color as the fire" or "when it looks a little wet" depending on whom you ask.

8. Gently mash it together to get it to weld. I really, really like a half-round bottom fuller for doing it. Tap, tap, tap, roll it in the fuller and work it down from a big round cable to a small solid round bar.

9. Repeat the above steps for the next 4-6 inches or so up your bar, until the whole thing is welded.

10. Flatten into a flat bar for knives.


Good luck, and post pictures! :thumbup:

Mike Cantrell
 
Never done it myself, but according to Jim Hrisoulas and others, getting ALL the grease out of the cable is of paramount importance.
This must be done boling the cable long and hot in a solution of water and lye.
This is dangerous as this solution is extremely caustic and the vapors can burn your lungs away.
Once the cable is FREE of grease, and dry, proceed as stated.
Forge welding is best done in subdued light. Either you have a shady forge, or wait after sunset.
Get a pair of dydimum welding goggles as used for gas welding (not the arc welding version, which is too dark) for looking into the forge.
Staring into a forge at welding temp for any length of time is bad for your eyes. Consider that the light you can see already hurts your eyes. There is much more that you can't see! A LARGE part of what the forge emits is infrared, which is bad enough, but there's also a considerable amount of ultraviolet.
Enough to cause mild to medium sunburn to your face and exposed arms. You don't want sunburn on your cornea, believe me. It can be EXTREMELY painful even in its mildest degree, not to count risks for your eyesight.
 
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