Hot rolled damascus...input needed

S

STIHL

Joined
Aug 12, 1999
Messages
427
Lots of folks here on the forums make damascus by hammering and press.I was thinking....why not hot roll it?Its a real simple design and wouldn`t cost alot to build.Has anyone tried rolling there own damascus?Looking for any input on designs.I have a simple one designed in my head,not on paper yet.
Thanks

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Jay
Life is like a box of chocolates,never know what your gona git!
 
Hot rolling damascus might be OK, as long as you stuck to making random patterns. For the specific patterns, I doubt that it would work very well. Especially if your making mosaics. With the stresses that a roller set up would subject the materials to, I suspect you would get many small tears and voids in the material. I also think that the materials used to create the billet would have to be extremely compatable in order to have good success. As an example, high/low carbon mixes would tend to present the greatest problems, simply because the welding ranges are so far apart, and those types of situations are where the tearing, and voids would be the worst. The most compatable materials that I have found are 1084 and 15N20, and might present the best chance for good success in a rolling situation.


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Ed Caffrey
"The Montana Bladesmith"
www.caffreyknives.com
 
Thanks for the advice Ed.
Welding the steel would still be done by hammer and anvil.I guess what im wondering is if it would be a good method of drawing the steel out?

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Jay
Life is like a box of chocolates,never know what your gona git!
 
Stihl,

I ran a similar thread about 6 months ago. I was thinking more on the lines of a smaller hand cranked version of a rolling mill. As I was told, when the billet was approaching 1/4" thick (or smaller,) the rollers would start drawing the heat from the billet rapidly, possibly resulting in delamination. If you've got some drawings running around in your noggin, I'd enjoy swapping ideas.


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Glen AKA Centaur
"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."
- Isaac Newton
 
I had a 5 horse rolling mill... It just will not do the job. You need a real steel mill rolling mill to make this function work .
It takes pressure and speed. I looked into building one at one time and YIKES. big money.
Most of the rollers are d2. And 50 hp was just right. I just dont want to go that crazy. The best subsitute is a press. I have a 47 ton double beam that I built. it works great. I know a few fellow that have 70 to and 150 ton. The 150 ton can pattern a 12 in bowie in one pressing. He bought an old record press. They are a dime a dozen these days and can be had at surplus junk yards.
I think he paid 2200.00 for the press and the hydralics. THATS A STEAL.. the piston is 12 in in diameter. HE can reduce to .25 thick and less. Mine falls off at about 3/8 then the hammer gets involved. There are a lot less weld flaws and billet manipulation is much better.. and faster.
the billet size I use most often is 6 in long x 1.5 wide x 1.75 high starting with 50 layers for w pattern or others . I have done 5 x 5 square billets and such also..


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