How many layers do you start with?

[Cody Hofsommer]

Just thinking, now I have my press going, I have the option to start with taller stacks. I know there are many who start with 40-50 layer using 1/8" and 1/16" stock. Then there are others that like them thick. I have been on that end of the spectrum. I use 1/4" and .130" 15n20. I think I have a sorce for .230" 15n20, so I could go thicker on the other steel as well. I was having a descution with some one on the benifits of each. More layers, less time to get to the end goal. More layers to clean, and more weld layers. I like the thicker layers because they tend to not warp so bad the first heat. This could be helped with more mig weld lines, but they have to be ground off. With the thicker stock, I can normally weld only on the ends, and that gets cut off anyway.

What is your procedure, and what is you reasoning?

 

[JTknives]

I start with a lot. If I want thicker layers of 15n20 I just double it up. Lots of layers weld just as easy for me as few layers. It saves me time as I do a lot of corse pattern twist Damascus so lots of time i only need to forge weld that one time.

 

[jdm61]

I use 1/4" 1084 and two layers of .075 or .090 15N20 because that is what i have on hand. I typically go with 13 layers because that gets me pretty close to 3 inches tall. if I was restocking, I would think about going with .125 1084, W2 or O2 and .090 15N20 just because it would give perhaps as many as 30 layers or so which I could coarse twist AND also probably flip and crush into W's after the first weld. In the past, i have typical gone to 33-39 layers before crushing. it would also mean that I could chopped the billet into 4 pieces twice and get that magic 480 layers MOL and save one welding pass.