Making damascus beads for lanyards

[ArielSalaverria]

This is how I make the lanyard damascus beads you see on my knives/website.

Cutting a 1/2" x 5/8" damascus square section bar I've made for this

Some future beads cutted

Drilling a piece with a 5.5mm bit

Drilled piece

Threading it (1/4")

Screwed into a 1/4" threaded bar

Shaping the bead with a 60 grit belt

Roughly shaped

Now I'm gonna screw the bead into a screw to which I previously removed the head

 

[ArielSalaverria]

I then place this into the bench drill

Finishing the shape with grit 80, then 150, then 220 and then 400

Polishing it to a mirror finish

Mirror polished bead

Supported with a bended wire, I then put the bead in a solution of 70% Ferric Chloride and 30% distilled water, for a minute, to check the damascus patterns.

Once I check out it's OK, I leave it there for 45 minutes to get properly etched.

Pictures of these same finished beads tomorrow



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Thanks for looking!


Ariel

 

[kibuddha4]

COOL!!!!

-Mike Sheffield

 

[TekSec]

Now that is just too cool. Ariel, you are a true artisan!

 

[Original]

Thanks for sharing with us Ariel. I am another fan of your works.

 

[nitsuj]

Ariel, I know you guys are using the metric system over there, but I'm curious about something. Why the metric drill, but SAE threads?

BTW You do truly AMAZING work. I look at everyones, and yours is some of my favorites. Plus, you're kind enough to share you're methods. Too few masters are willing to do that. Thank you for it.

 

[TekSec]

Question, Ariel. Do you harden the beads after shaped to get a better etch or just leave them annealed?

 

[raythebigfoot]

Hey that's cool! I was wondering how you did that without taking your fingers off!

 

[indian george]

Nice!!!! Thanks for sharing.

 

[SteelSlaver]

Once again Thanks for another great tip. You always have some great ideas and some great pieces. Jim

 

[ArielSalaverria]

Thanks gentlemen, pics tomorrow (including a 1010/1070/copper mokume one)

Ariel, I know you guys are using the metric system over there, but I'm curious about something. Why the metric drill, but SAE threads?

We have tools from both systems, and since the threaded bar I have was 1/4", I've used my threading tool for the SAE system.

Do you harden the beads after shaped to get a better etch or just leave them annealed?

I do HT all my damascus pieces as it etches better.

Regards,

Ariel

 

[ArielSalaverria]

Here they are!

These are a 7/8" long and 5/8" wide, a little bigger than the previous ones I've made.
The 1010/1070/copper mokume one is 1/2" wide.

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Thanks for looking!


Ariel

 

[kibuddha4]

DAMN! those are sexy!

 

[Patrice Lemée]

Very Cool!

Thanks for sharing.

Pad

 

[jaislandboy]

:thumbup: