newbie damascus question

[jdm61]

I would like to try to weld a small piece of damascus. It is going to be some time before I have a place for my press, so I would be doing this by hand. I do not currently have a welder of any kind. I have several questions.
1. Do you have to tack weld the starting billet together or can you use bailing wire?
2. Do you have to weld a rebar handle on the billet or can you just leave the center piece of 1080 about 3 feet long and make it the center of th stack and then cut the billet and restack the new pieces around the center piece again ad nauseum? Does the rebar resist drooping under welding heat because of it's round shape?
When I do get a welder. do I need a TIG or MIG gas rig or would a cheapo arc welder do for tacking billets and handles together?
Thanks
Joe

 

[deker]

1. Do you have to tack weld the starting billet together or can you use bailing wire?

No need for a welder. Wire it tightly in 2 or 3 spots if it's a small billet (more if it's long...like for a sword). Then, set the first weld on the first couple inches of one end. After that, return the billet to the fire and weld the other end. After that, remove the wire and finish the weld up. I've been reading Jim Hrisoulas' book on pattern welding and his opinion is that this is the way it should be done. Period. No arc welding, etc. since it can introduce extra contaminants into the billet. Personally, I arc weld the ends of my billets and cut them off when I'm done.

2. Do you have to weld a rebar handle on the billet or can you just leave the center piece of 1080 about 3 feet long and make it the center of th stack and then cut the billet and restack the new pieces around the center piece again ad nauseum? Does the rebar resist drooping under welding heat because of it's round shape?

I did my first couple of billets this way and it worked just fine. You will find that the consistant welding heat will tend to thin out the bar just behind your billet. It will eventually fail there if you're doing a lot of folding. There are also plenty of guys who weld with tongs.

When I do get a welder. do I need a TIG or MIG gas rig or would a cheapo arc welder do for tacking billets and handles together?

Right now I'm using a little 115V Lincoln wirefeed dealie. It's not great, but it works. Biggest problem is not enough juice to get the penetration I'd like in welding the handles. As such I end up re-welding or just globbing more wire on every 3-4 heats (note: I'm using a power hammer and it's much harder on the weld joints than hand hammering). If I could snap my fingers and have a welder for handles it would probably be a stick welder just so I can burn the weld in deeper (I'm also relatively comfortable with a stick, so that helps I'm sure). A good mig welder of decent amperage would be fine too. I'd stay away from 115V welders if you have 220 available in your shop and can afford the bigger welder though.

Hope that helps,

-d

 

[jdm61]

I don't have 220 yet. That gets put in when I build the shop and set up the press. Even then, everything will get done withth press and hand hammer. Powerhammers are just too loud ofr where I live. for my first billet, I am thinking of satrting with 9 layers. 5 of 1080 and probably 4 of 15n20. I figureif I weld, draw down to 5/16-1/2 thick, cut 3 ways and and repea that 3 times, I will get 243 layers, which should look okfor random, assuming it sticks together I have a 4 1/2 lb French pattern hammer that should speed the forging up a tiny bit.

 

[deker]

I don't have 220 yet. That gets put in when I build the shop and set up the press. Even then, everything will get done withth press and hand hammer. Powerhammers are just too loud ofr where I live. for my first billet, I am thinking of satrting with 9 layers. 5 of 1080 and probably 4 of 15n20. I figureif I weld, draw down to 5/16-1/2 thick, cut 3 ways and and repea that 3 times, I will get 243 layers, which should look okfor random, assuming it sticks together I have a 4 1/2 lb French pattern hammer that should speed the forging up a tiny bit.

Don't kill your arm trying to do it all at once. See if you can con somebody into swinging a sledge for you. That said, the billet you're talking about sounds do-able, just take your time at it and work it at a welding heat. Once it drops to a mid to low orange you're just tiring yourself out and risking the welds in your billet.

Make it hot and hit it hard!

-d