powdered steel question

jdm61

jdm61

itinerant metal pounder
Joined
Aug 12, 2005
Messages
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Kelly Cupples has powdered 1095,1084 and two nickel bearing steels with 2 and 4% nickel and .8 carbon. I know that you can use that stuff to "fill out" can welded mosaic or scrap damascus. My question is could you can weld a billet made completely out of the powders and expect to get a usable blade out of the process? If so, how much would you have to reduce it starting off from say from a 2 x 2 square can?
 
Probably not the best, in industry they start with a much finer powder, that is cleaner and is reduced a lot more than we do.

Not all, but a few guys have failed on "Forged in Fire" using powder.

Some powders are gas atomized, others are water atomized, 1084 powder is steel shot that is pulverized into grit, some 1095 is low carbon mixed with graphite. Almost all available to us are dirty.

Hoss
 
Hoss, would such a mess be sufficient for cladding on a san mai blade?
 
Not even knowing the details that Devin provided the stuff I have on hand, both 1095 and the nickle bearing stuff, I only planned to use essentially as cladding like you describe.
 
Most of the mosaic elements I do are all powder, with a little nickle foil. Start with 3" square can and they start getting pretty solid at 2". They usually get drawn down to 3/4" sq and re-stacked.

I have done one random powder can with 1084 and a 1080/nickle. It turned out OK. Here's a shot of it.

iwdamas6.jpg
 
jdm61 said:
Hoss, would such a mess be sufficient for cladding on a san mai blade?
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I think I want to put that on my to-do list.

make a horizontal canister, lay down a layer of 1095, mid layer of nickle, another of the 1095 and smoosh. I think it would be VERY interesting as they flow together, with minimal disturbance.

Yes, I will put that on my to-do list.
 
I would like to do something like Don showed above, then draw that billet out and san mai it around a section of W2 or similar like you were doing with the D2.
 
After seeing what Don did, that made me think of doing the horizontal can with alternating layers then "drawing"with a a nail or piece of wire like some bakers do with a toothpick and two different colors of layered icing on a cake. Then press square to weld it up and then go to flat bar.
 
Would it be possible in a canister to sprinkle in bits of copper wire that would show up randomly, or would they just disintegrate in the forging?
 
no way i woudl want copper in the mix but i think it might be doable (woudl have to look at a gane tec book to check )
 
I don't think I'd want copper in there. Not sure what it'd do at a welding heat?

Lots can be done with powder. I will play around with it more this Fall & Winter.
 
I would only be using it as a jacket. I just figured guys have success using nickle foil to get copper wire laminated in billets, maybe a more organic effect could be achieved with powder in a canister. Just an idea.
 
jdm61 said:
You are a much smarter man than I am. I just whacked out a couple kitchen knife blades this week in the 95 degree Florida sun. o_O
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Probably not smarter, but like to be comfortable. So forging enough in the winter so I can work in the AC
all Summer is what works best. :)
 
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I have a little portable AC and the exhaust hose goes out under the roll up door, so I have to leave it up about 4 inches. This time of year, it won't get the shop below like 84F even if i leave it running all night.
 
The powdered steel is finally available in Canada. I was thinking a 2-2.5" canister, but I'll listen to Don and get some 3" square tubing.
 
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