question on forge welding cracked 5160 blade

C

cwhittington

Joined
Sep 6, 2002
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106
I know it's probably a lost cause, but can a cracked blade be salvaged by sandwiching it between more layers and forge welding it? I screwed up on the quench and if I can save it, I want to try. Also, what would be a good steel in combination with 5160? I read that it can be tricky to weld.
Thanks-
 
If you are just wanting to experiment with forge welding, start with good steel. I have a box full of crack, I mean cracked blades that I was saving for "Frontier damascus". It's better to start fresh without inducing any more problems than what naturally occurs. As far as what would be good with 5160. I'd try some L6.
 
Mark- I actually just really want to save the knife- and experiment too. I put so many hours into it I hate to scrap it. I gather from your reply that it can be done since you save cracked blades for that purpose- have you had any success? Thanks for the reply.
 
I save the pieces that I break off. You dont want a crack in the mix, trust me. I know how you feel about putting that much time in a blade. I have learned to etch every blade now before puuting a lot of finishing time into them. Ive even detroyed blades that I thought had cracks, but turned out to be alloy banding. Start over and try to figure out why the blade cracked. got pictures?
 
I know what it was- and I was asking for it. I edge quenched the blade in a oil/wax/power steering fluid goop (got the idea from Wayne Goddard's book) and the blade didn't seem very hard so I quenched again in pure steering fluid and it still didn't seem hard so I went for the water quench and killed it.
In my defence, I had just been on Dan Fogg's (I think) web site where he says he quenches 5160 and other oil hardening steels in water on a regular basis, but doesn't heat the blade as high. Of course, if one is going to quench oil hardening steel in water that way, absolute control of the temps is critical apparently.
 
The last 5160 blade I quenched in water shattered, dare I say exploded into a bejillion pieces simply chopping a limb of a red-tip bush. That was using a coal forge and having absolutely no clue as to what I was doing. I love my gas forge, ultimate control is sweet.
 
A gas forge would be great, and I plan to build one, but I've read they generate a lot of noise and I tend to do most of my forging fairly late
and I don't irritate the neighbors too much. It's bad enough that I'm banging on my anvil til past 10:00 pm. I don't do any heavy stuff that late though-
 
I keep most of my mistakes also, they hang on the walls of the shop and scattered about. Each one is a lesson to be learned and it doesn't hurt to review your mistakes once in a while. It keeps you humble. I wouldn't use the blade in a damascus mix unless you want to chop it up and make some can mosiac damascus. No use throwing good money after bad. If you do use it, don't put the crack in the middle of the weld. It is possible for the metal to expand and fill the crack, but it may not. After you get that blade finished out and have started hand sanding the blade, A small defect appears that grows, due to the crack. Then you will have experience and will hang the next ones up, or if it works, will try it again.
This is what I have learned about the material of the damascu billit, keep it clean and you will end up with a clean billit.
 
Thanks for the input- I'm going to do a search on can damascus.
I don't need to hang it on the wall to keep me humble - but it would be nice to need that!
 
Let's put it this way.
A few years ago I cracked a sword that had taken me 9 months to forge and grind.
I tried to shorten it and the first time I tested it it broke. I shortened it to a knife, It broke. I made Damascus and the cracks opened up and caused a piece to delaminate.

I'd break it in pieces and use it in frontier Damascus as Mark suggested!

I know it's hard but it happens.
 
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