weldin damascus

J

JTT

Joined
Feb 21, 1999
Messages
25
started a billet of 5 layers outside layers are 1084, the next 2 are saw blade material with a old nicholson file in the middle. the first weld went good or so I thought but after folding and starting the second weld the 1084 separated form the saw blade material. I am using 20 muleteam borax for my flux and I am using a whisper daddy three burner propane forge.

any help would be appriciated
 
Started out about 7" long 1 1/4" wide, the 1084 and file 1/4" the saw blade material was about 1/8". the hammer is 4lbs.
 
Your material sound ok. Did you take the oxidation off both sides of the material to be welded before you put the stack together?
The biggest problem is usually not getting all the materials up to welding heat. 20 mule team is adequate but anhydrous borax is much better for a flux. If you can locate a pair of didydium glasses you can see in your forge and see the white hot with the beads of flux dancing and be sure of welding temp.
It doesn't take but very little hammering (contrary to popular belief) if you have a good flux and proper welding temp.
 
no i did not grind each peace before putting the stack together. would it be better to start over with a new billet rather that puting more time into this one, where would one find the glasses?

Thanks for the input
 
You probably have alot of slag trapped inbetween the pieces at present so it would be easier to just start over. The glasses are not just for seeing better because the forges put off uv rays that are damaging to your peepers when you get to welding temp. The glasses are available through Centar Forge I believe. They probably have a web.
The price is about 40 dollars for non prescription. I have prescrip. and got them from Americam Op. When you grind have your grind lines go across the material not lengthwise otherwise it has a tendancy to trap junk when you go to pounding. When you pound, work the center to the outside both ways. Hope this helps

Goshawk www.imt.net /~goshawk
 
Thank you for the advice, I checked with our local welding supplier today about didydium glasses, he did some resurch, and came up with some blue cobalt lenses the manufacture said they shuold do the same as the didydium lenses, price is about the same.
 
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