You Damascus Guys

[Tommegow]

Can I make damascus out of these steels I have on hand?? or are the combo's
of these steels really not going to work. Most I have seen discussed are 1084/15n20
Thanks
Tom
So.Ga.
Coil Spring ?1069 1070 1078?
C 0.74
Mn 0.65
P 0.013
S 0.001
Si 0.22 :
Ni 0.02
Cr 0.18
Mo 0.00
Chipper Blade A-1?
C .93
Mn .25
P .035
S .006
Si .33
Ni .38
Cr 3.64
Mo 1.92
V .720
Truck Spring 5160?
C 0.53%
Mn 0.83%
P 0.009%
S 0.017%
Si 0.22%
Ni 0.05%
Cr 0.76%
Mo 0.01%
Fork Lift Blade
C 0.331%
Mn 1.34
P 0.007
S 0.017
Si 0.28
Ni 0.09
Cr 0.33
Mo 0.051
B 0.0002
Fe 97.31
Ce 0.656
Wagon Wheel Rim W.I. ?
Fe 98.9%
C 0.11%
Mn 0.42%
P 0.005%
S 0.035%
Si 0.06%
Ni 0.07%
Cr 0.03%
Mo 0.00%

 

[mete]

The best of the group would be 1070/5160 . The others for various reasons would not make a good choice.

 

[deker]

One thing to add to what Mete said. I'm not sure if you'll get really good contrast with that combo based on the #s you provided. If I'm not mistaken (please somebody correct me if I am), the Manganese content in these steels will yield a generally dark etch, with the truck spring (5160) being the darker of the two.

Personally, I think it would look kind of cool. I'm planning on trying some O1/W1 damascus tomorrow and hoping for a dark/dark etch.

-d

 

[A C Richards]

Avoid the A-1 too much cr. As mentioned above the others will not give much contrast. obout the Wagon Wheel tire, do you see any grain structure? Cut off a piece and polish it then etch the end to see if there are any laminations. The numbers you gave look a lot like mild steel. SOme Wagon wheel tires were made from mild steel, esp on reproduction wagons. I made several billets from 5160 and true Wrought Iron. It had good contrast but the carbon content was probably too low. Had a difficult time getting a decent edge. It does however give you a great starting point and if nothing else it will make nice looking fixtures. The 1070 5160 will give the best performing blade of the choices you have.

Chuck

 

[JCaswell]

If I was you, I'd use the 1075 and buy some 15-N-20 to mix with it and enjoy the increased likelihood of success.

I agree, that's too much carbon for WI. Wrought iron has virtually no carbon (a survey of historic wrought iron samples I read recently put the average around .03). There is confusion on this point in some dictionaries/encyclepedias because today, mild steel is very often called iron or wrought iron, so they'll give the chemical makeup of good-ol 1018 under 'wrought iron'.