Thread: Cable damascus?

HEEEEEEMP!!!!!! But seriously, that is better than a plastic core!!! i would take it out. You know that is going to be good quality cable, but the question will be how much carbon it has. Plow steel at .55% would not be so good, but the higher carbon stuff at .75 and .85% would be pretty nice. One guy who is in the forging supply biz and sells cable to knifemakers that what he sells the extra improved plow steel, the 1075 equivalent. I was told by the previous owner of the supply company that it was crane cable.

Originally Posted by randydance062449

Now for a basic question if I may....

One of our guys, JBalls, may have access to some military grade aircraft arresting cable. The diameter is 1 .5 " with a 1/4" hemp core. He will try to get the military specs for more info.

So, what length should we cut it to allow for welding and clamping/twisting.

Ya, I know the hemp core may be a problem but maybe it will simply burn out then we have to twist it to take up the slack. Not to mention that a 1"+ diameter piece of steel will flatten out to a very long/wide piece of steel.

I just found a pdf with info on the mentioned cable

http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita.../14310_ch3.pdf

page 27 re: sisal core purchase cable ( right side of the page). The graphic on the top left of the page is interesting & a bit intimidating.

"The purchase cable is made from high strength uncoated plow steel....."

also page 31 bottom right graphic

if they mean plow steel using the industry terms, then it is likely the 1055 type and not all that suitable for a razor edge. It might make a pretty mean machete or sword though. With that said, it does have a certain cool factor like the Leopard 1 gun barrel steel or steel recovered from the Battleship Tirpitz like Markus Balbach uses in damascus or like the damascus that contains small amounts of steel from minigun barrels like Rob Patton and others make. There is nothing that says that you couldn't do a san mai billet with the forged out arrester cable as the outer layer and maybe some 1/8 inch 1084 as the core material.

Originally Posted by randydance062449

I just found a pdf with info on the mentioned cable

http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita.../14310_ch3.pdf

page 27 re: sisal core purchase cable ( right side of the page). The graphic on the top left of the page is interesting & a bit intimidating.

"The purchase cable is made from high strength uncoated plow steel....."

Hmmmm, page 48 has a good graphic. Just unwind the strands and remove the hemp core. That also means the major strands can be taken apart and recombined as desired.
It looks like some experimentation is in order.

Thanks all for reading my rambling.

With hemp/sisal, you may not even have to unwind the strands. Just pull out most of it and burn the rest.

Originally Posted by randydance062449

Hmmmm, page 48 has a good graphic. Just unwind the strands and remove the hemp core. That also means the major strands can be taken apart and recombined as desired.
It looks like some experimentation is in order.

Thanks all for reading my rambling.

[QUOTE=JDM61;1505805 There is nothing that says that you couldn't do a san mai billet with the forged out arrester cable as the outer layer and maybe some 1/8 inch 1084 as the core material.[/QUOTE]

or maybe some 1095 round bar that I have?

Now to find some L6 or 15N20 small round bar or strand steel.

Originally Posted by randydance062449

or maybe some 1095 round bar that I have?

That would work. As long as you are having to flatten the cable, you might as well flatten out the 1095 too. i would go thin with the 1095 and forge the san mai billet as close to shape as possible so that most of the surface shows the cable pattern and you only see the 1095 down close the edge. That might be a bit harder with a razor because of the deep hollow grind. Such a blade might call for a wedge or semi wedge grind.

Wedge grind with a 6" wheel, 7/8 finished width of blade, 1/4" thick spine.
The 1095 would have to be either 1/16" or 1/8" at most.

Wouldnt be the first time that a lot of steel ended up on the floor in the form of scale and grinder dust.

Originally Posted by randydance062449

Wedge grind with a 6" wheel, 7/8 finished width of blade, 1/4" thick spine.
The 1095 would have to be either 1/16" or 1/8" at most.

My understanding is all quality lifting slings and crane cable in Australia anyway are made from high tensile (high carbon) steel and therefore should be right to use
I am going to do a raid of the rigging container this week and see what's in there that is non servicable, if none I can quiz the local sling testing company for some failed cable slings