Thread: Cable damascus?

Originally Posted by randydance062449

or maybe some 1095 round bar that I have?

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

Each of these ideas has been done, even nickel wire. They all produce interesting contrasty billets that more than makeup for the loss of material in the core.

Nobody has yet mentioned all that flux boriding the billet and changing the mix. Another variable to pay attention to.

Originally Posted by skipnord

For the record, Randy, I have some O1 that I forged out to 1/16 by 3/4 (approximate) in stock.

Thanks Skip, Next time I am over to your place we can talk about it.

Originally Posted by Bruno

How is that? You can always make it flatter. And if you make a rectangular billet, you hammer the blade portion of the billet wedge shaped, no?

Hey Bruno,

I am guessing as to the thickness of the 1095. I am also making an assumption of a stock removal method for starters. Experience will teach me eventually...

Originally Posted by Mike Blue

Nobody has yet mentioned all that flux boriding the billet and changing the mix. Another variable to pay attention to.

Do you have a link to some reading material on this ? or a Google search term ? or just start searching and reading up on cable Damascus?

For those that have worked making cable damascus is this the amount of reduction in size to expect?

Holly cow
Didn't think it would pack down that far
Might have to grab some more cable LOL

I also got some 1/8" O1 & W2 bars to use as cores when I learn to forge weld
So could use cable outers with the good cores may be best option.

Both my boys have put orders ( claims ) in for cable Damascus knives already LOL

That reduction is well within the norm. If you had a rope core to burn out it could be up to a third of the original diameter. There are folks who would now twist several of the reduced cable 'bars' together to increase the mass. Welding is always easier with more thermal mass.

Boron has been added to steels to increase hardening and will diffuse into the surface of a piece. There are pix on the search engines. Kinda cool crystals too. I first ran into it when repairing horseshoes. One of the welding rods contained boron. Grinding that stuff off was miserable. So, use only the least flux to do the job, control your times and temperatures and you shouldn't have any issues.

have some layers ready & waiting to play
20 off 1' x 1" all steel cable cut & ends welded

also scored 5 off 2.4m long x 1' wide band saw blades today from a local steel merchant I got some steel from for my grinder
which came to about 70 layers of blade 6" long & about 25 layers of blade 4" long

Excellent! You have been busy.

So far I have scored a 4' section of cable but have not done anything more with it. From the people I have spoken with who have worked cable you need a hydraulic press or power hammer to work the cable if 1" thick. If not then unstrand the cable and work each strand with a hand hammer.
Adding in the band saw blade material will be interesting.
So far I have been working on putting together the parts for the post anvils. I now have 4 of the disc brake rotors for a base plus I have found the tubing to fit the various anvils and a guy who will do the cutting and welding ( Randy Stinar in Cannon Falls). They should be done in about 3 weeks.