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Old 08-27-2018, 12:40 AM
AllanBeasley AllanBeasley is offline
Steel Addict
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Roswell, Georgia
Posts: 133
My first damascus billet projects

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Here we have what I've made from the first two billets of damascus I ever made. I'm up to 3 now. One is a cable damascus kiridashi that I'd REALLY like to keep, but it's getting raffled off at Quad State to help a fellow smith pay some of his dad's medical bills. I had a great time forging the billet, I did that on a live stream on my YouTube channel. I prepped it by welding the ends and welding it to a stick, then hit it with with Ronson's lighter fluid, then brake cleaner. I soaked it in a denatured alcohol & Borax mix. When it JUST started turning red I hit it with a light layer of Borax, got it to welding heat then twisted it as hard as I possibly could and then did 5 welding heats with Borax. It came out inclusion free.

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The other kiridashi is from my first ever billet of damascus, I used a very old 15 inch long file and some monster bandsaw blade for the steel. I welded 6 layers together, put a light twist on it then cut it into two sections. I sandwiched them between 3 layers of bandsaw blade, did my welding heats and put a much more aggressive twist on it. I'd say it went VERY well for my first attempt ever at making damascus and having no power hammer or press. Inclusion free, a lot of fun to make and it was on my first ever live stream because I anticipated high odds of failure and wanted to up the ante by going into it with an audience. As soon as I finish grinding this one into the shape I want it in it's gonna be my EDC, replacing the one I made for myself from an Alabama Damascus offcut.

I'm very happy with the results so far and I'm already halfway through setting up for my next stacked damascus billet. I'm going to try 10 layers cut and stacked into 270-ish layers. I'm not sure how I want to manipulate the pattern at that point but I'm sure I'll figure it out.
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