Introduction
This Damascus method is neither better nor inferior to another
smith’s methods as there is more than one way to go about
making a Damascus (also called pattern welding) billet.
Smith’s may create endless Damascus patterns limited only
by their creativity and time spent manipulating the billet. Some
of the common patterns have names such as: Random, Ladder, or
Turkish to name a few.
I will show how I make a Random pattern billet using five pieces
of 1095 and four pieces of L6. The nine starting parts will be
3/16” thick by 1” wide and 5” long. The first
weld will produce a 9-layer billet. The layer count will double
each time the billet is drawn, folded, and rewelded. The progression
will be 9, 18, 36, 72, and etc. For a pleasing random pattern
I will take this billet to 72 layers.
These are thumbnail images,
click on them for a larger view. |
Sawing parts
Bar stock is cut to size in my 4” by 6” horizontal
bandsaw.
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Cut parts
Here are the parts, which will become a Damascus billet.
Notice parts are labeled with a felt marker so I don’t loose
track of what is what.
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Grinding
I use a 4 ½” disk grinder to knock the mill
scale off my bar stock. This is added insurance to get a clean
first weld. Keep your grind marks going across the stock and not
lengthwise with the stock. The molten flux has a short distance
to go following the grind marks out to the sides of the billet.
There is a much greater chance of trapping flux between the layers
when molten flux has to travel grind lines the length of the billet.
Don’t forget to wear eye and hearing protection.
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Grinding close up
You are not trying to remove metal stock. Just kiss the
surface to take off mill scale.
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Ground parts
Here are the individual starting pieces after grinding
off the mill scale. Parts are now ready to be stacked together
alternating the different materials.
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Clamped for Welding
Here are the parts clamped prior to welding a bead across
the ends.
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End Weld
Close-up of the weld bead across the bar ends. This holds
the parts together prior to forge welding.
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Prepared Billet
The alternating layers of stock are welded to a stub handle
that screws onto my forge welding handle.
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Welding Handle
My forge welding handle is made up from 14” of 1”
black iron pipe, 8” of ¾” black iron pipe,
a 5” diameter piece of 1/8” plate, and a ½”
thread coupling. Weld the 1” and ¾” black iron
pipe together and drill them full of ½” holes to
circulate air. Weld the 5” diameter heat shield about an
inch from the end on the ¾” pipe. This keeps the
gas forge from blowing heat down the handle. Last, weld the ½”
coupling in the end of the ¾” pipe. This is what
you screw the billet-holding bar into. Works great as I can hold
handle in my bare hands after six hours of forge welding. |
Billet on handle
Billet is screwed onto the welding handle ready to forge.
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First flux
Plenty of flux is applied over vertical billet layers
so melted flux will flow between all the layers due to gravity.
Flux is applied at first sign of red color on the steel. I add
additional flux several more times as billet continues to heat
up. This ensures all surfaces are covered with flux prior to
welding. I use common laundry borax in an aluminum-baking pan.
Flux is applied with a long-handle spoon forged just for this
job.
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Flux spoon
Spoon is forged from 22” of ¼” square stock.
Ring is 1.5” diameter to provide a solid grip area. About
1” of the opposite end was folded back and forge welded
to have ample material to form spoon. Overall length is about
16” to keep hand away from 2400-degree steel.
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 Billet
in forge
Billet being heated to a welding temperature. I use a
touch rod to test when billet is at a welding heat. Once billet
looks hot enough to weld, place touch rod in forge too. Small
rod will heat very quickly. Touch rod to billet. When you feel
the rod sticking to the billet, you have a welding heat.
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Touch rod
Touch rod is ¼” diameter round stock about 30”
long. Grip ring is around 1.5” diameter. Working end is
drawn to a point for contacting billet. Be sure to brush scale
off touch rod just before touching billet, as dirty rod will
not stick. Rod will eventually burn away from many heatings
and cleanings.
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 Welding
Billet is welded using a combination flat and drawing
die set in a 20-ton hydraulic press. I only open and close the
press just enough to work the billet. This makes the cycle time
very quick. Jeff Carlisle in Montana built the hydraulic press
I use.
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Welding/drawing die
Combination flat and drawing die used in a hydraulic
press. The flat side is used for applying welding pressure.
The narrow rounded side applies pressure for drawing out billet.
All die sets simply slide on and off press making changeover
very fast.
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Drawing
Billet is drawn-out using hydraulic press in preparation
for folding.
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Center mark
Once billet is drawn-out I mark the center with a hot-cut.
Steel rule lying on anvil beside the billet allows me to accurately
find the center.
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Split bar
Billet is cut 7/8 of the way through using my cutting
die in the hydraulic press. I slide the billet across the cutting
die. That way the hot-cut mark will catch on the cutting die
edge to locate the billet center.
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Hot cut die
The square stock is 1/8” higher on each side of
the cutter. This prevents cutting completely through the billet.
Leaves just enough material to handle billet as one piece yet
thin enough to easily fold billet back on its self. Always fold
away from the cut. Bottom die does the cutting. Top die is flat
just to push against.
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Clean scale
Use a stiff wire brush to clean off scale and old flux
after cutting billet. This helps ensure the surface will be
clean for welding.
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Flux before folding
Immediately apply plenty of fresh flux to the clean surface.
The flux coating keeps surface free from scale buildup. Now billet
is placed in forge and heated to a normal forging temperature.
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Start folding
Bring hot billet to anvil and start folding over the anvil’s
edge.
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Half folded
Once billet is bent over the anvil as far as you can go comfortably,
quickly flip billet over and continue folding back on its self.
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Finish fold
Billet is folded ready for more flux and another welding
heat.
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Flux billet
Apply plenty of flux over folded billet and take another
welding heat. Now the cycle (weld, draw out, notch billet, and
fold) is repeated until the layer count you want is reached. Billet
is then forged to final width and thickness for future use. Then
I anneal the finished bar to relieve all stresses. Last, I mark
the cold bar with layer count and material used.
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