Forging Question

[DANA HOLMAN]

To all
Now Mr. Lin Rhea, had told me how to make damasus,but my brain must be a little small. because everything i tried today did not work, i got some borax to coat the steel in and i may have not had the steel hot enough. it was a mid orange. now I'm using 1095 and 15n20 for the two steel total layers is 5. I had broken alll the welds (must of not have welded very good)
Can some one tell me again how to forge this. maybe step by step
thanks for any help
dana P.S. All i have is a hammer and anvil,

[tomh]

All I know is you are gonna get strong making damascus that way! It can be done, but wow!!

[Wampus]

You've got to give a thick billet a good long soak in the forge to get the center heated up.  I just use my watch and give it 20 minutes before I start hamering the first time.  Seems like forever when you're waiting, but I have problems when I just go by what the outside looks like.  The borax should protect the steel and keep it from burning up.

[Lin Rhea]

Dana,
       It's very hard to explain in words how to weld. You really need to see it done, at least.
      You apply the flux about the time you mentioned, but you have to let the billet come up to welding heat and let it soak, as Wampus said, till the middle of the billet is as hot as the outside. No dark area or shadows. Keep fluxed.
       The initial weld is where I have had trouble. Concentrate on getting the weld right, before reducing the stack very far, then draw it out for your next cut and stack. Look up everything you can on forge welding and get a mental image of what to expect when you are doing it. Or better yet, take a class. It will cut years off your learning curve. Lin

[DANA HOLMAN]

Thanks everyone
I'm going to try it again today, I really think it was not hot enough. sorry Lin for not being a better student
thanks
dana

[Kevin Evans]

Dana
I have seen your forge and have one very similar it will get hot enough.but first thing I would sugest is let it get bright yellow.another small rule of thumb is after it gets really red is put borax on it,put back in forge and let get bright yellow and the flux will start dancing around everywhere,then wait awhile and then do your first hits on the billet(don't let it get cold)put back in and repeat)
really to hard to exsplain give me your adress I'll send vidieo.I am no exspert,but maybe I can help,Call me

[DANA HOLMAN]

Kevin sent you a PM
thanks
dana

[Ragnarok Forge]

First clean the contact faces of the steel.  I use a flat belt grind so both sides of each steel piece have a slightly concave surface. This forces the flux and impurities out of the welds as they close.

Stack and wire the cleaned pieces together.  Weld the end of the stack together on on end with a wire feed or stick welder.  A single thread of weld down one side of one end works great.  Weld a 4 or 5 foot section of rebar to the welded end of the stack.  The rebar works as a handle.
 
Put stack in your forge and heat to cherry red.  Pull out and flux liberally.  Place back in forge.  Let soak until ir is at high orange / low yellow.  The flux should be bubbling.  You will see little bits of flux "dancing" on the steel.  Take a section of thin high steel carbon rod that is at the same heat as your billet.  Dip the hot tip in flux and then slide it across the side of the stack.  It should lightly stick to the stack at welding heat.

WHen the stack is hot enough.  Pull it out of the forge and using a 1.5 lb french hammer hit three solid hits right in the middle on the far end away from the rebar.  You do not want to hit it too hard.   Just solid steady motion strikes.  Then hit from the last blow ( closest to your hand ) on each side of the billet.  Alternate back and forth to the far end of the billet.  

It is absolutely vital that you make the initial weld and all subsequent welds perfect.  Do not try to work to much billet length at one time.  As a beginner with damascus 3 to 4 inches is all you can work well on one heat particularly on the first welds.  Flux the billet thoroughly and place it back in the forge.  Bring to low yellow and check with steel rod.  Repeat until you have welded the entire billet.

Once you have welded the entire billet once.  Repeat the process and hit on the other side of the billet.  3 inches at a time.  This helps set all the welds fully.  After the second set of welding has occurred you cans start to draw the billet out.  It is important to protect the welds and keep the billet at high red or low orange while drawing the billet out.  Keep the billet fluxed for the first drawing out process.

Make sure that and straightening blows to the side of the billet are made at medium red or lower heat.  This will help keep the welds intact.  Once the billet is forged out to length - about 1 inch tall by or 1.5 inches wide and 2 or 3 feet long,  cut the billet and start the process over.

Any questions you have post them here and I am sure we can help you out.

[DANA HOLMAN]

Thanks Mr Walker
The billets that i have are not flat anymore due to me beating on them, should i get new ones? Or can i make these work
thanks for the info.
dana

[Ragnarok Forge]

If you can't grind them to have a flat - slightly convex surface, then you will want to start over with new steel.  Nothing more frustrating than putting in all the work and finding bad welds all thru your billet.  

If you have beaten the steel hard enough to deform it that much you are probably hitting way to hard while trying to weld the billets.  Make sure you wire the billet at three spots with bailing wire.  Make the wire wraps really tight.  Use pliers to tighten the wire by twisting the ends together.  This keeps the billet lined up and helps prevent deformation of the steel.  Remember solid / firm hits.  Nothing to excessive or you will break any welds you have created in the last heat welding cycle.

Keep at it.  Practice makes perfect!

[DANA HOLMAN]

thanks Mr. walker
I tried to weld it with a mig welder but broke the welds, i was hitting it pretty hard, i'll get some new steel and try it again.
thanks for the help
dana