Subject: Re: Making a pattern welded knife blade from cable - report & questions

From: Mike Linn <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 96 16:57 EST

At 09:53 AM 3/25/96 -0800, you wrote:

>Q # 4:  Anyone have any pointers for the next time I do this (soon)?
>
>Joe "hot metal is HOT" McGlynn
>
        I made what I call a Faux Damascus knife a few months ago. Billy
Watson showed me at the AFC Tannehill Conference back in September. When
welding get a good clean burning reducing fire going in your coal forge.
Bring the wire rope (without the inner core) (i use 3/4 to 7/8 dia.) to a
blood red and flux it.

         I use 20 Mule Team Borax from the grocery store. Return to the
fire. Pay close attention to the cable especially the ends, they'll burn
fast. keep rolling the cable to ensure a good even heat. Just as the cable
"disappears" ie becomes the same color as the inside of the fire, pull it
from the fire. The cable should be sparking slightly. Be quick & dont
hesitate using the small hammer and light QUICK blows, weld the cable
together. As you weld/tap rotate the rope in the direction the twists go. In
other words, you want your blows to tighten the twists not unravel them. 

        Keeping it round, weld a couple of inches at a time. When you loose
the welding heat STOP, go back to the fire and start over. After 6 to 8
inches square up and fold the billet and reweld. Continue the fold and weld
proceedure till your tired of it. All hammering, twisting straightening etc
should be done at close to a welding heat.

        Im no expert but this worked for me, I made a knife/letteropener fom
a piece of 3/4" 7 strand cable. I welded the blade and folded 8 times then I
moved back along the cable about 6 1/2inches cut off the remaining cable and
welded the end, drew it out and forged a loop. All the while keeping the
cable twists tight. Then at a good forging heat I untwisted the cable
section in the middle, reminicent of a basket twist. The effect was really
neat, 6 twisted outer strands with one straight inner strand, made the handle.

        I etched the whole thing in a 20% Muratic Acid solution till the
pattern came out and neutralized in a baking soda solution. I was really
pleased with the effect and so was the guy who bought it at the Art Show 2
weeks later. Hope this gives you some in sight, and it will sure give you
practice with your forge welding. P.S. after every couple of welds clean out
your fire. Welding makes clinkers faster than anything.

my 2 cents,

mike

                                    _///_
                                   /(o o)\
===============================o000o=(_)=o000o====
               Michael Linn 
            Artisian Blacksmith
              AFC Web Master
 http://www.the-matrix.com/afc/index.html
==================================================
Smile, it makes people wonder what you've been up to.

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From: "Joe B. McGlynn (415) 855-5707" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 26 Mar 1996 08:24:52 -0800 (PST)

>Bring the wire rope (without the inner core) (i use 3/4 to 7/8 dia.) to a

[cool stuff you've probably already read snipped...]

Mike,

Just curious -- why do you call this "Faux Damascus"?

Joe McGlynn

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From: Tom Vincent <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 26 Mar 1996 18:17:26 -0600 (CST)

WE've been using a little trick in these parts for cable knives. Since 
they tend to untwist at the edge of the forgeweld, try compensensating by 
twisting it even tighter. If you can get the wires to twist almost 
horizontal before welding you not only get a better weld, but rumor has 
it that after sharpening they form a sort of microserrated edge. I don't 
know about that part though.  I use 
these short sections of cable almost an inch in diameter that are used by 
the railroad repair folks on a huge wire brush machine to clean recently 
welded rails.