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

From: "John W. Pollins, III" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 26 Mar 1996 18:57:01 -0500 (EST)

You did wonderfully on your 1st solo cable damascus.
        Jim Batson and Chuck Patrick at Touchstone and dozens of others will
be teaching "damascus" somewhere in the country this summer.You should
consider springing for a week or weekend class  to save yourself the time
needed to re-invent the wheel.
        Check the Schools list and write to those accessable to you for
their summer Blacksmith/bladesmith schedules.
        ---or keep learning solo--that'll work too.
        20 Mule Team borax foams.Tat's OK.
        Always heat harden an unknown material in oil first.
        Lose the 1/2 inch and pickup some 1 to 1 1/2 inch cable from you juk
yard.
        Start the weld back and weld forward to the end.
        Be alert for a commonly available stainless cable that can't be
forge welded (chrom alloy content). 
                        Pollins

---

From: Tom Vincent <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 26 Mar 1996 18:21:02 -0600 (CST)

You can forge weld that chrome cable with Hi-Alloy No.7. Comes in powder 
form Tom