billyO

​I think that's a question the target would be emphasizing...

​My"local" steel supplier has a rem rack that they sell steel at scrap prices...many times I'll find a 2-3 foot section of just what I need because someone else only needed 16 feet out of a 20 foot bar. See if your supplier has a pile of cut off ends... and on the PPE note, if you haven't already heard my rant, I'll repeat it.......If you're going to grind metal or use a cutting disc, get goggles that seal around your eyes. About a month ago I was using an angle grinder and cutting disc as mentioned because it works really well, and I had safety specs AND a faceshield on and still got a shard in my eye. $300 later and 2 optometry appts later the eye is fine. After getting the shard drilled out of my eye (man those docs have steady hands...) I went to the tool store and spent another $20 on goggles.... DON'T SKIMP WHEN IT COMES TO EYE PROTECTION!!!!

Not trying to hijack this thread, so feel free to tell me to bugger off if this is inappropriate, but I liked the video and am wondering if this would work for a poor man's version of VFD for a knife grinder....

Thanks for all the replies and opinions...I think I'll keep borrowing my buddy's for a couple more paychecks, then search in ernest. Looks like I'm still spending my $ before I even have it....

Hello all. I couldn't find an answer to this question, if it's already there, please redirect me. I'm looking for an inexpensive 110V mig welder, the only thing I plan on using it for is to tack Damascus billets, as I have a gas powered stick welder that I use for anything that requires strength. My diesel mechanic who is also a good friend said that any cheap Harbor Freight-like model would work fine for this application, and not to worry about the idea of spending the most I can afford for this reason. Any thoughts/suggestions are appreciated. Thanks

Gregerly, de-nial 'aint just a river in Egypt.....

In my experience, the cutting discs will shatter and disintegrate if you're cutting thin stock and you get ahead of the cut. If the above short answer didn't make sense, following is a longer description of what I'm talking about: As the disc rotates, you can orient the grinder so that the rotation tends to pull the grinder away from you or push it towards you while you are cutting.​ I tend to prefer when the rotation pulls the grinder away while cutting, but if you move the grinder too quickly, there's the possibility that as you get to the end of the cut, the wheel (disc) reached the edge of the material and the rotating wheel will suddenly push the grinder toward you as the wheel rolls around the edge of the material and this is when the disc will shatter and/or disintegrate. The only way to avoid this is to pay close attention to what you are doing and not rush things...

​I've posted this before. but it's worth repeating...If you're going to grind metal or use a cutting disc, get goggles that seal around your eyes. About a month ago I was using an angle grinder and cutting disc as mentioned because it works really well, and I had safety specs AND a faceshield on and still got a shard in my eye. $300 later and 2 optometry appts later the eye is fine. After getting the shard drilled out of my eye (man those docs have steady hands...) I went to the tool store and spent another $20 on goggles.... DON'T SKIMP WHEN IT COMES TO EYE PROTECTION!!!! just my 2 pesos.....

I talked to jock earlier today and he said it went down unexpectedly, but is working on getting it back up and hopes to have it back in the next couple of days.

Hacksaw, elbow grease and some time?

Thanks John....it's been so long since I've used my chop saw, I forgot I even had one.

​Sounds like you are looking for a guillotine tool.

​Thanks for the reminder about the z-fold. Done it once and worked well. As far as cooling the billet down, didn't want to ruin the temper on my bandsaw blades...I suppose I could use a hot cut....

​I was thinking shorter would be easier to manage, and a lot less work drawing out by hand. I've done a billet using 12" pieces of the 1095 and 15N20, started with 11 or 12 layers and IMO, after cutting and stacking after the initial weld, took way too much time and effort to draw out again to repeat. When I get my press/mill I'll probably rethink this. Back to the question, I was also thinking that a 2" x 1.5" x 6" starting billet should yield at least a 0.25" x 1.5" x 36" +/- blank for knives, no? (minus loss to scale, of course) The reason for folding is: due to my new job, I have limited forge time (only one day a week now), and don't want to have to wait for the billet to cool, grind, cut and re-tack before the next forge weld. This way allows me to weld, draw, fold, weld, draw, fold, etc.. in one session at the forge. Also, my gas forge is WAY too big for this type of forging, and takes about 45 min of heating to get to forgewelding temps....Great for large pieces, not so much for making Damascus billets...making a new forge is right in line after the press/mill. Feel free to correct my thinking as needed all. Thanks again as always peace and love billyO

Hello all. tried to search for an answer to this, but each search ended up with over 300 pages, and going through 10 or so, thought I'd go this route. Feel free to redirect as necessary. I've got about a half dozen Damascus billets under my belt using various materials, and have just acquired a bunch of saw mill blades to make more (at least 150-200 more billets) and want to speed up the process a bit by minimizing my folds. I'm currently doing everything by hand (hopefully will have a rolling mill and/or press in the next few months) and am wondering if those with more experience have found that there's a limit to the thickness of the initial billet to setting a good initial weld. I'd like to make my initial billet with 22-24 layers of .072" - .080" saw blades (or 15N20 that I also have) and .062 of 1095 . When I stacked the pieces, the billet will be 1.5" wide, 6" long and 2" deep. Should a 2‌‌" thick stack be doable by hand with a 4# hammer? How thick could I go and still set the initial weld by hand. Thanks in advance as always peace and love billyO

​Going to add a comment here, after spending almost $200 last night at the optometrist and pharmacy for removal of a steel shaving and antibiotic eyedrops for the next week or so.... Was cutting/grinding steel for Damascus with safety specs AND a face shield, I still got a piece in my left eye....Today I picked up some goggles that have a seal around my eyes. Make sure you have goggles before grinding or using a cutting wheel. Just my 2 centavos as always peace and love billyO

Don't know for sure, but this may be another example of the overall lack of quality control that this planet is running into. One of the guys I work with likes to do "squishes" under his chambersburg or 75 ton press out of bearings, gears, etc, and occasionally we have seen strange objects that obviously didn't melt completely when whoever was melting the scrap metal down to make the ingot that was used to make the bearing. . . or it could have bene over-heated as meintioned above.

Thanks for the explanation Theo. I've been wondering. And now I'm done learning for the day.

Nice looking piece. I've been wondering about your knives and all the 3D printing you've been doing. What it the material that the printer uses? Isn't it some sort of plastic? And how sturdy/tough is that material and how well will it hold up under use? Keep up the good work as always peace and love billyO

​Not sure if the NWBA meeting are going to be THAT much closer....

Hi, millertime, and welcome. I, too, live in the PNW, just outside of Mt Rainier. I'll make a recommendation to join the NWBA, a great way to meet local smiths. Anyway, welcome to the wonderfully addictive world of learning how to play with really hot metal..

Hello gvmnt45, I may take you up on the hosting offer the next time I'm back at the folks. Grew up in Clarendon Hills and folks live in the Willowbrook area. If you're out in the PNW visiting Mt Rainier, give me a ring.

Thanks for the suggestion njanvilma. I did leave the coolers open... They are just the boxes I'm putting them in temporarily until I figure out the best way to handle them.

Hello all. I spent the last few days cutting up the stump that the burl came off of, thinking I may get some nice scales for any knife that may be in my future. I cut the stump into rounds, then the rounds into blocks approx. 2" x 1.75" x 4-6" (+/-). Well, after 2 days and 2/3 through the pile of rounds, I've got about 250-300 blocks packed into 2 large coolers with sawdust and I asked myself, "what the heck am I going to do with these?" I'm assuming these are worth something. Probably more if dried and stabilized? Are they worth anything as is, cut and green? Here's a sample: