Weld Hard

Bob, I'd love to take a run at it. What do you want for some 15N20 strips?

Hi Matt, just curious... what do ya do? Do ya forge and do ya pattern weld?

The winkler Fastenal locale is two doors down from the guys I sub contract for... what a wonderful small world. This Fastenal whereof you speak, are the inclined to getting any kinda specialty metals? For example, is that a place you can get 15N20? Is 01 or w1 good for stock removal as well?

I am lookin to look over someones shoulder and maybe a bit of hands on experience. I am intrested in making damascus billets an graduating to knife building.

Hi, I'd like to find the closest smith to me. I live in southern Manitoba Canada.

Has anyone forged a grader blade into a knife? Is that just stock removal or can you weld it?

That Mr. Fisk sure has it down... his knife is in fact the one where I first saw the dog star pattern and have liked it ever since. Thank you for the link btw.

In a 15N20/1095 mix, what is the dark steel and what is the light? Also, when adding pallet straping what kind do ya look for and what color contrast does it produce?

Hi all, just wondering if there are any spark testing videos out there.

I have a plasma cutter. That thing will chop up to an inch of steel or more. Will that thing contaminate the metal too much with slag?

Hello all, awhile back i saw a knifw on Google images that had a dog star pattern. How is that done? Is it a variant of the ladder? Thank you for your insight. Secondly, is there any other name for 15N20? The guys in the local metal shops seem to be clueless as to what I mean.

we have a foundry for pouring cast iron into molds in our town. I scored some black shiny rock that they say they add to the furnace to increase the carbon content. is this something of intrest for increasing carbon content in low C steel? I am new and have not forged yet but wanna start soon. I am not going to try this till experience goes up but is this something that would migrate into the steel after being heated till the non magnetic stage for several hours under a no oxygen atmophere?

I am not a forger as you may think... I do somewhat forge metal together though, my weapon of choice- a Lincoln power mig 350. I have been a mig welder for now on 12 years. I am not deceived into thinking I can forge cause I can mig. That's where membership in ths forum comes in. I will bild myself a crude forge out of a semi truck brake drum to burn coal in. I will force air into it to help heat the coal. What readily availible metal should I start with? I have the luxury of having the rail line go right by my house and therefor spikes are readily to be had. What metal is somewhat easily availible and holds an edge quite well? I would also like to find a supplier for 15N20 steel as close as I can to me (I live in southern Manitoba Canada). My ultimate goal is damascus steel- I think 15N20 and 1095 contrast well if I am correct. Speaking of rail line, what is train car axle made of? I have about an 80 pound chunk of it which I intend on using as an anvil. Is that high carbon?