I just got some new 7/8 inch cable and would like some imnfo on how to get it ready to forge, do i need to weld more than just the ends before forging
leroy

I like to tack the ends and the add a piece of 3/8 or 1/2 inch round bar for a handle.
If it is new cable you may want to heat to red and pull it out so any factory anti rust is burned off and wire brush throughly. Make sure there is no center filler rope to the cable btw.

The handle helps during the initial stages in particuliar because you can turn the cable as you wrap it up for welding. Gently gently catches monkey and welds cable.

The Knife demonstrator at BAM (I did not get his name)
welded a handle on one end and a piece of flat stock on the other to put in the vise to twist with. This made sense as less cable is wasted by not being twisted later.
He heated the cable and untwisted it to open up to wire brush the inside.
He then retwisted it tighter than original. Fluxed reheated and welded under an air hammer.

He had home shop made air hammers that realy performed.

I just weld on a handle and flux.
I do my welding in a half round bottom swage welding the bar round first then flatten into blade stock.

As mentioned in the earlier post make sure it dosnt have a hemp center.

Actually the cable tends to loosen or unwarap when it is heated. If you feel it needs more any pair of tongs can help you unwarp a litte if need be. If you turn the cable as you work it in a swage or in you anvil step it will tighen up.

Use a lighter hammer rather than a heavier hammer so you can feel the cable a bit better near the start. I normally use an 18 oz ball pien rather than my heavier hammers.

Here is a series of photos I did a while back. I have just always assumed when you got it hot enough to forge weld it would burn anything else out of it. I put this knife in our auction at our conference last year and included this series of photos with it.
Picasa Web Albums - Lyle - Birth of a ca...

LDW I like what you did with that knife.

Well there is the tutorial in pictures. The only thing you need now is to do it and get the feel in your own hands. For a first time I wouldn't worry about any thing except getting it hot enough and feeling the metal come together. Once you have that you've got it.

Hello I have experimented with cable a lot over the last year. One of the many lessons learned was check it for carbon content before you work for hours for nothing. I found some nice 1" cable that turned out mild. I could not harden it at all. Now I harden and temper a small sample before I waste my time making a new letter opener.

Here is a series of photos I did a while back. I have just always assumed when you got it hot enough to forge weld it would burn anything else out of it. I put this knife in our auction at our conference last year and included this series of photos with it.
Picasa Web Albums - Lyle - Birth of a ca...

LDW That was a great teaching with pictures thank you

LDW
great job at the tutorial its a keeper, and the knife also looks great