Thank you again, for sharing your knowledge and experience with us and for taking all the extra time with this.
I loved the two tools from your last work with the chain!
Danged if I would n't just make a few more tools that I would use. Can't get that hammer out of my head. I have 4 Bailey hammers that I love and use. So another hammer in a different style would fit right in.
I use a scribe in the shop- a Damascus scribe would be gorgeous! And you would feel the satisfaction of this billet every time you used the tools.
Dividers wojuld be cool, too.
Rein rigs would be a hoot!
Bet you would get great satisfaction when folks visit your shop and see the tools you made [i sure would!].
What ever tools you use would be the perfect projects.
Again, my sincere thanks- you have allowed me another avenue to express myself, too.
Dave

I still have the billet from this thread. I haven't yet decided what it will be.

Heirloom and legacy tools are always a rewarding project for me.

I make these strike knives out of about 20 layers of old high carbon bandsaw blades

you should make a hand saw B)

Just jumping in to say how epic this thread is. Thanks for sharing.

Just jumping in to say how epic this thread is. Thanks for sharing.

I do thank you for your comment.

Ciladog,

Maybe I missed this in one of the beginning posts, but how do you prevent the scale build up between the pieces you've tacked together? Do you just wire brush the billet real good between fluxing, or hasn't this been a real issue? I was just curious if this has any affect on the billet welding together properly.

Thanks,
Jeff

Ciladog,

Maybe I missed this in one of the beginning posts, but how do you prevent the scale build up between the pieces you've tacked together? Do you just wire brush the billet real good between fluxing, or hasn't this been a real issue? I was just curious if this has any affect on the billet welding together properly.

Thanks,
Jeff

Scale is really not an issue. It’s kind of like refining wrought iron from a bloom. All the junk just gets squeezed out if you forge at a hot enough temp. I do flux with borax each time I take a heat and that liquefies the scale so it squeezes out. But you have to work from one end to another without trapping the impurities so you don't get inclusions.

You need a very light hand on the hammer when you start. All you want to do is stick the chain together. It is surprising how little force it takes. As all the spaces close, you can be more aggressive.

I can tell you this stuff get's HARD, more then enough for a knife which, what a coincidence, I just finished up last night from that piece you gave me Craig :D

Do you work the billet down from the end you have the bar welded to or from the tip back to the bar, or doesn't it really matter so long as you work one way only?

I can tell you this stuff get's HARD, more then enough for a knife which, what a coincidence, I just finished up last night from that piece you gave me Craig :D

I can't wait Sam. I'll see you Sunday.

Do you work the billet down from the end you have the bar welded to or from the tip back to the bar, or doesn't it really matter so long as you work one way only?

I work to the bar, not from the bar. Check out the pics in post #26. I do that because sometimes if you work from the bar the chain starts to break apart at the other end.

I work to the bar, not from the bar. Check out the pics in post #26. I do that because sometimes if you work from the bar the chain starts to break apart at the other end.

Thanks for clearing this up. I am far away from anything like this, but it's something to keep in mind as I'd like to work my way to doing Damascus.

Very inspiring!

Very inspiring!

Go for it. It is easier then you think. After you flux, heat until you start to see sparks then forge with a very light hand until it all sticks together.

I did a demo making a billet from saw chain at Peter Valley a few months ago and gave that billet to the infamous Sam Salvati to forge a knife from. I picked it up today while Sam was teaching his class on knife forging.
According to Sam, this was not etched. The pattern is a result of polishing and heat treating.
It is a beautiful execution and is razor sharp.
Thank you Sam.

When Tai Goo was getting started in smithing, he made some pattern welded "executive paper weights."

Ciladog

Thanks for the awesome thread, and that is one sexy hammer you have.

I thinl it would be super cool to be ironic, and use chainsaw blages, to make a handsaw lol! lots of work though