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I Forge Iron

Saw blade Damascus


Momatt

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Today's little project. I hesitate to show my crude efforts, but you guys inspire me to try. I cut up a dull bandsaw blade, ground the teeth off, surface ground them degreased and tried. used iron mountain flux which must have gold in it at $16 a can. I do think it works better than 20 mule team. I think I have a little blade that is pretty well stuck together. It's just 80 layers started with 10. All saw blade I had no 15n20.

It's just lightly ground with a 60 grit. Last is after a few minutes in hot vinegar. You can see a few layers they may pop after a polish.

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I am not sure about all bandsaw blades for wood. The big blades used in lumber mills I have always considered to be L6,,which. unless you really explore the data sheets is about the same as 15n20. The last 15n20 I bought new was marked bandsaw blade steel. Each of which contain, like said above. a small amount of nickel. That is why I use it in billets and I use a higher carbon steel such as 1084 or 1095 for the rest of the billet. The HC etches dark, and that with nickel brighter. 

If you weld a billet with one steel, such as above or with a cable billet. All the steel will be the same color. I see two good reasons to do just that. One it is simply a great forging exercise to hone skills. Another is to make a blade much thicker than the metal you have in hand. The contrast you see will be the lines of contact at the weld. Making wot you have into something that will do wot you wish in a better manner is a big reason to smith. 

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I take a piece of bar and grind it to just undersize of the top of the tang dimensions. after punching the slug out I wrap the cold blade in leather and stick it in the vise. with the guard hot slide it down the tang and all it takes is a few taps with a piece of pipe or a deep socket to drive it home for a perfect fit. If you are making a round guard like the one I used on this knife you can grind it to shape on the blade. Only caution is watch the temper, keep a quench water tub handy. Copper is real easy to punch if you don't mind the color. I haven't tried nickel silver, did one bowie cross guard from a rr spike that worked pretty good.

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