circular saw blades

[leo wood]

hi every one i'm buying some steel for making damascus but its so expensive, i have seen you can use leaf spring, lawn mower blades or circular saw blades to mix with 15n20 but i dont know weather it will be easy enough to forge weld or weather it will etch enough to show a pattern, any ideas?

 

also I've heard saw blades crack 

 

[Steve Sells]

read more and you will know, start with

https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/53873-read-this-first/

[ThomasPowers]

Are you thinking that all circular saw blades are the same alloy?  What country are you in? Lots of places to buy steel at reasonable amounts in the USA. The expense of steel is relative. If you spend 20 hours forging and finishing a blade; what is your time's value compared to the materials cost?

If you are just getting started, "known" steel can help a lot until you get good enough to be able to finesses more random alloys.

Since you don't need it for blades. You want to probably go for maximum color differentiation; so pure Ni and high Mn alloys would be suggested. (If it was for blades; I'm sure you would have mentioned it and even perhaps put it in the knife smithing section...)

[Glenn]

Good metal is the least expensive item you will use. It has a known composition, and a known heat treatment to get the best results from that metal. 

Your client that purchases the blade expects your very best efforts, as does anyone that receives a blade that you made. Your time, labor, and other costs are the same whether you use junk steel or good metal.

If just a pattern damascus is needed, there are many options. Junk steel is still junk steel and each piece is different and can act differently under the hammer. If you want to practice, use anything, as the metal constantly changes. If you purchase a known steel then you have repeatable results from the metal no matter which piece of the metal you pick up. 

If you want to learn, use good steel.