Hello i am still new to this sight and making Damascus. I have been reading past posts and found them helpful. But have not found my specific problem.
What i am working with is a small billet of metal banding and saw blades. My first weld went well at least it seemed to and so did my second what i was trying to do when it went to pot was square up my billet when i laid it along the sides it started to split along the edges. I am working with a gas air dull arm vintuie burners and about 25 psi of a 200 lb tank working my billet at about a light Orange heat any help would be greately appreciated. also maybe it messed me up because i included 2 small thin pices of stanless in that billet

Try re-brushing the sides, really good. Up the pressure alittle and reweld. Might clean up the problem.

200 series isnt too bad, but MOST stainless will not weld up if exposed to air, its the chromium oxides, preventing the weld.

The SS got you and you should try working in the yellow.

Frosty

thanks for the reply i think i was more in the yellow range after i went out and tryed a diffrent billet without the stainless it welded fine but my refractry started to melt bad so i have to re clay its turning to glass so i think i put too much morter mix in it thanks for the advice not to hunt for a better discription for a refractory mix thanks

not the mortor, most flux eats away the liners... Use a kiln shelf or similar as a barrier.