Making Damascus- questions partway through. | Problem Solving | Forum

A couple of weeks ago I decided to have a go at making Damascus. (pattern welded/wootz, etc. I'm not sure which term is accurate here, but you know what I'm talking about. Folded and welded and folded and welded, etc.)

I started with my old chainsaw chain bunched up between two pieces of 1/8" 1080 steel. I forge welded it solid, drew it out, cut it partially through, folded it, repeated.

If we call the initial stock 3 layers (1080, chainsaw, 1080) then I'm currently up to 24 layers- that is, I've drawn it out and folded it back on itself 3 times, forge welding it solid each time.

Since I don't have a press, I'm doing the drawing out by having an assistant hold it between an upper and lower fullering tool on the striking anvil while I hit it with a 12 lb sledge. I then do the same thing with a flatter to even out the fullering, and then I finish smoothing under the treadle hammer.

My welds are done by bringing it up to welding heat in the gas forge, fluxing with Iron Mountain Flux (Anhydrous Borax + Iron), a couple taps to set the weld, reheating, then hand hammering to weld, followed by the treadle hammer to even things out before going back to the striking anvil to draw out again.

Initially, I didn't have a particular goal in mind, other than just to make a damascus billet. I thought maybe I'd make a tomahawk out of the billet when it was done (fold over drift & weld, then make the blade).

Now I'm thinking I'd like to make a boat axe, similar to the pattern in the December 1990 Hot Iron News. However, I suspect I'll want a bit more mass in the billet for that.

Right now the piece is approximately 1/4" x 2" x 4", so it's pretty small. I'd need to add some material to it to make it longer if I want to make a decent tomahawk or axe out of it.

I'm not sure what metals are used in the chainsaw chain, but this billet is definitely a hard piece of steel. As soon as it drops below a medium red color it locks up and I can feel the difference when hammering, so I'm making sure to only work it hot. This is partially why I'm thinking that adding some mild steel in may be a good idea, particularly if this is going to be an axe when I'm done.

Now the questions:

1) what do you recommend I add? Or should I plan to make something small like a knife blade out of this instead, and just start over with a larger starting piece?

2) I am considering adding any of the following:
    a) more chainsaw chain
    b) mild steel
    c) an old rasp

3) Right now I am not knowledgable enough to try for a specific pattern, I'm just folding and forge welding layers, and hoping the end result will look good after acid etching. Anything I should be doing differently?

4) as I'm 24 layers in now (3 folds, starting with 3 layers) is there any problem with me adding more material in now and just continuing to fold & forge weld? (this is basically a collary to question 1 above)

Thanks for any help or suggestions! I'll be back at the forge on Saturday and hope to continue on this then.

Thanks,

--Tracy