Basket Weave Damascus in a Canister

Thanks for all the compliments guys. I'm just throwing steel in a can and roasting it like chestnuts over an open fire here. Merry Christmas to all!
 
Dwane Oliver said:
Ohhhh..........dont leave us hanging on this one. SOOOOO COOOOL

I need to see the finished blade
Click to expand...

Well, I actually made a really cool folder with this steel.........long story short I need to re-make it because the blade doesn't lock good enough. Not one of my better weeks. Check back again because I,m still gonna use the other half of this bar.
 
Bruce, I think he drills a hole say 5/16" at the points that you will saw to in the billet. Then if you saw to the sides of the holes you will have your valleys prerounded.

Thanks again for all the hassles and time you spend to share all your skills. Jim
 
SteelSlaver said:
Bruce, I think he drills a hole say 5/16" at the points that you will saw to in the billet. Then if you saw to the sides of the holes you will have your valleys prerounded.

Thanks again for all the hassles and time you spend to share all your skills. Jim
Click to expand...

OH, I know what hes saying now. dah, senior moments are never convienent. Yep I've done that too and learned the holes dont need to be very big the hard way. I think a very small radius is best for pattern. Too big of a hole (radius) gives a long stretched pattern in each. Of coarse this is all just personal preference.
Thanks for the input.
 
Apparently you went to a lot of trouble to round the bottom of the v's when cutting the pieces out for the accordian. If you drilled a round hole at the apex of each v and sawed so that your kerf met the holes at a tangent, the intersections would already be rounded. Am I making any sense? Maybe it would take more time to drill the holes. I dunno.

Ray
 
Bruce Bump said:
Well, I actually made a really cool folder with this steel.........long story short I need to re-make it because the blade doesn't lock good enough. Not one of my better weeks. Check back again because I,m still gonna use the other half of this bar.
Click to expand...

Well........its been 8 months.

LOL


Dwane
 
Bruce,
As usual I'm late to the party, I just discovered this gem of a WIP, I'm beginning to think you don't know how to stop taking pictures when you make a knife. The good thing about being late is that I didn't have to wait, now I know what's been holding up the Matchlock ax/Pistol WIP, I just didn't know what a wonderful reason you had it was! Yet another gift! I was reading this with..., well, the basket weave patterns I've seen didn't look much more than a bunch of lines sitting side by side, with one set of lines running into another set. So I just thought...for a second that this would be like a elementary kinda WIP, for us newb's, then Bruce had to throw me a curve with the 1084, and I thought well there goes the elementary lesson, he's gotta throw some Bump into it! But I was still good, I mean I could kinda..., sorta, you know I had an idea what you had in mind, then you come up with the accordion. Ok well, I've seen someone else do that before somewhere and was trying to get my mind wrapped around that, when you started forging it out flat!?!?! THAT I have never seen, or even heard of, then I see the pattern and OMG!!!! Absolutely beautiful!!!! Kind of a shock as I wasn't expecting it to lock like that, you know like it's an actual basket weave you can follow, and the curves were intact, it is absolutely gorgeous!
 
I wasn't allowed to play with moms camera as a child so I,m making up for it now. Hehee
I,m still planning to make something with this bar.
 
Bruce Bump said:
I wasn't allowed to play with moms camera as a child so I,m making up for it now. Hehee
I,m still planning to make something with this bar.
Click to expand...

Bruce,
OK I went back and re-read the entire WIP again, I now see just how late I am!! This was started over a year ago!

I have a question, this one came to me while I was trying to figure out what would happen once you added the 1084, my question is how do you know how a pattern is going to turn out? Is there a way to design a pattern before you start forging? I'm sure certain steps will give predicted results, for the most part, but how do you know what those steps are? Is it something you learned somewhere, or a design you thought up? Or is it all experimental? Try something different and see what happens? I guess this is called pattern development? I like to be original, I have yet to find my niche, I can see Damascus as a way to be original, if I can learn the process of how to predict how to make a pattern turn out a specific way, I don't expect you to give me a dissertation on "Damascus Pattern Development". but some books or some references to where I can find the info would be plenty, you do so much as it is, I hate to ask for more. But I know that you will give all you can and then some! I do have Jim Hrisoulas's book on Damascus, and he shows a lot of info, but I don't think I have ever seen any info anywhere about developing or creating something new or original. I have thought about it a lot, and what I came up with (so far) was to basically to experiment, once I can get my welds solid, and know what the pattern looks like without looking. Right now that's the plan, unless you can shed some light on this for me. Although experimenting with Damascus patterns doesn't sound like a terrible way to spend my time, as long as my money doesn't run out for steel I should be OK.

One more thing, I have been noticing more of the lower count patterns in some of the knife magazines I read, is there a benefit to using lower count pattern, as far as performance goes? I can see the benefits as far as making it, less time, less gas, less steel, etc., I was curious if it cut as well as a higher count Damascus. Now I don't want to start the topic of Damascus being a performance steel, from what I have actually seen, the higher count (layers) Damascus is really sharp, my wife picked one up at Blade one year, before I could warn her, she was cut! Yup, that quick, the lower count knives I've seen look really nice, and of course you know I want to make some! It looks like it would be good practice, and I should have a better chance at making some that I could use...maybe...IT COULD HAPPEN!!! OK Bud, I've loaded you down pretty good, Thanks for the help, Rex
BTW,please excuse the typos, it's too late to proof this tonight.
 
This is a tall order and could easily take a thread of its own and barely scratch the surface but I think you already gave the answer you're looking for. Experiment after you learn the basic welding technique. Everything you do to a welded billet will affect the way it looks. Try twisting and flattening, next time try twisting, flattening and laddering. See what I mean? You will learn what each manipulation to the basic bar will give you. Next try a canister welding. I like to use stainless foil to save me from grinding forever to remove the canister. Try twisting and flattening the billet from the canister, next try twisting, flattening and laddering the billet. Next try angle cutting or accordian cutting the billet. Next try tiling the billet. Each will give different results. Now go buy a bigger propane bottle and build a better forge. A better press possibly. Its a disease that has no cure. The only way to scratch the itch is to make another billet. You sure you want to start?

I'm not sure damascus will cut any better than monosteel. I just get tired of monosteel and like to make a patterned blade. People stop and stare at damascus and I like that. I like attention as I was deprived as a child.
McClellan Made Blades said:
Bruce,
OK I went back and re-read the entire WIP again, I now see just how late I am!! This was started over a year ago!

I have a question, this one came to me while I was trying to figure out what would happen once you added the 1084, my question is how do you know how a pattern is going to turn out? Is there a way to design a pattern before you start forging? I'm sure certain steps will give predicted results, for the most part, but how do you know what those steps are? Is it something you learned somewhere, or a design you thought up? Or is it all experimental? Try something different and see what happens? I guess this is called pattern development? I like to be original, I have yet to find my niche, I can see Damascus as a way to be original, if I can learn the process of how to predict how to make a pattern turn out a specific way, I don't expect you to give me a dissertation on "Damascus Pattern Development". but some books or some references to where I can find the info would be plenty, you do so much as it is, I hate to ask for more. But I know that you will give all you can and then some! I do have Jim Hrisoulas's book on Damascus, and he shows a lot of info, but I don't think I have ever seen any info anywhere about developing or creating something new or original. I have thought about it a lot, and what I came up with (so far) was to basically to experiment, once I can get my welds solid, and know what the pattern looks like without looking. Right now that's the plan, unless you can shed some light on this for me. Although experimenting with Damascus patterns doesn't sound like a terrible way to spend my time, as long as my money doesn't run out for steel I should be OK.

One more thing, I have been noticing more of the lower count patterns in some of the knife magazines I read, is there a benefit to using lower count pattern, as far as performance goes? I can see the benefits as far as making it, less time, less gas, less steel, etc., I was curious if it cut as well as a higher count Damascus. Now I don't want to start the topic of Damascus being a performance steel, from what I have actually seen, the higher count (layers) Damascus is really sharp, my wife picked one up at Blade one year, before I could warn her, she was cut! Yup, that quick, the lower count knives I've seen look really nice, and of course you know I want to make some! It looks like it would be good practice, and I should have a better chance at making some that I could use...maybe...IT COULD HAPPEN!!! OK Bud, I've loaded you down pretty good, Thanks for the help, Rex
BTW,please excuse the typos, it's too late to proof this tonight.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
For pattern development try polymer clay, you can do just about any pattern. This is from a demo by Tom Ferry at the CA. hammer-in.
Scott
 

Attachments

  • DSC_0006_203_opt.jpg
    DSC_0006_203_opt.jpg
    97.4 KB · Views: 160
Thanks Scott,
I've heard of that and at one point I tried colored modeling clay but it smears bad when cutting it. The polymer clay drys in the oven right?
scott mack said:
For pattern development try polymer clay, you can do just about any pattern. This is from a demo by Tom Ferry at the CA. hammer-in.
Scott
Click to expand...
 
That's right Bruce, Tom used a small hand cranked pasta rolling machine to roll out the clay for the first billet then used a small rolling pin to draw out, It's best to work in a cool location so the clay won't get to soft. Most crafts store will have all the supplys for this clay work.
Scott
 
I use the clay technique as well -- actually play dough :). What I have found best for cutting the billet is to take an old electrical cord that is made of stranded copper wire. Cut the insulation off the wire and use one strand of the wire to slice through the billet. The smooth wire and small size all greatly reduces smearing.

Brian
 
Ahh, That would surely be better than a knife. I bet a jewelers saw or a coping saw would work with the wire.
Brian Thie said:
I use the clay technique as well -- actually play dough :). What I have found best for cutting the billet is to take an old electrical cord that is made of stranded copper wire. Cut the insulation off the wire and use one strand of the wire to slice through the billet. The smooth wire and small size all greatly reduces smearing.

Brian
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top