Forging a large Damascus "can"

Thanks Tracy! Over the years I've adjusted my tools and forges to build large billets, cans, etc.

For a long time I'd forge 1 Damascus billet, that became one knife..... and did that over and over. One day it popped into my head, that if I built larger billets, I could make more blades from a single billet. That took me in the direction of larger and larger, until I reached the capacity of what would fit into the forge. Now that my body is betraying me..... I might have to go the other way. Getting old ain't no fun.
 
Great video thanks for sharing. Is there a reason why you wouldn't use Orange crush with drawing dies instead of the power hammer? Or press some divots in and then take it back to the Hammer to draw it out. Second question that looks like vermiculite is that the only annealing step.
Gilbert
 
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Gilbert: The press is my "precision"..... and the air hammer is my "speed". Since the pattern is already built inside the "can"....the idea is to take it down as evenly as possible..... if I used the press pressed to draw it, the "divots" would really mess up the pattern, where as the hammer with those mild drawing dies deforms less. When I'm filling/building the pattern inside the can, I try to anticipate the drawing process, and do what I call "pre-compensate" for it.

Yes, vermiculite is the annealing step..... I just need the material soft enough to saw cut. With these types of steel/patterns, once the loaf is turned into slices, those slices will be forged again into blades, or in some cases, particular appropriate slices will be used for folder scales and/or blades. They will receive all the same thermal cycles as an other forged blade that I make.... and sometimes a couple more.
 
Thank you for your response Ed. Makes sense very clear. I'm building a press to go with my leaf spring power hammer I will keep what you said in mind.
 
Orange Crush (the press) and the rolling mill where built by Jim Clow, who lives in Alberta, CA. Jim owns/operates a business fabricating big items for the gas/oil rigs/industry. He is the best designer/fabricator that I have ever met. He came to me for a Basic Bladesmithing class years ago, and we became great friends. When he decided to stop forging, he sold me Orange Crush, the rolling mill, and later his 508lb Peter-Wright anvil. Anyway....the reversing is just a forward/reverse valve.... I'll go out there at get some pics to post. I don't think there are numbers on it, but if I can find any, I'll post those up with the pics.
 
jmforge said:
Ed, who built that rolling mill and how did you get it to reverse?
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Here are those photos of the valve on the rolling mill. I was wrong! The label was staring me in the face all along! It was just covered up with grease and gunk. :)

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