Most informative interview I have seen on stainless damascus: Interview with Will Brigham

Smurf masher

Well-Known Member


Key part:

hitherto uh hitherto we've all pretty much accepted flux as a necessary evil the borax base flux commonly in use works as a solvent
to dissolve oxides and some other non-combustible surface contaminants after it's been applied it liquefies and
capillary action allows it to penetrate voids and crevices and that all goes well the liquid borax along with the
dissolved oxides etc get ejected when the steel is struck or pressed leaving
clean metal surfaces to touch without oxide barriers allowing the bond
problems occur when the flux gets trapped in small pockets that prevent its escape we all know the ugly boogers
this welding causes uh even the most experienced among us
experiences from time to time welding without flux or oil simply utilizes the chemistry of combustion to
do the heavy lifting all we do is simply step out of the way and allow metal to do what it naturally
does fire as we've all been taught needs three things fuel oxygen and heat remove
any one of these in the equation and the combustion ceases creating a reducing atmosphere in the forged environment
starves the fire vital oxygen the chemical reaction of combustion begins to seek oxygen from any available source
namely in this case the oxides in the metallic surface depleting them with oxygen and reverting
them back to iron which is now quite hot in a highly energetic state in this energetic state the atoms of
iron will undergo undergo covalent bonding when brought in close proximity with
with a neighbor
but the point is uh that hey so two adjacent atoms will share the outermost electron
orbits forming a bond fluxlex method appears to form many more of these bonds much quicker it
can set a primary weld in a leg vise with this method and go straight to hammering the bill at 90 degrees from its original orientation
 
Last edited:
Back
Top