This is in my opinion the best Damascus tutorial ive found. I feel like this makes it seem more doable by hand none of these 300lbs chambersburg powerhammers just some elbow grease.
If you do end up wanting something to up the ante, christ centered iron works has pdfs for sale to make treadle hammers. Even one that runs on air or a drill. Not so expensive as the pre fab ones.
Very good and informative video, I suggest you after the borax application, to put the initial billet not as you are done in the video, but with the open layers on the bottom, and turn of 180° frequently, you avoid to heat more the outer layers than the internals, and also it heat up quickly because the heat run along the various layer instead to have to jump from layer to layer, hope this can help.
I have a question. I am a beginner blacksmith and have mostly been dabbling in mild steels but I am hoping to make my first damascus soon. Where can I get the metal I need to make it.
15N20 and 1084 are a great combo to start learning Damascus with. An issue could be the prep, though. Make sure you grind the pieces clean and wipe them with denatured alcohol or acetone before stacking them. The cleaner the surfaces are to start, the easier the initial weld will be
@@PhoenixIronworksNS I always grind it flat and clean, and use acetone to clean them before stacking and welding. I don’t know of any good steel suppliers in Canada so I use files and bandsaw blades.
It's hard to show welding heat on video because the cameras all interpret it differently, but the best way to describe it is a bright yellow. Once the flux is on there, at welding heat, it should look like a stick of butter that has been left out in the bright sun and is on the verge of melting in to a puddle. Now, realistically, if you've got a perfectly tuned propane forge, with perfectly clean steel, and and have a good eye for knowing when the color is right, then you can get away with slightly lower temperatures, but I've not been all that successful at it. This is the technique that I've been using for years, and I rarely have any issues.
Yellow that's almost white I was told. slightly below its melt point is the idea I believe. I only ever took one forge welding lesson and out of six Damascus attempts five failed and the success was only 16 layer. This vid and the comments help LOTS
Hey bub i have had mine work befor 2 or 3 times but the last 4 times when i would go yto change the pattern and hir it on the corner to corner to flatten it out itgoes good for a bit then it brakez lose when its almost flot its dis hearting but i will try again later down the road.
If its breaking apart, then its not welded yet. It could be anything from the heat, to the flux, to your hammering technique, to the steels you're using, to how clean the steel is... maybe a combination of all of them. If you're not getting it hot enough, that is the main reason I see people fail at forge welding. Knowing when to flux, and not overdoing it is important. Make sure you steel is clean before you start. No rust, or have scale from the manufacturing. Make sure you aren't trying to use only leaf spring or 5160. 5160 can be quite finicky to weld to itself. So if you're using leaf spring in your billet, make sure that you have something else between each layer. Bandsaw blades will give a nice contrast.... but you also NEED the other steel, band saw blades or whatever you use, on the outside of the billet. When you go to fold it, you want the 15n20 to be what you're forge welding together, but if the leaf springs are on the outside of the billet then you'll be trying to weld 5160 to 5160. Its not impossible, and if you can perfect your technique with 5160, then you can forge weld just about any other steel that you might normally come in to contact with, but it is a bugger to learn on.
The last one i tryed was coil spring and band saw blades. I get it clean i spend way to much time to clean it up. I tjank it might be the heat. Cause i cant see how hot its getting in the coal fire. I might try it again in the night when i can really try and see whats going on. It sucks cause i spend about 4 hours on cleaning stuff just to screw it up. I just love the way it looks. So i would like to make so.e stuff out of some but igot to get itfoing too. My propain forge just dont get hot enough wish it did so i could see how hot it gets. But i must not have something right to get it hot enough. I want to just buy a good one but man they xost alot $450 for a good one. But i fot to get to saling some of my stuff to get one. But i just dont know some times. I need someone to show me on a coal fire on how to maintain one and stuff. But i will get it sometime.
It all just comes from experience. Don't be afraid to try new ways of doing thing. Fire maintenance can be a challenge to smiths with lots of experience, so keep working at it. Different kinds of coal will require different techniques. If you're watching a video about how to maintain a coal fire, but they're using bituminous coal and you've got anthracite coal, or vice-versa, then their technique won't help you beyond saying "Fire is hot". Then even within that, I've had some batches of coal that burned slick as snot, and some that fought me every step of the way, so not even the coal is always 100% the same, even its labeled as the same type. I'm a firm believer in using what is available to you, so learn your solid fuel that you have. Try tending it in different ways to see if there's any improvement. With any coal (not charcoal) you'll need a way to get clickers out of there. Sometimes built in clinker breakers work, but the best way that I've found for my set-up is just a point on the end of my coal rake. I stick that point down in the fire and the clinker stick right to it.
Thanks bub it just gets frustrating. Wish i just new so.eone that knows more that i could go over to and show me some stuff. No one i have fownd knows much more then me and they seem to have money to buy everything and just dont care about showing me a thing. It sucks. I will work through it and figure it out sometime or another.
![Gunna - HIM ALL ALONG [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HiCxoDeo0hc/mqdefault.jpg)
This is in my opinion the best Damascus tutorial ive found. I feel like this makes it seem more doable by hand none of these 300lbs chambersburg powerhammers just some elbow grease.
If you do end up wanting something to up the ante, christ centered iron works has pdfs for sale to make treadle hammers. Even one that runs on air or a drill. Not so expensive as the pre fab ones.
OH WOW that's awesome man. I might try it next time I'm in the shop playing around.
Awesome. I'm just learning to forge, even though I have been a knife maker for 35 years. This helps me lots
Wow 10/10 you just earned your self another subscriber
Thanks! Very helpful understanding what is meant by folding.
Incredibly helpful to see an efficient pro way to do this for sure. Thanks so much for putting this into the world.
EXCELLENT!!! Thank you - Very helpful!! I'm subbed now!!
Very good and informative video, I suggest you after the borax application, to put the initial billet not as you are done in the video, but with the open layers on the bottom, and turn of 180° frequently, you avoid to heat more the outer layers than the internals, and also it heat up quickly because the heat run along the various layer instead to have to jump from layer to layer, hope this can help.
This was a great educational video. I really appreciate it and look forward to putting your tips in practice.
Earned my sub just with this video. Love the details you show and how informative you are about temps and strokes
Excellent video!!! Thanks for sharing!!! 😎👍🏻🔨🔥🔪
Really good teaching video Jacin. Thank you for posting this.
Thank you for the great video. Just starting out. So wish me luck.
That was very cool to watch.
Good video guy
I first learned it from you. I have to thank you
Just waiting for my steel to get here. Will try this way good video.
Thanks you for sharing your techniques. 🙏🏻🔥
I have a question.
I am a beginner blacksmith and have mostly been dabbling in mild steels but I am hoping to make my first damascus soon.
Where can I get the metal I need to make it.
"64 layers in about 52 min " omg i make a small knife no Damascus in 2 days 😂well done ,Thanks you for sharing
Great Job! Love the video!
You should be on the Radio with that voice ; )
mwaaaahaaaahaaaa
Hmmm... ARE you on radio lol
Great video bud.
What do you use for flux? Or do you make your own and if so how?
I use 20 mule team Borax
How many hrs does it take to make that knife?
What steels did you use? I haven’t had any success in 2 years of trying and I think it’s because of my steels
15N20 and 1084 are a great combo to start learning Damascus with. An issue could be the prep, though. Make sure you grind the pieces clean and wipe them with denatured alcohol or acetone before stacking them. The cleaner the surfaces are to start, the easier the initial weld will be
@@PhoenixIronworksNS I always grind it flat and clean, and use acetone to clean them before stacking and welding. I don’t know of any good steel suppliers in Canada so I use files and bandsaw blades.
@@calebshauer2348 look up maritime knife supply, great supplier
Is the forge weld heat a white heat or a yellow heat
It's hard to show welding heat on video because the cameras all interpret it differently, but the best way to describe it is a bright yellow. Once the flux is on there, at welding heat, it should look like a stick of butter that has been left out in the bright sun and is on the verge of melting in to a puddle.
Now, realistically, if you've got a perfectly tuned propane forge, with perfectly clean steel, and and have a good eye for knowing when the color is right, then you can get away with slightly lower temperatures, but I've not been all that successful at it. This is the technique that I've been using for years, and I rarely have any issues.
think of a lemon, that is not sparkling like mad just yet :)
Yellow that's almost white I was told. slightly below its melt point is the idea I believe. I only ever took one forge welding lesson and out of six Damascus attempts five failed and the success was only 16 layer. This vid and the comments help LOTS
Ta it's good to know I didn't have it hot enough in the Charcoal
What kind of powder is that
It's flux, he wrote "20 mule team borax"
Hey bub i have had mine work befor 2 or 3 times but the last 4 times when i would go yto change the pattern and hir it on the corner to corner to flatten it out itgoes good for a bit then it brakez lose when its almost flot its dis hearting but i will try again later down the road.
If its breaking apart, then its not welded yet. It could be anything from the heat, to the flux, to your hammering technique, to the steels you're using, to how clean the steel is... maybe a combination of all of them. If you're not getting it hot enough, that is the main reason I see people fail at forge welding. Knowing when to flux, and not overdoing it is important. Make sure you steel is clean before you start. No rust, or have scale from the manufacturing. Make sure you aren't trying to use only leaf spring or 5160. 5160 can be quite finicky to weld to itself. So if you're using leaf spring in your billet, make sure that you have something else between each layer. Bandsaw blades will give a nice contrast.... but you also NEED the other steel, band saw blades or whatever you use, on the outside of the billet. When you go to fold it, you want the 15n20 to be what you're forge welding together, but if the leaf springs are on the outside of the billet then you'll be trying to weld 5160 to 5160. Its not impossible, and if you can perfect your technique with 5160, then you can forge weld just about any other steel that you might normally come in to contact with, but it is a bugger to learn on.
The last one i tryed was coil spring and band saw blades. I get it clean i spend way to much time to clean it up. I tjank it might be the heat. Cause i cant see how hot its getting in the coal fire. I might try it again in the night when i can really try and see whats going on. It sucks cause i spend about 4 hours on cleaning stuff just to screw it up. I just love the way it looks. So i would like to make so.e stuff out of some but igot to get itfoing too. My propain forge just dont get hot enough wish it did so i could see how hot it gets. But i must not have something right to get it hot enough. I want to just buy a good one but man they xost alot $450 for a good one. But i fot to get to saling some of my stuff to get one. But i just dont know some times. I need someone to show me on a coal fire on how to maintain one and stuff. But i will get it sometime.
It all just comes from experience. Don't be afraid to try new ways of doing thing. Fire maintenance can be a challenge to smiths with lots of experience, so keep working at it. Different kinds of coal will require different techniques. If you're watching a video about how to maintain a coal fire, but they're using bituminous coal and you've got anthracite coal, or vice-versa, then their technique won't help you beyond saying "Fire is hot". Then even within that, I've had some batches of coal that burned slick as snot, and some that fought me every step of the way, so not even the coal is always 100% the same, even its labeled as the same type. I'm a firm believer in using what is available to you, so learn your solid fuel that you have. Try tending it in different ways to see if there's any improvement. With any coal (not charcoal) you'll need a way to get clickers out of there. Sometimes built in clinker breakers work, but the best way that I've found for my set-up is just a point on the end of my coal rake. I stick that point down in the fire and the clinker stick right to it.
Thanks bub it just gets frustrating. Wish i just new so.eone that knows more that i could go over to and show me some stuff. No one i have fownd knows much more then me and they seem to have money to buy everything and just dont care about showing me a thing. It sucks. I will work through it and figure it out sometime or another.
No finished product? I’d be bummed if I paid money to watch that
Good thing you got to watch it for free then, eh?