First successful damascus

[Doug Webster 50]

64 layer 1080/15N20.  I started with a San Mai billet then folded it over a layer of 1080.  After drawing out and folding 4 more times my arm was toast.  Week later I forged out a decent blade, screwed up the plunge lines and ended up going with a flat grind.  I followed Joshua's method for Mokume to make the guard and butt cap.  I wish I could get the black oxides to stay glossy and black like they did coming out of a 12 hour coffee etch.  After drying it's more of a dull matte black.

[Alan Longmire 2,632]

For a first attempt that's pretty awesome.   

[billyO 210]

Looks great, Doug.  Welcome to the addiction.

Nice job on the mokume.  That's something I haven't tried yet.

 

23 minutes ago, Doug Webster said:

I wish I could get the black oxides to stay glossy and black like they did coming out of a 12 hour coffee etch.  After drying it's more of a dull matte black

Have you oiled the blade yet?  I find this helps darken the etch a bit.  I use camelia oil on all of my knives (almost exclusively kitchen).

[Doug Webster 50]

Thanks Alan and Billy.   I used carnauba wax.  I will clean, etch again and try oil.  To be clear, I have had several failed attempts that looked like a run over  rusty soup can.  This time I used stainless hose clamps to hold the bars and more heat less hammer to set the weld.

[billyO 210]

55 minutes ago, Doug Webster said:

stainless hose clamps

now there's an interesting idea.  No access to a welder?

[Garry Keown 890]

I have seen others use the stainless hoseclamps to very good success as Doug has shown One adevantage is that there is no weld to grind off so maybe a cleaner billet in that regard. 

[Paul Carter 39]

I fusion weld with a Tig welder all the way around the billet. That way there is no way for oxygen to get in and no need for flux. I get perfect welds every time. To date, I have never used flux, and used to use just WD-40 when I stitch welded with the Tig. Now I don't use anything and there is no foreign metals in the billet.

[Rob Toneguzzo 769]

Great job on that.

[Doug Lester 268]

Outstanding!  What is the handle wood?

 

Doug