WillC
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- Jul 9, 2011
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At last I have made a good start on these commissions and fired into the damascus making stage.
To remind you all the design.....
I've been very exited about making these, they represent my highest end and most complex and challenging pieces this year.
A composite is a multibar pattern, made up of a combination of twists, or in this case a combination of twisted bars, with mosaic patterns as well as straight laminate which will later be laddered.
We have 3-5 bars of tight twists on the spine, then a bar of basket weave. All these will include pure nickel in the pattern for maximum effect. For the edge half of the blade we have a wide bar made up as a san mai with a high layer double carbon edge, layers going across the edge. Clad in a lower layer laminate in the same materials. The ferrule and end cap are a tight basket weave with pure nickel, which will be made from a separate billet.
So altogether five different damascus materials.
So lots of stock to prepare.....
15n20.....
01
With plenty of pure nickel....
I have about seven knives to make so I am making sure I have plenty of material. I may need to go back and make some more billets for twists later, will have to see....
All billets prepped, all pieces polished, then held in the press with the ends welded for convenience.
4 billets for basket weave, 2 for edge cladding and two for edge core, then two for twists, one will be twisted one way, the other.....opposing...
All enclosed for the first weld...
And repeat....
Can falls away as if by magic....:loll:
Solid clean blocks of laminate.
Now to draw out the edge and clad materials for the first stack....
Now for the basket weave parts with Nickel..... to be drawn out square...
Phew, good start, plenty to do
To remind you all the design.....
I've been very exited about making these, they represent my highest end and most complex and challenging pieces this year.
A composite is a multibar pattern, made up of a combination of twists, or in this case a combination of twisted bars, with mosaic patterns as well as straight laminate which will later be laddered.
We have 3-5 bars of tight twists on the spine, then a bar of basket weave. All these will include pure nickel in the pattern for maximum effect. For the edge half of the blade we have a wide bar made up as a san mai with a high layer double carbon edge, layers going across the edge. Clad in a lower layer laminate in the same materials. The ferrule and end cap are a tight basket weave with pure nickel, which will be made from a separate billet.
So altogether five different damascus materials.
So lots of stock to prepare.....
15n20.....
01
With plenty of pure nickel....
I have about seven knives to make so I am making sure I have plenty of material. I may need to go back and make some more billets for twists later, will have to see....
All billets prepped, all pieces polished, then held in the press with the ends welded for convenience.
4 billets for basket weave, 2 for edge cladding and two for edge core, then two for twists, one will be twisted one way, the other.....opposing...
All enclosed for the first weld...
And repeat....
Can falls away as if by magic....:loll:
Solid clean blocks of laminate.
Now to draw out the edge and clad materials for the first stack....
Now for the basket weave parts with Nickel..... to be drawn out square...
Phew, good start, plenty to do