First damascus billet

[A.McPherson]

I started hand forging a couple of damascus billets yesterday, which took a good long time. My plan was to forge weld, fold and draw out three small, 5 inch x 1 1/2 5 layer billets. then after folding 3 times each, weld them all together and draw them out to a blade sized billet and grind from there.

well I got one welded, then the handle fell off. I got the second one welded, and folded once, then the handle fell off. I gave up for the day at that point. But the two that I was working with seem to have welded up just fine, which I'm pretty happy with!

Lessons learned:
1)be better at welding, get better penetration so handles don't fall of quite as quickly.

2)coat the bottom of your forge with bubble alumina, hard bricks or something, cause borax will eat it. I knew that it would, I just didn't know how fast!! I looked in the forge and there was a puddle of flux, I took my billet out, smacked it a couple of times to weld it, stuck it back in and there was a 3 inch hole in the insulation on the bottom of my forge!
HOLY CRAP, that happened fast!!
oh well I was looking for an excuse to build a new forge anyway!! :-D

3)forge welding damascus billets by hand is HARD! oh well I need bigger muscles, and what better way to do it than forging?!?

 

[jdm61]

Kiln shelving material works for a forge floor, but it will crack.

 

[Geoff Flato]

I've seen a few guys build their forge entirely out of kiln bricks. I'm planning on going that route, and coating the bottom with furnace cement. Should hold up fairly well.

 

[john april]

i also have only made damascus once. the teacher kept telling me i was putting the billet too far into the forge, because the rebar that was welded on for a handle kept getting too red and floppy and he said it would fall off if i kept doing it

 

[A.McPherson]

Thanks for the replies guys! (Ooo, it rhymes!).
The problem with using bricks is that it will make the forge heat less evenly, 'cause the flame won't swirl around as well.
I think I'm going to make a PID controlled vertical forge with a kitty litter floor, with a blown burner...