ABS Spring Hammer-in 2005 in Review (Continued)

Making Pattern Welded Damascus

Chris started out by passing around a plethora of samples for everyone to examine:

(Select any image to enlarge.)

He then proceeded to give us a thorough overview of the basics of pattern welded damascus. In a nutshell:

	Start by taking a thin pure nickel sheet and wrapping it around a steel rod.
	Make a can by welding a bottom plate onto 3"x3" square tubing. Fill it full of nickel wrapped steel rods then pour in steel powder to fill in any holes.
	After the can is packed full of steel, weld the top on it. Chris left a small corner unwelded to allow for expanding gasses. He put a small piece of cardboard in there to keep powder from escaping through the hole.
	Next, he welded on a handle. The first foot or so consisted of a solid bar aprox. 1" square. After that, larger square tubing was attached.
	Finally, stick it in the forge for 20+ minutes and bring it up to welding temperature.

Now that you have a lemon hot box, it's time to start forge welding:

WARNING: Videos are LARGE. Broadband is imperative...

Chris works the box on the power hammer.	22.9 MB Video
Chris works the box on the press.	12.9 MB Video
Again on the power hammer.	17.3 MB Video
Again on the press.	23 MB Video
Finishing touches on the power hammer.	46.3 MB Video

Once the billet was complete, Chris sliced it open to reveal a faint image in the metal.

This is the exact same piece after being ground, etched and polished.

But Wait... There's More!

Not content to have demonstrated a single pattern, Chris proceeded to demonstrate how to make an accordian cut in the metal, flatten it out, and end up with an entirely different pattern.

Video of the process. (15.7 MB)

As an added bonus for me Chris allowed me to assist him throughout the process, even teaching me how to etch the damascus and allowing me to grind and finish the sample billets. His work is mesmerizing and I thouroughly enjoyed it.

Next: The Cutting Competition

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