Pattern Welding Tutorial - Part 1 - Initial Welding

This is the first video out of a tutorial I am constructing on pattern welding. This video shows the initial forge weld on a billet of damascus steel. For more information and the complete tutorial with additional pictures and descriptions visit www.fredeenblades.com

For more of my work, visit www.fredeenblades.com

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• forge welding
• pattern welding
• damascus tutorial
• knife
• knives
• blades
• bladesmithing

[drewbob901]

Where do you get flux?

[FredeenBlades]

@drewbob901

The flux I use is borax. You can purchase 20 Mule Team Borax at most any grocery store, it is in the laundry isle. It is commonly used for a laundry detergent booster, but is also great for forge welding.

[huckleberry803]

when i try to forge weld 5160 and 15n20 and go to but the flux on, the flux is real thick and gooey and doesnt splatter like that when i hit it. is it possible i am using too much borax? i am sugar coating it like in this video but it just seems like it gunks up the cracks instead of going in them. please help i am so lost!!! -thanks-

[FredeenBlades]

@huckleberry803

Sorry I missed your comment, I typically try to respond.

It is hard to use too much flux as any excess will drip off the billet. From what it sounds like to me, you aren't getting your billet hot enough to successfully forge weld. When the billet is hot enough, the borax will start to bubble and "dance" on the surface of the steel. Think of melted butter. If you don't heat hot enough, the borax will not be fluid and your forge welds won't be successful.

[Traith01]

I dont know anything about forging, but I am curious as to what wire brushing the billet does.

[FredeenBlades]

@Traith01 Thanks for your interest Traith. Wire brushing cleans the billet off. After welding, there is a great deal of "spent" flux and scale. It is necessary to remove this from the billet, so that's where the wire brushing comes in.

[DelornificatioN]

@ 1:00 what are you pouring over the metal, and why?

[Lordpoezema]

shouldn't you wear gloves?

[jackdog20]

what steel did you use?

[FredeenBlades]

@Lakesideforge

I normally don't work in this configuration, this occured more as a result of trying to get a usable camera angle. There wasn't really room to stand on the other side of the anvil to work or to film, and if I worked "normally" I'd be standing in the way of where the camera had to be.