Pattern Welding Tutorial - Part 3 - Second Weld

This is the third installment of the creation of a pattern welded blade. This video covers the second welding of a billet. Previous to this step, the billet started as 19 alternating layers of 1095 and 15N20 steel. The billet was welded and then drawn out. After being drawn out, it was cut into 4 pieces, cleaned, and restacked. This video picks up from this step with the second welding.

For more information and the full version of the tutorial (pictures, descriptions, and videos) visit my website: www.fredeenblades.com

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Pattern welding
• damascus
• forging
• blade
• knife
• sword
• tutorial
• bladesmith
• blacksmithing
• forge welding

[irishlostboy]

great vids, but it would have really helped if the writing on screen was not white, or if the background to the writing was darker. also putting a pause in so the writing can be read and digested without being distracted by all the action would also improve this video series.

hope these suggestions help, and thanks for making these vids.

[FredeenBlades]

@irishlostboy

This is something I realize. When making the videos I played with a number of different font colors and white is actually the color that showed up best. I used windows movie maker so there aren't really a great deal options to add the annotations or edit their appearance (like putting a black background just around the words). What I have started doing is just making completly separate title screens for the newer videos to fix the issue.

[FNHfal7]

Are you using propane? I attempted pattern welding several times and failed, I'm not sure my propane forge will get hot enough for a successful weld. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

[FredeenBlades]

Yes, I'm running a propane forge. Atmospheric burners. You can usually weld at slightly lower temps in a gas forge than you can in a coal/charcoal forge, this is because the environment in the gas forge is much cleaner.

Here's some things to look for to see if you are up to temp. Firstly watch the steel in the forge, when it gets up to welding heat, the flux will bubble and dance around on the surface of the steel. It should look a bit like melted butter.

[FredeenBlades]

This will only be true in a darker environment however. In direct sunlight, the steel will not appear as bright in color. Another way to test if you are up to welding temp is to take a small diameter steel rod (long enough to stick into the forge), heat the end, then dip it in some flux and stick it in the forge with the billet. The thin rod will heat up pretty quickly, when it is the same temp as the billet, touch it to the billet, if it sticks, you're up to welding temp.

[FredeenBlades]

Another thing to do is make sure you clean all of the mating surfaces of the billet very well. Any mill scale, rust, or other contamination in the billet can cause welds to fail. Grind all surfaces clean, and keep the grind lines running towards the edges of the billet, not down the length. Also, when welding, don't hit the billet super hard, this will cause welds to fail. Only light taps are needed.

[jtwilson85]

I have drew my first billet out and ground the pattern that I wanted into the billet and then hammered it out and I am having problems getting the pattern to show up in the blade what am I doing wron

[marcheseDS]

You could have too much oxigen inside the forge or you are trying to weld hard-to-weld steels. Mild steel needs higher temperature than carbon steel, near burning temperature, hence is a hard one (but cheaper for trial and error, I know). Nichel or stainless need special flux not plain borax.

[aprice2704]

Nice video, but could you put the number in the title so we can tell what order to view them in :)