Getting the Forge Bug BAD!

[Bobby Urban]

I am new to the forge and am becoming fastly addicted.  Here are my first 2 projects with many more to come.  The top is a piece of coil spring I am attempting to make into a camp knife for a friend and the bottom is my first pattern welded billet - second time at the forge.  This is so much fun I think I like it more than bow making.  So much to learn and do with the steel.  Fortunately I have access to a great shop with all the tools and steel I could ever handle.  It's the same shop I built my cooker/smoker in(see cooking forum) and there is way more than I could ever learn to use there.  I have no idea how many layers of steel are in my billet or how nice the knife will be(if it works out at all) but I am happy that it looks to have welded up nice and solid.  I took 4 1x3" pieces of lawn mower blade and 5 pieces of banding strap - welded and folded 3 times then I cut that billet into 3 pieces and added 4 pieces of band saw blade.  welded and folded once. No idea what I am doing but I will keep pics coming and hope it turns out.

You forge guys are onto something - Bob Urban

[JEFF B]

looking good so far  

[Wampus]

If my math is right and I understood what you meant, should be 440 layers.  Hope the lawnmower blade and straps are different enough to get some good contrast.  If they're fairly similar metals it may be hard to see any pattern even after etching.  Good luck!

[Bobby Urban]

Wampus - I tried to do the math as well and came up with a lot more layers than I originaly thought because I was at first just adding the layers and forgetting to compound them from folding.  I put the billet on the belt sander and got one side mostly smooth then etched it for about 15 minutes in vinager. They are faint but there is a lot of them. I am now confident that after the knife is done and a good etch is put on there will be some nice looking paterns.  I will post picks as I go