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cable as damascus could it be done?
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Picture of cal30 1906
posted
If a guy had cable could he make his own
damascus or hammer forged blades?




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Posts: 3066 | Location: Northern Nevada & Northern Idaho | Registered: 09 April 2005Reply With Quote
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No question about it ... is done all the time.

Make a half round bottom die. Preferably pretty substantial with a tang on the bottom to fit in a very heavy vise (like a 6" post vise).

Use good cable. Can be had in the mid .5 percent carbon range. Unwind just enough to get the core material (plastic or hemp or something like that) out. Retwist.

Heat (in a forge running slightly rich) and flux the hell out of it with borax. The remaining non-metalic core will burn out. Pound the material into the die while turning it. Heat and pound. Once in a while heat an d give a gentle twist in the direction of the original twist to make sure it remains tight.

Some practice and some patience will give you pretty good material. When the material is really good and solid, you can flatten and draw it out.

Can be quite pretty.

One can forge almost anything into blade material. Big motor cycle chain is also used.


Mike

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DRSS, Womper's Club, NRA Life Member/Charter Member NRA Golden Eagles ...
Knifemaker, http://www.mstarling.com
 
Posts: 6199 | Location: Charleston, WV | Registered: 31 August 2002Reply With Quote
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Wayne Goddard has some very good information on cable damascus in his knifemaking books. One of the keys I remembered is not to use cable that has too small of a wire dia. You will decarburize the metal when welding it, and if you use a cable with wires that are too small, you'll burn all the carbon out and have a low carbon blade.


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Posts: 7213 | Location: Alaska | Registered: 27 February 2001Reply With Quote
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Hello;
They had a guy demonstrating Knife making from wire rope at Spruce Meadows one year. I believe he was from southern Alberta. The noteworthy part was that he had the piece of wire rope tied off at the ends with wire, to keep the tension from un-raveling it before he hammer forged it together. I think he also got different effects by forging several strands of smaller diameter rope together. Pretty spectacular actually.
Grizz


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Posts: 4211 | Location: Alta. Canada | Registered: 06 November 2002Reply With Quote
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Just read your post, then ran into this:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=359017

Kinda gives everyone an idea of how the cable becomes a knife blade. Not the prettiest thing in the world, but I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.


.

"Listen more than you speak, and you will hear more stupid things than you say."
 
Posts: 705 | Location: near Albany, NY | Registered: 06 December 2002Reply With Quote
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