http://www.centerlinewheels.com/images/knife01.JPG

Well having made my first welded cable eating knife (part of a set, the spoon is done, the fork is pending), I'm looking to do something more with cable. So my Question is, where is a good source of thin nickle sheet or wire, to dress the cable up with?

Scott

There!

Thanks to edits by KnifeWife and moving the image to a new host, the above post works now.

Scott B. Jaqua

Scott,
I use nickel welding electrodes.
You can beat the flux off and wire brush it for bright silver stripes in your billet. I tig weld it on the ends and twist it up into the billet. You'll need to weld it HOT.
Your local welding supply should be able to help you out.
Ask for nickel welding rods or Nickel 99.(I use 1/8")
An example is found in the Show Case Forum CKD, under the heading "WHITE TIGER". It is my latest dagger.
It's worth a peek. :)

Thanks Gene,

I went to the welding supply store at lunch and got some 3/32 Nickle 99 arc rod. Suff is pricey, but I figure it will last for several pieces.

And now I get to add another store that is trained to not ask what I want stuff for :p

I already have my local hardware store trained. That happened when they asked what I wanted the spring for ( a medieval period style crossbow, that time)

To see all the crazy stuff I build for the SCA (historical recreation group) got to my site at sjaqua.tripod.com (http://sjaqua.tripod.com)

Scott B. Jaqua

Yes it is expensive. Here it is over 30.00 dollars a lb.
Glad you found what you need.

Wow!

I only paid $26 for five pounds

Where are you that it costs so bloody much?

Scott B. Jaqua

Oh, and another question......

Even at 3/32 it's pretty thick for the style of nickle wire wrap I want to do. So my question is, can I forge the rod down to a sheet in my propane forge? I would like to then use tin snips to split the sheet into thin strips.

I figure if I can do that, I can take the cable apart into wire bundles. Then I can wrap each bundle, prior to reassembling the cable and welding it.

Scott B. Jaqua
(ps: I get a page error every time I try to spell check, so I'm sorry about any spelling errors in my posts)

Scott, If you can split a 3/32 wire, you sure don't need my help.hahahaha
I suggest some 1/16 rod if you want it smaller.
Weld supply has tig rod too. They may have to order it for you, but it comes 36 inches long, and no flux. I just found out about the tig wire myself, and have ordered some.
(that's the stuff that was so expensive)
I am in Ft. Worth,TX.

Well Gene, I think I pulled it off. I forged the 3/32 nickel rod out into a thin sheet. I then split the sheet with tin snips............

http://www.centerlinewheels.com/images/nickle01.JPG

So then I took the cable apart and wraped alternating bundles with the nickle strips( nickle won't weld to nickle, so you don't want the wrappings touching). I then put it back togather as best I could and wired the ends with stainless steel wire. The wire is just to hold it till I get the ends welded. Stainless has a much higher welding temp, so I can just cut it off after the ends are welded.

http://www.centerlinewheels.com/images/nickle02.JPG

So, I will see how it all works tonight or Sunday, when I get to welding it. (Saturday is a trip to the Viking exhibit at the Natural History Museum)

Scott B. Jaqua

Try K&G for your nickel, They have it in thin sheet form.
It's pure nickel and easy to use. $18.00 a pound. A pound will go a long way.
K&G is located in Az. 1-800 972 1192. I do not work for them , just trying to help.
B K

I was about to suggest k&g also. I just got some in from them last night and this stuff is so thin you can cut it with scciors to any length and width you want. By the way that knife is a dandy Scott!!

If I remember, MSC has shim stock in Nickel at various thicknesses.
I gotta admit, I hadn't thought about wrapping it like that.
I look for ward to seeing the billet.
It looks like three are wrapped and three are not.
That should give a pretty staggered pattern with bright specks twisted in.
Be sure to share it with us when you are done, OK?

That's the idea. I wanted to produce staggard bright spots in the cable's "scale" pattern. And yes I wrapped three bundles and left three un-wrapped. Nickel will not forge weld to nickel (so I'm told by my friend, Dr Jim), so I didn't want any piece of nickel touching any other piece of nickel. I should weld it up this weeked. I'll let the forum know the results.

This style of nickel wrap is something I learned from my friends Jim ( www.atar.com (http://www.atar.com)) and Tony ( www.osoforge.com (http://www.osoforge.com)). I hope I get as good a result as they do :)

Scott

Scott Tony is a great guy I've known him for years and Jim is always ready to help. Do you see Tony often?

Mike

Jim, Tony and I all belong to the same club. I've known them both for years. I don't get to see Jim and his wife Trudy as much as I'd like, since they moved to Nevada several years back.
I was up at Tony's place in October and I saw him at an event a couple of weeks ago. He shares a merchant booth with my wife from time to time.
I'll be seeing both Jim and Tony in mid January when we all attend an event in Las Vegas.

Scott B. Jaqua

Will Alloy 600 Nickel (Inconel) work for adding nickel to welded cable. I can get .020" wire from McMaster Carr

72% Nickel
14-17% Chromium
6-10% iron
Trace amounts of Carbon, Copper, Silicon and Sulfur.


Scott B. Jaqua

Scott according to Jim Nickel Silver is 12-18% Nickel and the remainder Brass.

Mike

How did Jim make out with his eye injury? I heard he was injured by a lawnmower. I sent and e-mail wishing him well but got an auto reply. Did everything work out ok?

Inconel might work, the chrome may give you a fit though.
Chrome steels have a tendancy to air harden during forging, and snap when you hit them too cold.
At .020" thick, it would probably get pulled into the twist alright, but would it stick well?
It would also give you dead spots in your cutting edge, because inconel can't be H/T'ed.

Jim's eye injury healed up just fine. From now on, he say's, he is paying someone to do the lawn while he stays someplace safe (the Shop).

Thanks for the info on the Inconel. Sounds like I'll have to try it to see for sure.


Scott B. Jaqua
(don't worry I get the auto response 90% of the time myself. Jim gets pounded with e-mail.)

http://www.centerlinewheels.com/images/cabledagger10.jpg


Ok here's the blade made from the nickel wraped cable, that I promissed you all.

Scott B. Jaqua

That's a cool little dagger blade, Scott.
How ya gonna dress it?

I'm planning on fitting it out in brass and purple heart.

Scott