first cable damascus...

[nifeman]

Hey fellers, well I made my first cable damascus blade. I got the cable from a friend who has a crane service. I left some of the forge marks on it. It measures 7 1/2" overall with a 3 1/2" blade. For the handle I used some osage orange. See what y'all think...Bud

[Dana Acker]

Looks good, Bud. To get the full effect of the cable weld, sand or file the blade clean, then etch in a ferric chloride and h2o solution. The pattern will show up great.

[Dana Acker]

Hey Bud, how did you weld the cable? Twist weld or hammer weld?

[Dana Acker]

Since that was your first cable blade, when you found your welds all took, how long did it take you to quit grinning? Tell the truth Bud.

[nifeman]

hey Dana, thats a hammer weld. You can see the pattern better if you're holding it in your hands I started with a piece of 5/8" cable and it came out kinda delicate. I've got some 1" cable I'm gonna try next. Welded it in my NC forge, set at 12 1/2 psi. I also lined the bottom with cat litter to protect the bricks from 20 mule team borax. And I'm still grinnin...Bud

[Dana Acker]

How did the kitty litter work? NC Tool Co. used to make a special removable ceramic plate that fit in the bottom of the forge for 5 or 6 bucks, to keep the melted borax off the forge liner. They work pretty well.