Yes, it's possible to re-weld it. Based on the way you worded that, can I assume that after you split the feather billet, you placed a piece of 15N20 in it? If so, that's where you might run into a challenge....generally a feather billet will weld much easier if you split it, and IMMEDATELY weld the two halves back together. Also, I don't know of many who will forge a feather pattern into a close profile.....things often come apart. The way I normally do it is to make a "loaf" of feather, anneal it, then I slice off pieces. About the only portion I forge to shape is the "belly" and point.....the rest is stock removal. A feather billet is something that we put a great deal of stress on anyway, so that just increases the chances of things coming apart with additional forging.

Yes, sir. That is exactly what I did. Forge and twisted bars, forged welded them to a "spine" of 15N20, then forged the blade to shape. The blade held but when I drew out the tang, it split at the spine weld. I'll try rewelding it today. Think pickling it first to clean the split would help?

I'll try the loaf next time. Thanks.

K

OH! OK, I think I see how you built it now....that is a TOUGH way to make it. <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> I can't tell you exactly why, but putting a "shim" between two twists seldom works well. I've taken a bunch of those type billets to the scrapyard over the years. <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

Generally feather is made by first creating a billet of "W" pattern....then its cut into equal pieces, and restacked so the "W"s show on the long faces of the billet. Then, that billet is hot cut through (lengthwise) with a realively dull hot cut (this causes the cutting action to draw the "W"s along the cut line.....when the cut is complete, the halves are immedately fluxed and welded back together along the cut.

For me making feather has always been difficult because my press only have about 8" of throw, which means the biggest billet I can cut is 4" (because you need a 4" hot cut to make the cut)= 8"

Nothing wrong with trying to save something that you've already put a lot of work into.....pickling might increase the chances for success.

Let me know how it goes!

I don't mean to hijack a thread but have a question for Ed:

I haven't attempted a feather for the same reason of the limits of my press. Since you have only the means to make a four inch feather cut do you forge the billet longer for large blades and if so, how much deformation of the pattern do you get?

Kevin--Please forgive me for asking a question in your thread.

Gary

Gary..... I limit myself to smaller hunter sized blades when it comes to feather pattern....this is one of those cases where the limitations of equipment forces the limited sized billets/blades.

Personally, the only forging I do with feather is the belly/point, just to make the pattern follow the profile. Any forging beyond that will distort a feather pattern....sometimes much further then you'd want it to. If you've not worked with feather pattern my suggestion is to just make the feather billet/loaf, then take slices off and stock remove the first couple, then SLOWLY do a little forging until you see just how far you can go...without going too far.

I've seen both some fantastic looking feather that has been forged completely to shape....and some that looked like a train wreck. For me it was all about discovering just how much I could get away with forging, and still have the pattern I wanted. Thinking back to my first successful billet of feather....I got ONE acceptable blade out of the 5 slices it provided...all the rest got "recycled" into "fossil" damascus. <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

Thanks, Ed.

Gary

Ed

Thanks. I think I got it closed. Will grind and see. Have to try it your way next time.

Kevin

|quoted:

Ed

Thanks. I think I got it closed. Will grind and see. Have to try it your way next time.

Kevin

I take a somewhat different approach. I slit the billet all the way thru with a wide slitter that drags material, grind off the flash at the bottom of the the two sides, then forge the sides flat. After that, I grind the two slit sides on the belt grinder to achieve two flat surfaces, then mig weld around the whole billet for a dry weld. This seems to eliminate a white line and pretty much assures a good weld. I think the key is to control forge heat with a pid reader and a thermocouple. I weld at 2315-2325 and have no problems.

John Emmerling

www.gearhartironwerks.com

I think a " feather' pattern is a lot like a ladder pattern. Every time you do it the same way; but it comes out a little different.

My press only has 7.5 inches of travel so I am limited on my processes. My usual way of going about it is to split, reweld, and square up in one pass. I then upend the billet and forge the blade out looking endwise if that makes sense; it usually comes out to a 2.5 x2.5 x 3 inch block. The smack dimension has the pattern.

By using more layers than is probably the norm I still get a good pattern from the huge drawing operation.

That turning the pattern inside out must be done at a good heat is an understatement. You will find any weak welds too!

Just another slow way of getting it done.

M