I'm curious if anyone has tried pattern welded 1084 and 80crv2? Relatively new to bladesmithing and blacksmithing and have yet to attempt a pattern welded blank. I have been working with Aldo's 1084 to make knives so I am familiar with how that behaves. I've been thinking about trying this combination. The primary questions I'm thinking of right now are...
How well do they weld? How well does the mix forge? Are the layers pronounce from each other when finished? Is the heat treat complicated?
I'm sure more questions will come up later but for now that's it.
Hello Mr. Casey. I have never worked with 80crv2 but I do believe it is very similar to 5160 spring steel, which I understand does not play well with other steels. Though some one elese may know better. If you are looking for high contrast and less headache you could try a mix of 1084 and 15N20 which has nickle added or try a san mi billet with 2 carbon steels and add two shims of 201 pure nickle to get a more dramatic effect. I hope this helps. Happy forging Ron
As Ronald said,to achieve contrast, use a 10xx, and 15N20. 1084 or 1095 and 15N20 are good mixes.
Bob
That mix (1084 & 80crv2) would be a lot like welding 1084 to 1084. In terms of pattern, it's going to have significantly less visible pattern then using 15N20. Right now it's hard to beat the combination of 1080 or 1084 & 15N20 for damascus. 15N20 is basically 1075 steel, with the addition of 1.5% nickel. It's fully hardenable (theres a plus), it provides excellent contrast (another plus), and because it's expansion/contraction properties (what I call "compatibility") are so similar to 1080 or 1084, it's very easy/forgiving during the entire process from forging through finishing.
At some point in the future, there might be another alloy/material that lends itself to damascus better then 15N20 mixed with 1080 or 1084, but it's not here yet. There's a good reason why so many Bladesmith use the combination.... it just plain works! <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />
Ed Caffrey, ABS MS
"The Montana Bladesmith"
www.CaffreyKnives.net
Ed pretty much covered it all. When you are welding different steels together in fine layers (making Damascus), you want to remember the old K.I.S.S. adage. There are plenty of things that can go wrong. Don't do anything to increase the odds of failure. 1084 & 15N20 make a quality blade and will help eliminate many potential problems.
Gary
Thanks folks. I appreciate the feedback!
If you want slightly less contrast use 1075 from Aldo (lower manganese) and 15N20.
If you want very little (subtle) contrast, use 1075 from Aldo and W2. Takes a great hamon, too. If anyone ever does this, polish and then etch with ferric. Then etch several times with vinegar or lemon juice and remove oxides with powder abrasive (rotten stone is good). Or silicon carbide if you want to use the abrasive to emphasize the hamon, but it also blurs it.
Etch one last quick dip in ferric. That will accentuate the hada.
You can get good tri-color with L6, O1, and 80CrV2, but it is a pain to work because all of them air harden to an extent. They are much more complex, and really benefit from an interrupted quench or a marquench (which is another hassle unless you have low temp salts - which I do not have).
Just my own preferences.
kc
While I have not tried 80crv2 and 1084, I have done 80crv2 and 15n20 and it worked just fine. I basically tried it just to see if the two would stick.
|quoted:
While I have not tried 80crv2 and 1084, I have done 80crv2 and 15n20 and it worked just fine. I basically tried it just to see if the two would stick.
80crv2 and 1084 stick just fine, but they etch nearly identical in HCl and FeCl3. Also as an addendum, 80CRV2 is pretty much just 1080 with a little vanadium added, so it's basically just welding 1084 to 1080. No contrast to speak of.
