Depends on what effect you want it to have on the pattern Russell, and making it depends on how much stroke your press has.

The more blunt wedge will smear the layers more, which I very much like to see in a feather. Making larger feathers usually requires a lot more press or hammer stroke than most of the presses manufactured for smiths have, and that's a big consideration in building a custom press. You may have to experiment some to get the balance you want of activity, without to heavily forging vs cutting the billet. You want it to smear heavily, but still cut well enough that you don't over-deform the top of the billet, and make it very difficult to reweld.

Too sharp and it wont give much activity of course.

Thanks, Javan for your reply. I realize there are a lot of variables in doing this pattern. I was looking for a starting point. I have a wedge almost complete.

We will see how it goes from there.

Thanks Again!

Russell

If you have any troubles Russell, I'll be happy to help with more specific details, but alot of it depends on your setup. Obviously the taller stacks (and longer billets, since you can't work a feather heavily after you split it), you want to make, and the stroke of your press really has the biggest impact.

One thing I'll mention is that you don't have to have a very blunt angle to get good smearing, just a bluntish tip to the wedge. You of course need it to split far enough that you can clean it out if need be after the split, but not so much that it's difficult to get back together or deflects into a curve or curl.

An 1/8 inch radius on the end of my feathering cutter is what I use. You can make a knife of nearly any reasonable (i.e. 15 inches or shorter) length out of feather damascus with a press that has 8 inches of stroke. I doesn't take a lot as one can use cutters in stages if need be. You only need about 5 inches of stroke in order to make a nice feather pattern billet for a 10 blade if you use a couple cutters that get longer in three or four stages.

Kyle,

Thanks for your post! It was what I wanted to here. My setup is going to require more than one cutter and in stages. With your advice, I see it can be done.

We shall see how it goes!

Thanks Again, Kyle

Russell

PS, The specific radius of the cutter was my question. You answered that,as well as reassured me the process I will have do this will work.

I like a good challenge!

That's absolutely true, assuming you've got extra throat or you're willing to do the billet/die/cutter juggle I guess, but it adds a much bigger margin for error IMHO.

Still Kyle's feathers are some of the few I think look good, so I won't argue. <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//wink.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />

I cut my feather in three to five heats. But even if one wanted to cut it all the way through with one heat it could be done by making the consecutively longer cutters all on one press die. The biggest problem I run into with feather pattern is when cutting sometimes the last weld that was made will want to come apart in a corner or something like that. I found taking my time and cutting a little at a time and keeping the billet hot will help that not to happen.

BTW, my cutter is made from a big, 2 1/2" wide splitting wedge and it works great!!!

Yeah we use a long splitting wedge for our top die also, but always cut in one heat. I mostly make feathers with Zoe Crist(Zoe taught me how to make damascus, and we've made dozens of feathers together), since that's kind of his specialty, and usually, we're shooting for as large and efficient as possible, unless we're doing folder billets. I don't have a press at home currently, just the power hammers (while I'm building a new press) so I make the occasional small feather with a hand held cutter under the hammer, but to be honest, I've made so many at this point I'm over them.

No matter how you go about it, this is a trickier pattern, so don't be surprised at a failure or two, but it's not as difficult as people make it out to be. I've have heard some disturbing numbers about high failure rates making them, which I find confusing, since I can't remember the last time Zoe or I had a failed attempt. Most important is making sure you've got your final stack thoroughly welded, before you start the cut and your heat is high, not borderline.

That corner issue Kyle is always a concern from what I've seen though, since you're really stressing the welds there.

Anyway, Russel, if you run into any probs, let us know.

|quoted:

Yeah we use a long splitting wedge for our top die also, but always cut in one heat. I mostly make feathers with Zoe Crist(Zoe taught me how to make damascus, and we've made dozens of feathers together), since that's kind of his specialty, and usually, we're shooting for as large and efficient as possible, unless we're doing folder billets. I don't have a press at home currently, just the power hammers (while I'm building a new press) so I make the occasional small feather with a hand held cutter under the hammer, but to be honest, I've made so many at this point I'm over them.

No matter how you go about it, this is a trickier pattern, so don't be surprised at a failure or two, but it's not as difficult as people make it out to be. I've have heard some disturbing numbers about high failure rates making them, which I find confusing, since I can't remember the last time Zoe or I had a failed attempt. Most important is making sure you've got your final stack thoroughly welded, before you start the cut and your heat is high, not borderline.

That corner issue Kyle is always a concern from what I've seen though, since you're really stressing the welds there.

Anyway, Russel, if you run into any probs, let us know.

Have you tried to reweld for the feather with no flux yet?

Thanks,

John

No John, but we will, definitely. <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//wink.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />