Difficulty:

This intensive weekend course immerses you in the world of Pattern Welded or Damascus steel. You will learn techniques in welding, folding and patterning beautiful and unique steel. We'll be using a hydraulic power press and rolling mill to make the welds and draw down the billets. You will make two billets and two forged blades to keep and finish into knives.

The course goes from Saturday morning 9am until Sunday afternoon 5pm.

Saturday morning and early afternoon will focus on bulding 2 billets up to 480 layers. Final layers will depend on the effect desired in the pattern. Later in the afternoon patterning of the billets will start. Each billet may be cut in two to enable 4 different patterns to be worked on. Choose from ladder, random pool and eye, cross/butterfly, twist and maiden hair or a combination in your patterning.

Sunday morning will complete the patterning of the billets before forging into blades (or other shapes to be used). Forging damascus is harder than forging normal steel. Hitting it below the correct temperature can delaminate the billet or create flaws. Care must be take to manipulate the steel in a bright red temperature. Sunday afternoon will work the blades to grind them to a finished shape, hand polish and begin the heat treatment.

The billets will allow you to make a number of other knives or other items in the future either by forging or stock removal.

• Cost - $900 (incl GST)
• Cost includes: Tuition, insurance, materials, use of tools, workshop consumables, safety gear, morning and afternoon tea.
• Need to bring: Lunch, appropriate clothing and covered footwear
• Booking in advance is essential

Some pictures to give you an insight into the weekend.

• Hydraulic Press Hydraulic Press
• T-dies T-dies
• McDonald Rolling Mill McDonald Rolling Mill
• 21 layer billet 21 layer billet
• Heating the billet Heating the billet
• Applying flux Applying flux
• First Crush First Crush
• Clean up Clean up
• Prepping billet Prepping billet
• Cut and stacked Cut and stacked
• Reheat Reheat
• 2nd time around 2nd time around
• Drawn out Drawn out
• 3rd time lucky 3rd time lucky
• Squashing with a Flypress Squashing with a Flypress
• Patterned Billet Patterned Billet
• Final flatten out Final flatten out
• Clean up the scale Clean up the scale
• Buckle Buckle
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