Finally got a clean weld on my first Damascus billet

Been trying on and off for about two years, but last weekend in my garage I finally got the forge weld to stick all the way through without any delams. The key was way more flux than I thought I needed. Anyone else have a Damascus 'aha' moment they remember?

3 comments

3 Comments

hayes.wade16d ago

Yeah I was the same way, always tried to go light on the flux to keep things clean. Turns out I was just starving the weld. My moment was when an old timer told me to just dump it on like I was trying to bury the steel, and suddenly everything stuck. Felt like I'd been making it way harder than it needed to be for no reason.

nora_webb5116d ago

Right? It's like we all got the same bad memo. My first year I was treating flux like it was some kind of rare spice, just a tiny pinch for flavor. The bead looked so sad and skinny. Then I saw a guy basically using his rod like a shovel, and the weld was perfect. We really do overcomplicate the messy jobs.

davidshah16d ago

So you were basically just sprinkling a little fairy dust on there and hoping for the best? Classic. It's funny how the right advice is always the exact opposite of what your brain tells you to do. I spent way too long trying to be neat and tidy like I was frosting a cake, not joining metal. Turns out welding is more like making a mud pie, you really gotta glop it on there.