Stepping it up

I spent five hours last weekend working on a layered billet. By hand. So that was a billet that had already been welded, and I stretched it to double the length, folded it and welded it again. I was pooped. And a little defeated becasue I have a project that I need to have done in like 3 weeks and it, of course, hinges on a patterned* blade.

What to do? I had to buy a compressor for a car project in February (yes, it was a requirement to get it done, I had resisted a compressor for years), so it seemed like the natural next step to make a mini press. I purchased the 20 ton jack on Tuesday night and tomorrow I will be buying the steel tube for the frame. My main concern is my 110v welder, but with gas shielded flux core wire going into chamfered grooves, I think I should be able to get sufficient penetration for the project.

What about the big anvil? What about it... it will still get used, but for operations like welding, butchering, hot stamping, punching, etc a press will make the job go so much faster (or so I assume). I know that drawing out operations like I do for the fireplace sets will still be done on the anvil, and most of the blacksmith operations, as well. It won't go to waste, and with the press freeing up my shop time, the anvil will be used even more often.

*patterned=not monosteel. No it won't be even a simple ladder this time, but you can save your typing if you want to argue that random patterns aren't patterns.

Actual Smithing Content

I know, surprise, right? :) Since I have this week off from school I want to make as much use of it as I can. I started a pattern welded billet sometime in January... I think. I honestly can't remember when I started it. But I did write down what it's made from. 15 layers of bandsaw blade (1/2" x0.20") and two layers (outside) of 1/4 x 1/2" mild. I've folded it twice and I'm ready to do the third fold tomorrow. That'll be 164 layers and should give a decent pattern, I guess. I've stretched lengthwise and folded it back on itself each time. I knew I had limited time and wanted to keep my chances of success as high as possible so nothing fancy. I did have a little end delamination when I twisted it back to straight, but that's a section that I know will need to be cut off.

I think the most surprising thing is how much volume I'm losing with each fold. One more and it will be about 1/4 x 5/8 x 8. I'm hoping for a raven's beak seax that's 6" of blade about 1" wide and 1/8" thick. I hope to use it as my primary hunting knife- we'll see.