| Hi, In answer to your questions, let me explain how I build these rings and the materials used, I am not sure of your knowledge of Damascus Steel, so here's a rundown on my proceeder, I like to start my Damascus Billet with two tool steels usually L6, and 01, I stay away from mild steels becuase they have a tendency to flatten faster leaving a narrow line in my pattern, if I use a chrome based steel I try to match it with chrome in the opposite steel or a similar alloy such as molyebdem or tungstan, it seems like some very hard steels to have on ones finger but I have had my best results this way, after I get my billet forge welded with the right amount of layers, and the layer count must be less if I'm going to twist it, and the tighter the twist the finer the layers will appear on the finished pattern, I usally try to twist it 180 degrees and work it and then back 360, on about a four inch billet 3/4 inch diameter, then I saw off a 3/4 inch piece turn it on it's end and pound it down to about 3/8 inch thichness, then comes the anealing process, I heat up the big piece put it in the heated lime, then with some heated tongs I pickup the heated ring sized piece and set it in the boiling lime and let it sit over night, if done right the ring will be ductile and drillable soft enough to work, when working with tool steel that small it will not take much to harden it, cold tongs or a little air and you will burn up drill bits, You cannot use a hot cut or punch they to mash the layers together and make the pattern to fine, OK we have got it ready to drill and around 65 layers, I try to forge it round enough to put in my lathe chuck and drill it there, then turn it to size using a cutting tool, I like to finish the inside about .15mm smaller than accuall size to leave me some room for the acid to work and the finish sanding and polishing, then I put it on an arbor with tapered nuts on both sides to hold it, and turn the ring to size and shape, polish it up to a high shine then put in etching solution. |
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