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The Importance of First and Last Welds

When assembling a pattern welded billet it is essential that prime attention be given to the first and last welds. The reasons for this are as follows; The first weld you make will establish the integrity of the initial layers to be welded. This procedure must result in flawless welds that you will carry forward to the next folding step. If any voids or shuts are overlooked at this point they will only become worse and more problematic later when they are enclosed and unreachable.

There are few things more disappointing than putting over twenty hours into a blade only to have a flaw show up while grinding, or worse after heat treating. Avoid what I call the "Heartbreak of Damascus"by paying scrupulous attention to the smallest details while in the midst of your process.

1. Watch for dark spots on the surface of your billet when it comes out of the forge and begins to cool. Flaws will show as dark spots due to incomplete heat transfer from improperly bonded layers.

2. Small jets of yellow flame on the ends or edges of the billet. These are caused by escaping gases in sinuses and fissures that have exit routes along the edges of the billet, it is a sure sign of an improperly closed weld.

Take the time to fix these things immediately upon discovery. Do not move forward until they have been eliminated.
 
The last weld deserves close attention as well. Time, temperature and mechanical manipulation(repeated drawing out and folding)serve to strengthen welds. The final weld has had the least amount of these things.Do not attempt to finish your billet with your final fold too close to your ending size.

Start your final weld with two(or three)oversized pieces that you can draw down to the appropriate finished size,thereby giving the weld the necessary time,temp and working factors so important to weld strength. And finally, always thermal cycle your billet to ensure an easy time with any cold work you might need to do on it.

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