A "W" Pattern blade blank

[rhrocker]

Here's several photos of how I just made a "W" pattern blade blank. This first one is the end view of the forged billet. To get to this point, I forge-welded the stacked layers together (in this case 15n20 and 1095), then forge-welded edge to edge several times.

[rhrocker]

After annealing overnight, I cleaned up the billet sides on a grinder, and marked out how I wanted to fold to open. Then I drilled holes at the bottom of each valley, and bandsawed to the holes. This idea of drilling the holes came from Bruce Bump, he has a simular photo on his website.

[rhrocker]

This picture shows the accordion fold after it's cut out and ready for forging flat.

[rhrocker]

Here's a shot from the top, if you look closely, you can see the pattern of the "W"'s.

[rhrocker]

This shot shows the blade blank, after the accoridon was forged flat, annealed, and rough ground then etched. I hope to have this knife finished within a couple of weeks, and will post a completed photo then. I hope I'm not boring you guys with these sequence shots! I'm currently working on a neat "twist" pattern, and woul dbe happy to show that sequence when it's farther along.

[fitzo]

Oh, yeah, we're dead bored with this sequence alright, Robert. NOT!

Way cool! Billet turned out very nice, pattern is soemthing one can look at and see things in. Gonna be an exciting blade in there! Well done!!!!

You've just made your first billet of advanced pattern welding! Congrats!

[AwP]

Looks cool, can't wait till I'm messing with PW myself. One minor curiosity question... why did you use a larger size hole in one spot, is it just your other bit broke on your second last hole or is there a reason?

[Ron Claiborne]

looking great Robert post more
nice pattern , glade to see the side view looks great

[fitzo]

AWP, the smaller holes are pilots. the larger hole connects the two lines and makes the bottom of the triangle cut a radius so it doesn't crack when flattening.

[rhrocker]

Thanks! Fitz, Bill Buxton, Bruce, and Bowie got me this far, so now it's up to me to do something with it! Appreciate the comments!

[Osprey Guy]

Robert-

Fascinating to watch your progress...

You have my attention! 8o


Dennis Greenbaum

Yeah Baby!

[AwP]

Ahh, so that picture is part way through the drilling process and all the holes will be the larger size when the drilling is done? Ok, I get it now, thanks.

[schwarzer]

W pattern steel the rule of thumb is to make as many folds as you have layers . if you start with 10 layers then you layer it ten layers in the opposite direction of the first weld.
Don Fogg invented this pattern back in the very early 1980S The first Points of interest book has a picture of a japanese blade made by Don using this tecnique. Another very interesting way to open this pattern is to use very heave forged ladder pattern . It yealds great results and you dont loose so much material . You an also cut the pattern into one or two inc long blocks and stack then side by side or four way them to make a correct viev of the pattern . ad on and on into the infinite.
stay at it this is great stuff

[Lawrence Kemp]

Man oh Man this is Great! Thanks!!

[Larrin]

The ladder pattern w's should look something like this:
http://www.devinthomas.com/photos/ss-sharkstooth.jpg
And the twisted w's should look similar to this:
http://www.devinthomas.com/photos/hc-firestorm.jpg

They're both cool patterns, I hope you make some.