# Forge welding rebar to O1 - did it succeed ?



## erezj (Aug 27, 2017)

So I decided to start playing with Damascus....picked up whatever I could find around, which was O1 and rebar.

Eventually, the idea is to fold it 4 times, then San-Mai with pure O1 in the middle.

Since I knew that rebar is not recommended for welding, I expected that the steel might not stick, but the result was inconclusive (for me)

during the initial forge weld, I could not see any delam, the color of the billet was homogeneous, however, after cutting in two and cleaning the billet, I could see a thin line (not a crack) all around the billet.

I continued with some tests, cold hammering the billet, and then putting a chisel on the line and smacking the s**** out of it.

It held.

so...

1. Can rebar be forge welded to high carbon?
2. What is that line? a fault line, or is this 'normal'

appreciate your experienced insight.

BTW...it was so much fun, but damn, I respect damascus knives so much more now, it is S**** load of work !!!
I Guess the best way to appreciate something, is to try doing it yourself


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## merlijny2k (Aug 29, 2017)

What should cause the difference in etching colour? Is O1 sufficiently resistant to get any meaningfull contrast?


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## HHH Knives (Aug 29, 2017)

Hello, Sounds like your having fun. 

So did it work?? 
The answer sounds like yes. The weld worked. However that does not mean its suitable to be a cutting too. You can forge weld alot of materials to one another. and yet it still not "work" even if the initial weld seems solid. 

The true test IMO is to now Shape the piece into a knife. By forging or cutting. Then Heat Treat the piece. Often times you wont find problems until during or after Heat Treating. So HT then GRIND in your bevels and you should be able to tell if there are any problems. during these steps. If she holds together and there are no delaminations or what not after grinding the main bevel and taper. Then you will have your answer. 

Have fun
Randy


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## erezj (Aug 31, 2017)

Thanks for the inputs, 

I was kind of balancing on the edge of decision, I knew that the real test would be the heat treat...but do I put ALOT more work into making it a knife (still need to fold it a few times) and then find out that it doesn't work, or HT the billet as is, as an educational experiment and sacrifice any future potential to make a knife out of it.

anyways, decided to cut my loses, will do the HT on the billet, just to see what happens, and in parallel getting some known steel (not simple in Israel) to go the full monty.

merlijny2k - The billet is in the very first stage, forge welding rebar and O1, I haven't etched yet, yet a 'line' can be seen.


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