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Had a billet split on me mid-fold in my driveway last Tuesday
I was making a Damascus billet from 1084 and 15n20, about 12 layers, and on the third fold a chunk just sheared off sideways. Do you weld the edges before every fold or just let it ride and hope for the best?
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emmar754mo ago
My 14-layer W2 and 1084 split on the fifth fold last month, so yeah I always weld the edges now.
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miles_roberts224mo ago
Ngl, I kind of disagree with welding the edges from the start. I've done maybe 30 or so W2 and 1084 billets and only had a split once, and that was because I had a cold shut from a bad hammer angle. If you weld the edges right away, you trap flux and scale in there and it can cause weak spots later. I just tack the corners with a tiny mig spot and keep the heat high, like 2300, for the first few welds. The key for me is making sure the billet is even on the anvil so you don't get that wedge shape that forces the layers apart.
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