Finally got the twist right on a Damascus billet after three tries

Last month in my shop in Bend, I was working on a small Damascus billet, just 12 layers to start. The first two times I tried the twist, it came out uneven, with flat spots where the heat wasn't right. I kept the forge at a steady 1500 degrees on the third go, and used a pair of locking tongs I got from a guy in Portland. When I started turning, I could feel it move smooth and even all the way down. Let it cool slow in the vermiculite, and when I ground into it yesterday, the pattern ran clean from end to end. It's not a big piece, but it's the first one where I didn't mess up the spiral. Anyone else fight with getting a consistent twist on smaller stock?

2 comments

2 Comments

lisa_murray19d ago

Locking tongs make all the difference for a smooth twist.

jamesmason19d agoOG Member

Oh absolutely, I learned that the hard way last week. I was trying to do a simple double twist with my regular pliers and it was a total mess, kept slipping. Grabbed my dad's old locking set from the garage and it was like night and day, just held everything so steady.