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Sidewalk Mosaic Damascus Chameleon

PhotonFanatic

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Poor photos, but a very interesting light in one's hands--the colors change as the lighting changes and the viewing angle changes, so it's like a Chameleon, imo. I hope to get a pro to do some better photos. :devil:

ChameleonBrainwave-WIP-2.jpg

ChameleonBrainwave-WIP-4.jpg

Sidewalk-WIP-5.jpg
 
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JMP

Enlightened
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Aug 22, 2010
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Re: Brainwave Mosaic Damascus Chameleon

Wow. The pattern in that material is mesmerizing. Actually, my favorite type of DA I've seem.
 

nfetterly

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Re: Brainwave Mosaic Damascus Chameleon

WOW - at first I thought it was anodized, from the color as well as the description of it changing colors at different angles. Bit it's not? What the heck is that - it is certainly fantastic!


Thanks for the explanation below - that is too wild, I've seen some nice lights but that is drop dead georgeous.
 
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PhotonFanatic

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Re: Brainwave Mosaic Damascus Chameleon

WOW - at first I thought it was anodized, from the color as well as the description of it changing colors at different angles. Bit it's not? What the heck is that - it is certainly fantastic!

Neale,

It is carbon steel, actually since it is a mosaic Damascus, it is comprised of nickel, the shiny lines, and two different steels, most likely something like 1095 and 1018. Made by Chad Nichols.

I think that if I had hardened it a bit better that two more distinctive colors for the steels would have developed. Still, as this was my first build using mosaic Damascus, and my first attempt at nitre bluing, I'm very pleased with the result.

I spent two days, no lie, sanding the pieces to get the surface as smooth as possible--and that was before polishing them on a Baldor buffing machine. It is silky smooth and a joy to hold.
 

PhotonFanatic

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Re: Brainwave Mosaic Damascus Chameleon

Send it to me, I will shoot it personally in our state-or-the-art studio.

Thanks for the offer, Ned. I've already given first shot to a guy in Chicago, but if you are willing to do it later, I would love to see what you can come up with, too.
 

Launch Mini

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Oct 28, 2009
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Re: Brainwave Mosaic Damascus Chameleon

Amazing.could you pm me the details if I were interested in acquiring one?
Thanks
 

PhotonFanatic

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Re: Brainwave Mosaic Damascus Chameleon

Very strange pattern. In what pattern are the metals bonded together?

Well, Mosaic Damascus is made by outlining a pattern inside of a 4" x 4" x 4" iron box using a couple different thickness of pure nickel sheets. And the spaces between the sheets of nickel, now standing on end, are filled with a couple kinds of powered carbon steels. That cannister is sealed by welding on a solid plate, but with a small hole eventually drilled into it to prevent an explosion once the cannister is put into the forge. The end of the cannister also has a long handle welded onto it.

Once the right temperature is reached that will lead to the metals being hot enough to fuse together, the cannister is put into a hydraulic press that flattens and lengthens the metal. Eventually the bar is long enough to be cut into four lengths which are then welded together and the above sequence is repeated.

But when one takes a square patterned bar and makes it a round, the pattern is obviously distorted. :devil:

Do some reading on mosaic Damascus and you will get a feeling for the artistry that the maker puts into his work--not to mention the sweat and time.

And, need I mention, that they don't give it away either. :)
 

Trave11er

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Jan 30, 2012
Messages
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Re: Brainwave Mosaic Damascus Chameleon

OMG, yet another mind-blower... :eek::thumbsup:
 

bf1

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Re: Brainwave Mosaic Damascus Chameleon

Very nice Fred. I think it went to great guy in Chicago?
 

PhotonFanatic

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western Massachusetts
Re: Brainwave Mosaic Damascus Chameleon

Very nice Fred. I think it went to great guy in Chicago?

It hasn't gone anywhere yet, as I need to complete the build--the light engine, and some minor tweaks. And then it goes to Chicago, but only for some photos, not to a new owner. And then it travels cross-country for another photo shoot. If this were a woman, she'd be making a lot of money, no doubt. :devil:
 

fyrstormer

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Maryland, Near DC, USA
Re: Brainwave Mosaic Damascus Chameleon

Well, Mosaic Damascus is made by outlining a pattern inside of a 4" x 4" x 4" iron box using a couple different thickness of pure nickel sheets. And the spaces between the sheets of nickel, now standing on end, are filled with a couple kinds of powered carbon steels. That cannister is sealed by welding on a solid plate, but with a small hole eventually drilled into it to prevent an explosion once the cannister is put into the forge. The end of the cannister also has a long handle welded onto it.

Once the right temperature is reached that will lead to the metals being hot enough to fuse together, the cannister is put into a hydraulic press that flattens and lengthens the metal. Eventually the bar is long enough to be cut into four lengths which are then welded together and the above sequence is repeated.

But when one takes a square patterned bar and makes it a round, the pattern is obviously distorted. :devil:

Do some reading on mosaic Damascus and you will get a feeling for the artistry that the maker puts into his work--not to mention the sweat and time.

And, need I mention, that they don't give it away either. :)
I must admit, I'm surprised anyone bothers with that nowadays. Layered Damascus was invented as a way to strengthen raw iron, and it worked well for that purpose, but we have much stronger stuff now. Layered Damascus is at least easy enough to make that it's not too terribly expensive, but the stuff you just described sounds almost like alchemy. Then again, artists don't really go for pure functionality, do they? :whistle:
 
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