OK, I have the rough forging complete. The billet is at 2560 layers. This sounds like a lot, but consider the average 1/4" thick knife blade in damascus has a nicely balanced pattern ( not too course, not too fine) at 340 layers. This action blank in the rough measures 1.8", equal to just over 7 blade thickness, for an average layer count of 350 per blade thickness. 2560 layers should look perfect.

First picture if just the billet and a side project coming to weld temp in the forge. Ever heard the phrase "too many irons in the fire"?

Here is the billet at 320 layers ready to grind clean and cut and stack for 1280 layers.

And the stack welded together and ready to go into the forge

I failed to get a picture of the last welding process. I drew the billet out to about 8" long, and hot cut it in the milld leaving about 1/4" uncut. Then fold it back and tack weld the end, then into the forge and make it all one. I squeeze the end that will make the action bars for a couple of reasons. One to help maximize the billet, and to get the pattern to flow from the action bars to the standing breech.

Here is the rough damascus billet ready to clean up.

More later today...