[TheForge] Mokume Gane

[Cameron Stoker]

gblacksmith wrote:
> Hey Mokume-makers:  I have been experimenting with mokume using brass and copper and while I have been able to get the initial billets to join, they have all delaminated in the forging process.
> 
> The billets were initially made of 1/4" brass and copper strips 2" in length for an overall thickness of about 1.25 inches.  I cannot be sure of the brass alloy but the copper is electrical bus bar.
> 
> I joined them in my gas forge using torque plates and a closely fit steel box frame   to hold them together for the initial bonding.  after the brass and copper could be scratched with a steel pick, I took them out of the forge and squeezed then in my #5 fly press until cooler.
> 
> The atmosphere in my forge is not oxygen free as I had to leave the door open to accommodate the torque plate handles.  I used paste of yellow ocher to keep the copper from sticking to the steel torque plates.
> 
> Any advice would be appreciated.
> Grant
>   

There are so many kinds of brass it's hard to know what you've got, but 
I know some of them can be very red short, or they may not even hold 
together at fusing temp.  The easiest billet I've worked with so far has 
been nickle-silver and copper in combination. It forged very easily, 
bonded fully and I had no dalaminations. It also rolls easily. I think 
it works well mechanically since the cu and nickle silver are close in 
hardness. I've done some with silver and pure iron, and the silver wants 
to squirt out of the harder iron layers. The billett would only stay 
together if worked uniformly in a press. Rolling and forging popped it 
completely appart.

Hope that helps a little. I'm relatively new at this trick - there are 
several much more knowledgable people on the list.




-- 
		Cameron Stoker
		Cameron at stoker.net
		"May you run like a vicuna!"
		pgp key: http://keys.stoker.net