[TheForge] Mokume-Gane

[george rousis]

I guess I was asking whether you would be using a gas  forge versus solid
state
I generally use a gas forge but know a kid who uses the solid state method.
Solid state has a much longer soak with your temperature specific to your
combinaion of metals.
His billets seem to be weaker than mine, and give him problems during
forging
i was just wondering which type of diffusion bonding you would be doing....

but thank you for your explanation

sorry i was unclear as to what i was asking

george

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <frosty at customcpu.com>
To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, December 16, 2005 9:08 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Mokume-Gane


> Mokume Gane is very similar to damascus or pattern welding and the metals
are
> in fact welded. The process is "diffusion" welding rather than "fusion"
> welding.
>
> The metals are cleaned extremely well and clamped together in an
iron/steel
> clamp. In many cases the metals and or combinations are very finicky and
the
> billet and clamp are sealed in foil bags. Once the billet is prepped,
clamped
> and bagged if necessary it is placed in a furnace.
>
> In the case of easy combinations like copper/silver or copper/brass the
billet
> can be heated in a propane forge and temp judged by eye. By eyeball you
bring
> the billet to "sweating" heat, the metal will look wet, and hold it there
for
> a good soaking period.
>
> Ferrous metals don't expand as much as nonferrous so the pressure achieved
in
> the iron/steel clamp is extreme.
>
> What happens is metals at high temperature and in close contact (very
clean)
> exchange electrons. After a bit of time the dissimilar metals are welded
and
> the billet is as strong as the weakest metal in it. The billet can be
forged
> and otherwise worked within the strength and heat limits of the
weakest/lowest
> melt metal.
>
> Another technique for making mokume gane is to clamp it together, bring it
to
> heat and hammer weld it.
>
> I haven't tried the second method but have successfully made a
brass/copper
> billet. I forged it a bit, cut, ground, played around with it in general.
It
> was fine as a proof of "I can do it" project but I wasn't too impressed
with
> the color contrast.
>
> Frosty
>
> Quoting george rousis <feorge at kc.rr.com>:
>
> > so what will be bonding method will you be using???
> >
> >
> > george
> >
>
>
>
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