[TheForge] mokume- gane pt2

[Dan Scheid]

Thanks to the group for the great responses .I have a few more question .
using 10 bucks in quarters to get about 1 cubic inch of stock seem pricey to
start out. So my question is can you use shim stock? And if so what material
and gauge would you recommend? Would love 3 or more colors but learners
can't be choosers 
Dan Scheid

-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Jerry Frost
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2012 3:43 PM
To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: Re: [TheForge] mokume- gane

I've done quarter mokume for fun and class demos. Don't worry about copper
in your forge, I haven't found any metal contaminants that prevent forge
welding even though most of the old books warn about it. This process is
properly called "difussion welding" just like forge welding. I won't get
into what's going on with HOT electrons and valence shells but it's pretty
cool.

My method is simple, I made a 4 bolt clamp, two pieces of 1/4" strap stock
with 1/4" holes in the corners with just enough clearance to lay quarters
between the bolts. The next step isn't necessary but I give the quarters a
good solid smack on the anvil to flatten the strikings "face and obverse
features" to increase the initial contact area. Next I clamp a stack in the
clamp good and solid, a bit shy of stripping the bolts is a tad much but if
you can get away with it, tighter is better.

Nest pop it in the forge and bring it to a sweatin heat, the sides of the
stack will look just on the verge of liquidity though it's a way from
liquidus. It'll be a little shimmery and look wet. You can take two courses
at this point, you can pull it out and smack it, I use a small block on the
anvil and a set hammer so I don't hit the bolts. The other course is to just
let it sit and sweat. Something that does help but isn't necessary is a very
light dusting of borax between the coins.

Do keep a close eye on the stack when it starts getting close to sweating
heat, sure it's below liquidus but not a lot, I know I have puddles of
nickle/copper under the floor of my forge. Now, how you manipulate the
billet to control the pattern is your turn to experiment and let us know how
things work please. As a start, you can fold and refuse for a random
pattern. You can grind or drill depressions and forge flat to gring out the
lamina. One I like is rolling it "jelly roll" fashion and after fusing it
into a solid billet flatten it on end, this can give you some really dool
spiral patterns. You can invert the cut and drill method by forging the
billet into depressions to raise a pattern and then grinding it flat.

There are all komds of things you can do to mokume for effects. The most
knowledgeable person I know personally is Jim Binnion and he can be
contacted with a simple search online. http://mokume-gane.com Tell him I
sent ya, not that it'll do you any good but it shouldn't hurt . . . too
much. <grin> Deb and I wear wedding bands by Him, White gold, red gold,
yellow gold and silver, in a twist pattern. He formed the billet, twisted it
then sawed it in half so Deb and my ring are mirror patterns of the exact
same pattern, like sawing a bord and flipping the halves.

Range around his site and you'll see some truly amazing examples of mokume
gane, one of my favorites is the pure iron and gold tea pot.

Jer
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Scheid" <damales at pollybutte.net>
To: "'Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA'" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2012 9:40 PM
Subject: [TheForge] mokume- gane


>
>
> I have been welding lamented steel (Damascus )  for going on over 20 
> years.
> And I thought of doing Mokume gane. I read that you can use US quarters as
> your start press, heat, then weld  but could not find anything about if it
> needs flux. Anyone got a link or a book on a simple start for  mokume 
> game?
> Thanks
> Dan Scheid
>

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Version: 2012.0.2197 / Virus Database: 2437/5186 - Release Date: 08/08/12