Probably lacquer, although letting it go all dark and then hitting it with the conformal sanding sponge again looks really good. My initial thought was to hit it with a torch and darken/greenblue it, then sand the highlights back.
I haven't. I have a book on making mokume and from reading that and from my own experience, what I think I'm going to try is high-pressure diffusion bonding. I built a 12 ton press and on the anvil of the press, I have a partially completed firebrick furnace. The plan is: stack the billet, wrap it in steel foil, run a thin argon line in there, then heat the furnace until the billet is at the right heat (thermocouple beside billet) and crank down on the press and let it sit for an hour, then cool it down still under *lots* of pressure. I don't know if it'll work but if it doesn't I can do it the traditional way using the same equipment.
I built the press for another project, and this is more or less a side-project for it. (I built a spring stack so I can accurately apply significantly less pressure than the full 12 tons...) The book I have is a Midgett book, probably the same one you're talking about. His C-clamp is kind of a PITA since he's welded on a new top and tapped it so he has two coaxial screws that can be closed together (otherwise he'd have the billet hard against the beam of the C-clamp on the other side from the screw.) That seemed like a lot of work and since I already had the press partly together, I figured I'd just basically stick a furnace thing on the anvil, much as he stuck a furnace thing on his big C-clamp. It might not work, in which case I'll go with the simpler system. The idea bout the SS foil and neutral gas was from that book as well: I am not sure I need to do that. But again, since I have the stuff, why not?
That looks great, I like to form that kind of thing on pieces of wood. An easily obtainable patina is gun bluing solution, available at any hardware store, then maybe buff it off in the high areas for highlights? Keep us updated on the mokume, sounds like your on the right track. I have heard charcoal is a good reducer if the argon slips away, i have also heard of people just using WD40 for steel (mosaic billets). Also I am coveting your goggles.
Crap I actualy have all that junk lying around too including my own home made press! Now I want to make some too! Only thing I am missing is such nifty goggles ;-( I wouldn't think you have to let your billet sit for so long, but it can't hurt anything. Do you make any damascus (iron mokume basicaly) with that press of yours? The way I am doing it is so messy. Getting sprayed head to toe with white hot borax all the time kind of takes some of the fun out of things.
Mine's a very slow press, and all the damascus stuff I've ever tried has been like yours: hard hitting, with a hammer (and I've watched plenty with a triphammer.) I'd never thought about doing damascus with slow pressure and wonder how well it'd work. Given iron's tendency to oxidise, it'd definitely have to be inert atmosphere. Tell ya what, when I get something set up I'll run a piece of steel/nickel.
Comments 16
Reply
Reply
and I am glad you are on metalsmiths.
Reply
Reply
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
Have you made any mokume? Do you have any advice?
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
It might not work, in which case I'll go with the simpler system.
The idea bout the SS foil and neutral gas was from that book as well: I am not sure I need to do that. But again, since I have the stuff, why not?
Reply
Reply
The charcoal sounds like a great idea. I wonder what other oxygen getters are cheap, now...
Reply
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment