I am a beginner with mokume-gane and, as such, am having the usual
beginner problems.
I am having particular difficulty getting all my layers of metal
(silver & copper) to fuse properly and, as a result, when I roll the
material thinner, I am getting a seperation of some of the layers.
I have taken care to clean the material carefully before placing it
between 2 steel plates screwed tightly together. It is then placed
in a well heated electric oven, so I am wondering if there are any
other issues I’m unaware of.
I am having particular difficulty getting all my layers of metal
(silver & copper) to fuse properly and, as a result, when I roll
the material thinner, I am getting a seperation of some of the
layers
If it makes you feel any better, I have made hundreds of billets
over the past 25 years and I still get some of that kind of problem.
There is a lot to go wrong with mokume. How hot and for how long you
soak the billet can make a difference. I also am a firm believer in
wasting no time between the final cleaning and the firing of the
billet to reduce the chance of oxidation. My billets are getting hot
10 minutes after we finish cleaning them. Your plates may not be
tight enough. You may have some thermal shock issues if you are
cooling too quickly. I would also suggest that you hammer forge
(hot, but not too hot) to reduce the thickness before you go to the
rolling mill. I will be teaching a mokume workshop at Peters Valley
in August. There is a web page with some illustrations of mokume
being made at my shop at