Hello, this is my first post, I’ve been enjoying the digest so much.
This is a question about this new material called M-3, has anyone
tried to work with this stuff? Any advice at all would be very
helpful, thank you! Oh, here is the site where I found it:
I've been enjoying the digest so much. This is a question about this new material called M-3, has anyone tried to work with this stuff? Any advice at all would be very helpful.
It is plastic resin and metal powder, not a new idea. It is sleazy
marketing misappropriating the term mokume gane. Something like
calling a clear plastic diamond.
James Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts
Hi Brigit,
I looked at their site, and from what I can gather, reading between
the lines (reams) of advertising copy, it’s metal powder bonded
together with some sort of chemical binder, probably an epoxy of
some sort. The give-away is that it’s been "electrically depleted"
and won’t conduct electricity. There’s no way to ‘deplete’ a metal
such that it won’t conduct, that’s one of the definitions of a metal.
Metal powder bits suspended in a plastic? Won’t conduct at all, no
matter what you do to them. The fact that this stuff can be dealt
with by ‘standard wood turning tools’ also says that it can’t be
real metal, or at least solid metals. Might be cool to play with,
just don’t hit it with a hammer.
Get some. Play. See if you like the results.
Regards,
Brian.
I looked at their website, and my impression is that this person is a
relative of PT Barnum, only on some nice, strong LSD. “Galactic
Silver”? What, did the Aliens hand-deliver it? “True Damascus is
very expensive costing thousands of dollars for a very small
amount”?!?.. I think not. “new metal alloys that are just not
possible in nature”. Well, um, yeah, nature doesn’t make alloys, man
does. Jaysus…
I would steer far clear of them.
Michael
Michael
I also looked at the site. I actually was very curious and emailed
them. The metals are composites of non-precious metals. It can not
be forged, torch fired, or pickled. You can only carve, file, saw and
polish. If you search mp3 metals, you get a scrap, refiner. Just a
coincidence? Anyway, Without knowing the composites, you aren’t
going to know how they will react on skin. I would also stay clear.
Debbie
The products have a very plastic look to them - because they are
plastic (combined with metal particles)! - and the product
descriptions are an absolute joke! It annoys me when companies
market their products in such a way. They try to sound all
scientific, using made up names and terminology, but they are not
being honest about what their products are actually made of. They’re
relying on the majority of the general public not knowing enough
about science to suss them out.
I personally wouldn’t buy from a company who deliberately uses such
deceitful marketing.
Helen
UK
I agree with Helen about this product. Since it is a mix of metal
powder and chemical binders I feel it is wrong to call it mokume
gane. And yes, it has such a plastic look(especially the flat stock).
I have no personal experience with this material but I would not even
try to use it for a knife bolster since it is not solid metal. How
strong is the material? Their website tells me it is unbelieveable
strong… How well can this composite take wear and tear???
Per
Agree with Helen that they may be being a bit less than obvious, but
it looks like exactly the same concept as cold casting*, which is
quite popular in sculpture as it means you can get the look of
metal, including using cold patinating methods, without having to
involve a casting company. It also opens up a number of metal
combinations which can not be achieved using traditional metals,
either due to chemical incompatibility when trying to bond them or
comparative hardness / tempering issues which would prevent them from
ever being workable even if you could laminate it.
Personally I like making the metal billets of mokume and creating my
own patterns, so not a product for me, but if used in the right
environment (no heat, low risk of scratching as it will be no harder
than a hard plastic) and appropriately disclosed to the buyer then
it seems like a nifty addition to one’s list of available ways to
solve thorny problems.
Helen,
Thank you for shedding some light on the 3M “Mokume Gane” if one can
call it that.
It is very deceiving indeed and untill you read the small print (not
always easy for an older person with bifocals), one could easily be
fooled.
Their marketing and advertising make it sound like a revolutionary
product…
Thank you for shedding some light on the 3M "Mokume Gane" if one can call it that.
My pleasure Cyrille, except that I only looked at the company’s
products and posted about them after others including Jim Binnion
had already exposed the product for what it was.
It can be easy to fall for the hype written by such companies. You
need to watch out for all those false, made up names, such as
“Galactic Silver”, “Carbonite” (which is actually a type of
explosive, which I’m sure they’re not using - I think they’re just
trying to make carbon sound more exotic!), etc.
Helen
UK
but if used in the right environment (no heat, low risk of scratching as it will be no harder than a hard plastic) and appropriately disclosed to the buyer then it seems like a nifty addition to one's list of available ways to solve thorny problems.
Ah, there’s the key - “appropriately disclosed”. The company selling
can’t even disclose what the product is, so many of the people
buying it are going to be none the wiser, never mind their customers.
I’m sure it does have its uses, and pen blanks seems like an
appropriate use for such a product. I’m just not keen on the
dishonesty of the company selling it.
Helen
UK