Mokume gane also works more like what you are already familiar with using.
I would like to echo Marrin’s input on Mokume Gane working
characteristics compared to those of Damascus steel. Both can provide
material for some great art, but the latter will invoke an entirely
new set of swear words. wink!
J Collier Metalsmith
Thanks all for the input on working with pattern-welded steel and the
recommendation of exploring other materials. I’ve done a bit of work
with Mokume Gane, meaning have delaminated a billet or two, and have
had some small successes. Will explore more.
I’ll be taking a knife-making class in September and will be exposed
to some blacksmithing processes that will pertain to this discussion.
Jason
May I suggest that you buy or borrow these :-
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/ep7z2m
This book goes through the process, and the author Jim (whom I’ve
spoken about before), is very accessible, and a nice guy to boot.
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/ep7z2n
This is a companion DVD that shows Jim at work.
Both go through the process very well.
Here is an exercise I give to people to give them a taste of pattern
welding steel :-
A very simple pattern welded knife
Materials:
2 x brite steel nails, it’s important that they have zero coatings.
3 x large square section black spring washers, the width about the
same as the diameter on the nails. binding wire. borax
*note: there is an assumption that you know how to do some
rudimentary hot forging (but you can pick this up just by
practicing). **note: These materials were chosen for their economy
(whilst still producing a good knife), and they forge weld very
easily.
Heat up and straighten the 3 washers
Use a bench grinder to clean washers, this does not have to be a
perfect finish, in fact perfect would make it harder to weld, just
get rid of the black coating.
Alternately bind 2 washers and 2 nails, with binding wire on the
ends of the washers. I usually find that the nails are longer than
the straightened washers. This is okay as the plain steel can be used
in the construction of a tang.
Heat up the bundle until it is cherry, take the bundle out and
sprinkle with borax, and place it back into the forge until the the
bundle looks wet.
Quickly take the bundle out and quickly “tap” the bundle 3 or 4
times, this should be enough for the bundle to fuse… at that
point.
Continue applying borax, putting the bundle back into the forge,
and taking it out and “tapping”, until you have a solid billet.
Manipulation: You can simply put a twist into the billet, file,
drill indentations, fold, or combinations. You’ll be surprised what
you can get from this very simple combination of materials.
Forge that billet into a knife shape, and forge weld the last
washer onto the blade to form the cutting edge.
Grind the blade.
Heat treat the blade, and clean off the blade.
Immerse the blade into a solution of 25% FeCl and water, for
about 45 minutes.
Remove the blade and neutralise the reaction in bicarb soda and
water.
Rinse. Optional: I like to rub toothpaste over the surface of
the blade.
A loose mop with no tripoli to finish off.
Regards Charles A.
The joys of my unsystematic mind. Blessed with luck at times and
failure at other times. Thinking about delamination…
I made a billet of mokume gane about 50 years ago (really) because i
was so dumb that I didn’t know it couldn’t be done with what i
knew… Silver, copper,brass. I made few good pieces out of it - a
tie clip for my pop on his birthday in 1963 was a good one (people
wore tie clips back then) a ring, which electrolytically developed a
fascinating texture as some of the metals disappeared in response to
perspiration and other electrolytes in the environment - and then it
just plain disappeared the way things do, even without benefit of
chemistry. Then I found out how complicated it was to make mokume
gane and realized I couldn’t possibly muster that much focus and
meticulousness, and so I never did it again until about two years
ago when I became so old that I forgot that I couldn’t do it - and I
made another billet and rolled it out a bit - still kind of thick,
almost 1/8", and raised (or sank) it into a three-dimensional piece,
a sort of simple, gentle tear drop which I gave to my wife -
although I wear it sometimes - a pendant about 2" x 1 1/4" in size…
I am very happy with it because clearly it was impossible to do what
i did. The colours and textures are fascinating. The weight of it is
pleasing. It feels magically protective. The layers didn’t
delaminate. It’s a decent, hearty, subtle, interesting piece. A
subsequent effort to make another such item with the remaining piece
of the billet didn’t turn out so well - mucho delamination - which
is only what I deserve for being such a dabbler in things above my
pay scale. But i just don’t care. I am grateful for having done the
impossible. I wear that second one too sometimes - also raised into
a 3D shape - and the truth is nobody notices when I wear the "good"
one or the “defective” one. All the response I experience is
entirely within my own brain. Nobody knows that I have a piece of
impossibility hanging around my neck. Nobody notices either if I
have a failure around my neck.
Marty in Victoria where blind luck is as blind as it is everywhere
else and i’m grateful for any of it that lands in my lap.
Continue from:
Ric,
Scott Lankton's modern version of the Sutton Hoo blade is still on display at the British Museum...I saw it in 2009 when I was over there teaching a class. I did a billet slightly more complicated here in this video...Sutton Hoo is an 8 bar...the Bamburgh sword is a 12 bar....the most complex of its type yet found. http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/ep7zs0
I just had a chance to see the video of you forging the crucible
steel sword, well done!
Jim
James Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts
I forgot to put the URL for this video, everyone should watch Ric
forge this sword Secrets of the Viking Sword | NOVA | PBS
Hello Jim and all,
Are you referring to the NOVA program “Secrets of the Viking Sword”
where I combined the two techniques of crucible steel and
pattern-welded steel?
Ric
Richard Furrer
I’m out in the boonies, so I don’t think I can stream something like
this, but I did see the PBS version on the tube. Awesome!! I had no
idea there were guys out there able to recreate a process like this.
I also watched the Samurai sword crafting documentary a couple of
years ago. I know nothing about metallurgy, except what I catch here
and there, like those swords. I do make jewelry out of some
commercial Damascus I was able to pick up cheaply when a knife
manufacturing company gave up. I think the company name was Atlanta,
and I was able to get the sheets they had punched their blades from.
I think this was the last effort to save the company;producing the
Damascus which was gaining popularity. Even though what I got was
odd shapes (mostly) I was able to cold forge the metal into thinner
pieces to get the weight down. I still have a pin and a ring in the
shop. I found that a couple of coats of wax on the finished product
keeps the rust away. You, of course, have to make your customer
aware of the special care that might be required. I didn’t like the
idea of coating with a more permanent clear coat that might wear off
in a partial manner, and cause more problems than it solved. I have
never worked at photography enough to be able to get good jewelry
pictures, or I would send those for people to see. Thomas III
I saw the show last night, it was a great education. Thank you for
sharing your knowledge and the history was great also. You’re
obviously an expert.
Scott
I saw this program as a repeat just a few weeks ago, and called my
husband in to watch it, too. He’s always been interested in forging
steel. The history was just fascinating, and the re-enactment of the
process of making crucible steel was amazing.
Linda in central FL