KPeacock Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I can't remember which section I sw a recent thread on mokume in, but apparently folks are having a hard time making it. There is some debate about how it may/may not damage a forge and render it useless for suture ferrous metal welding. I don't know anything about any of that stuff, but I did make some mokume last night. I had to buy a new propane torch to replace one that was damaged after years of use. Bernz-o-matic has some new designs with "swirl technology" that claim to have better mixing and higher heats. I figured I might as well get some MAPP gas for it as well and see what it can do. I easily welded up a stack of 4 U.S. Quarters and also a stack of 6 U.S. Quarters. I used a wire wheel on each of the quarters to clean them up a bit and the n used my leaning chemical of choice (Automotive wax/grease remover for paint prep.) and set in a stack on top of a hard fire brick. After about a minute in the flame, molten bubbly metal can be seen and I simply tapped the stack a few times with s small hammer. Rotate the stack 180° and repeat. I then flipped the stack and did the same on the other side to make sure the welds were solid on that side. I hammered the small piece out into roughly the shape of the guard and after a quick bit of sanding and then just touching on the the buffing wheel reveals a nice pattern. Anyways, if ya'll are looking to make some mokume, this seemed pretty easy to do and didn't take a whole lot of equipment. I"m not what success you can get with propane as I haven't tried that out yet, but I figured I'd share what I do know in case folks want to give it a try. Have you ever thought about the life of steel? It's interesting to think that you can control the fate of a piece of metal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Babcock Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Where are the pictures? We need pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KPeacock Posted August 21, 2009 Author Share Posted August 21, 2009 My lovely bride is of the mind that my digital camera is HER digi-cam. She was out with the ladies last night so I was unable to get any pics of it. I'm taking one of my work cameras home so I can be sure to get a few pics for you. Have you ever thought about the life of steel? It's interesting to think that you can control the fate of a piece of metal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Babcock Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Thanks. My wife has seen some of the jewlery mokume and wants me to try some at some point. I'd like to see your results as I have the equipment to use your method. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KPeacock Posted August 23, 2009 Author Share Posted August 23, 2009 (edited) I don;t have image software on my PC at home, but I think I can link to photobucket and not eat up all of Don's bandwidth. These pics might not turn out so well. The camera is used for long range photography <ahref="http://s272.photobucket.com/albums/jj184/u4ia4/?action=view¤t=P8150043.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj184/u4ia4/P8150043.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> <ahref="http://s272.photobucket.com/albums/jj184/u4ia4/?action=view¤t=P8150042.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj184/u4ia4/P8150042.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> <ahref="http://s272.photobucket.com/albums/jj184/u4ia4/?action=view¤t=P8150041.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj184/u4ia4/P8150041.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>well that didn;t work. I'll get them up here tomorrow at work. Edited August 23, 2009 by KPeacock Have you ever thought about the life of steel? It's interesting to think that you can control the fate of a piece of metal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Finnigan Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 (edited) Using two MAPP gas or Propolene torches is even better. I have used one for small stacks and it's right at the cutoff for adequate heat. Filing/grinding off the raised areas on coins will decrease the voids potential. It also will mix up the pattern a bit more. BTW, I have melted a lot of copper, silver and quarters in my forge and never have any welding problems. Welding heats for steel will quickly burn off the non-ferrous metals commonly used for mokume. I also have a small hole at the bottom of my forge and molten metals either drain out or burn. Edited August 23, 2009 by B Finnigan Everything I need to know I learned from the people trapped in my basement. I'm out of my mind but feel free to leave a message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KPeacock Posted August 24, 2009 Author Share Posted August 24, 2009 Alright, Back at work and able to resize photos. The rectangular piece was heated from only one side. You can see at the very bottom of the stack, there is a bit of a void. I tried prying the layers apart and they are quit solidly attached, but aesthetically this is not desirable. On the larger stack, I did flip all of the quarters over aftre working on one side of the stack. It seems as though this works a bit better. This is done with MAPP gas an a small 16oz claw hammer. I"m not sure if a bigger hammer or hitting harder would be better, but I'm guessing probably not. Perhaps ball pien hammer and start hitting i nthe center and slowly taw in an expanding circle? I'm not sure, but this seems to work fairly well considering I have no idea what I'm doing :-) Have you ever thought about the life of steel? It's interesting to think that you can control the fate of a piece of metal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Finnigan Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 looks good! Glad it's working for you. Everything I need to know I learned from the people trapped in my basement. I'm out of my mind but feel free to leave a message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jziegenbein Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 i love making coin mokume, only problem i've ever had with it is that sometimes as the quaters are heating up, they will blister and that can cause the stacks (i usually use 8-10 quarters) to lean and fall over, which is a heap of annoyingness. jared Z. lilzee on britishblades. From now on, ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put. -Sir Winston Churchill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmerrell Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 are you welding the quarters together first, or just stacking them up and heating-hitting-heating-hitting? This is great I can't wait to try it g- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KPeacock Posted September 23, 2009 Author Share Posted September 23, 2009 I'm simply heating and tapping with a light mallet. then heating and tapping again. I repeat until I feel it's pretty secure and then flip the whole stack over and try the other side. I worry about the firebrick absorbing too much heat and making a poor weld on the bottom of the stack. Have you ever thought about the life of steel? It's interesting to think that you can control the fate of a piece of metal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jziegenbein Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 in some of my experiments recently i found that if you force a stack of 4 or 5 quarters into the mouth of copper pipe, it holds them together pretty well if anyone's having trouble keeping the stacks from tipping like me. jared Z. lilzee on britishblades. From now on, ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put. -Sir Winston Churchill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Estes Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Can u heat this billet more than once between heatings? or do the design elements have to be incorporated in the first heating? Quote just use common sense.......dude your boned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Finnigan Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 I have heated the billets several times and even added more layers long after making the first one. But heat equates to oxidation also. Everything I need to know I learned from the people trapped in my basement. I'm out of my mind but feel free to leave a message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Alexander Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I made some last night in my one brick forge.A stack of 6 quarters with a wrap or two of copper wire to hold them together.I used a bernzomatic propane torch and cleaned the coins with acetone only.No grinding or other preparation was necessary.After I got them together I drew it out a little and folded it over itself to add some layers.The pattern turned out nice.Kind of looks like a rose opening up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john marcus Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 half dollars should work.......they should fit in a copper pipe infinite edge cutlery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john marcus Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 half dollar gane is here 3.50 cents in half dollars infinite edge cutlery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich A. Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Can you twist these to make more of a pattern? I want to make a seppa for a katana I had made a while back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jziegenbein Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 you can do anything with mokume that you can with damascus, i just made a billet that i accordianed, and then made into feathered W's. you can twist as well. if you have an idea just go for it. jared Z. lilzee on britishblades. From now on, ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put. -Sir Winston Churchill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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