Stupid iPad....won't let me see the pics... Thanks for posting this-I always like seeing how people make Mokume. Will have to get on the desktop sometime soon.

Jeremy

Joshua I just looked at you post thank you for sharing with us it was very informative

Scott

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I had to make a Mokume billet today and I took the time to photograph the process. I have too many photos to post here, so I put up a slide show on our website at this location: http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!the-shop

For those of you who are keen to do this, I would like to stress the importance of having a sufficient block of time to work without any interruptions. Once you start to clean the metal, you cannot stop and put the materials aside to finish later. You must have a couple of hours where you will not answer the phone, check emails or texts, pet the cat, or have a smoke.

The billet in the slide show is 21 layers. 11 copper and 10 fine silver. They measure 2"x3"x.04" (18 ga.) This is my second time with this combination of materials, the first being a dismal (and expensive) learning experience. (I refuse to call it a failure!) I have used other combinations and sizes of materials, and this size and thickness is my preferred standard.

The slide show goes by all on its own without any description for the photos. If you want to see a written description of each photo, follow the directions in the text box at the center of the screen. This enlarges the photos, gives you control over changing the slides, and allows you to take some time viewing. It ends with a completed and bonded billet. Hopefully, I will have some time in the next week or so for the patterning stages and will be able to add to the slide show.

Hey I appreciate you making the how to I was wondering exactly how this was done. I have been wanting to try this for a while now. I would be awesome if you posted some pics and more info on patterning and the pics of the finished product. After patterning do you etch mokume?

Thanks,

Jonathan S. Johnston AP

Very cool Joshua!! Thanks for sharing that.

I made a bunch of mokume years ago. I used yellow ochre to keep the mokume from sticking to the steel pressure plates. Looks like the tissue paper and foil worked great for you.

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Very cool Joshua!! Thanks for sharing that.

I made a bunch of mokume years ago. I used yellow ochre to keep the mokume from sticking to the steel pressure plates. Looks like the tissue paper and foil worked great for you.

I got the stainless foil trick from Ray Rybar. He uses it inside of his can when he makes tiles for knives and jewelry.

To keep the foil from sticking to the billet, you oxidize the foil with a hand held propane plumber's torch. The tissue paper is to burn up any free O2 inside the foil package and reduce the chance of creating any oxidation between the layers of the billet. When I make Mokume from lesser materials (copper/brass/nickle silver/etc.), I don't bother with the paper and foil wrap. I just use two sheets of oxidized foil between the steel and the billet and heat it in the forge. That usually works well. I did the full wrap with this billet because of the fine silver. The first go around oxidized pretty bad and split apart on a cold seam during forging.

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Hey I appreciate you making the how to I was wondering exactly how this was done. I have been wanting to try this for a while now. I would be awesome if you posted some pics and more info on patterning and the pics of the finished product. After patterning do you etch mokume?

Thanks,

Jonathan S. Johnston AP

Patterning is done pretty much the same as with Damascus, except that mokume is worked at much lower heat than steel is. I hope to pattern this billet in the next week or so and I will post some pics of the process. Etching is common, but by no means is it mandatory. It depends on what materials you use, what the pattern is, and whether you want it clean or with a patina of another color. Most acidic etches will discolor some of these metals, especially the copper. Acid will dissolve some noble metals like gold or silver (that's how plating is accomplished) so I will not be etching this finished product.

For those who are interested, I just updated this thread with a new location for the photos.