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Finishing Techniques - Steven Jacob
Finishing Techniques - Steven Jacob
Finishing Techniques - Steven Jacob
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FINISHING TECHNIQUES
Steve Midgett · May 31, 2019
Mokume Gane Earrings by Carrie Adell. 18K and 22K gold, and shakudo.
Putting the final finish on a piece of mokume gane is one of the most exciting parts of the process. It is only after all your labors to
create the show stopper, the prize winner, the grant getter, that you will finally see it in all its true splendor (or lack thereof). The
proper finish will bring out the grain and texture of the metal, as well as the full color of the alloys you have used.
TEXTURE
You must be careful, especially on thin-layered laminates, that you do not etch them completely away or undercut them so severely
that layers start to flake off. Another problem sometimes associated with using acids on mokume has to do with the inevitable fact
that there is more than one metal in the acid bath at a time. Due to galvanic action, one metal may lightly electroplate over another.
You probably won’t notice this very light plating until you try to patina the piece and not much happens. Contaminated acids can do
the same, so I suggest separate acid baths for each combination of metals that you use.
SURFACE FINISHES
As a general rule highly polished surfaces do not work well with mokume gane. A reflection on the surface of the metal causes the
eye to be distracted from the patterns in the metal. To cut down on this reflectivity, most artists working with mokume put a matte or
brushed finish, on their pieces with acid, steel wool, ScotchBrite pad, wire brush, or glass bead blasting. As with all design decisions,
the proper finish is a personal one. Experiment with a lot of different finishes and choose the one(s) that suit your eye.
COLOR
There are a wide variety of metal colors and patinas that can be used to enhance the look of your mokume. Several formulas follow
for use with copper and silver-based alloys. There are also many commercial patinas including the traditional rokusho (most of
which are for copper alloys). One of the simplest patina solutions you can make is as follows:
Immerse copper alloys in a hot, not boiling, solution of this mixture for 5 to 20 minutes. This is an excellent patina for coloring
shakudo. More concentrated ammonia may also be used, and it is possible to attain beautiful colors by suspending the piece over
the ammonia in a sealed container and fuming for an hour or so.
Caution: High strength ammonia is quite dangerous and should be handled as you would an acid. Like an acid, it, too, will etch
copper-based alloys, so be sure to monitor the coloring process carefully.
Hiroko and Eugene Pijanowski recommend making your own rokusho solution to color mokume-gane using the following formula:
Liver of sulfur is also a very effective patina for both copper and silver alloys. My advice with patinas is to make sample metals
palettes, including all the alloys you think you will ever use for mokume. Then try as many different solutions and application
methods as you can, to find what works best for you.
Now that you know how to color mokume gane, I want to caution you about using patinas on high-wear jewelry items. Patinas are
great when used appropriately; it’s when they are used for pieces that receive high abrasion or frequent submersion in all kinds of
liquids that you can really get into trouble. Do yourself and your customers a favor and don't rely on patinas to temporarily carry the
strength of your design. Remember, you are creating heirlooms and artifacts (right?); be mindful of that as you build them.
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