Colin's ring-a mokume ring work-in-progress

Colin asked me to do a WIP on his wedding ring.
Here are the first few steps.
the plates used to fuse the billet
the individual layers, they need to be cleaned with the scotchbrite
The layers stacked alternately and on the torque plates
The layers in the torque plates
the torque plates and the foil bag in which the billet is placed to be cooked.
The billet in the torque plates are cooked for 12 hours to fuse the billet into a single bar.
More pics tomorrow.
Thanks,
Del

sorry the pics got a bit out of order, but they are named including numbers in the right order

This will be interesting to watch. A month after I bought my wedding ring, I saw Del's mokume and would have definitely gotten a ring from him.

Good call Coin.

k.

Great idea. -M

Looks great. I made a set of engagement rings for my fiance and myself. That was kinda fun.

So, Del, I just watched a mokume video by Chad Nichols mere days ago and he mentioned not to use zinc or galvanized bolts, as creates a toxic gas. (Not sure if it will actually be an issue.) And he soaks his billet for about 25 minutes or so @ approx. 1950 deg., just until the copper starts sweating. What are you gaining with a 12 hr soak?

-M

Michael,
I soak at a lower temp for a longer period of time. When making copper/nickel silver mokume like Chad the billet is taken to a much higher temp and to almost the point of melting(the sweating he described) and the danger is if you are not quick you can have a meltdown. I did a gold/silver billet in the forge once and the tension on me was so great that I swore i would never do it again(the billet didn't meltdown, but I almost did). The temp I use is safely below the melting temp. The zinc can be a problem if you are standing in front of the forge that turns the zinc to a gas, mine is not that hot. The lower temp is safer(no chance of a meltdown) but needs the longer soak to create a stronger bond. Its not a big risk to have a meltdown if its $50 worth of copper and nickel silver, but its a much different story with over $1000 worth of gold and silver.
Del

Ah, the zinc shakes, not so fond memories...

-AJ

I have liked the look of mokume for years now, I have read a lot of stuff about it. I don't know how Del makes it (not yet anyway). From what I have seen most people make it like patterned welded Damascus, but I have read that it was originally made by carving away at the billet and then flattening it. I have a feeling that when one makes it with big $$ mettles one treats it more delicately then one would handle steel.
I would not normally think a steel worker would double as a jeweler but anyone who has seen Del's work might think he's a jeweler doubling as a steel worker, not the other way around.
I always new I would get my wedding ring made out of Mokume, being able to have it made by one of us makes it that much more special, thanks Del.

Good choice Colin. My own band is mokume, although not full custom. I like to think of the two metals as symbolic of my wife and me, intimately co-joined in random but synergistic unity. Plus it looks cool as Hell.

ecchef said:

. I like to think of the two metals as symbolic of my wife and me, intimately co-joined in random but synergistic unity. Plus it looks cool as Hell.

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Great way to put it! Del is a beast with Mokume!

Mike Davis said:

Great way to put it! Del is a beast with Mokume!

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Maybe Del should get a mail order ordination and offer a marriage/knife set/wedding band package

"Dearly beloved, just as two metals were once separate, with extreme heat and a hammer...."

You get the idea. I am sure forging steel is rich with relationship metaphors.

k.

mr drinky said:

Maybe Del should get a mail order ordination and offer a marriage/knife set/wedding band package

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I may not be getting married anytime soon (much to the GF dropping some hints every once and a while) but when I've decided on certain plans for my life and my marriage comes around This would have to be the greatest wedding set in the world!

To go back to school for the next 4-6 years living off savings and accomplish one of my life goals or to stay in a wonderful paying job that lets me buy lots of nice gifts and knives. What am I ever going to do.

mr drinky said:

"Dearly beloved, just as two metals were once separate, with extreme heat and a hammer...."
k.

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:lmao: You're a maniac!

Cool, I'll be watching this thread.

as i had asked del before the topper woudl be a ring on the cake knife and server that was made of the same billit the rings came from (mayeb i let the cat out the bag of what i want o do for kelly and i )

l r harner said:

as i had asked del before the topper woudl be a ring on the cake knife and server that was made of the same billit the rings came from (mayeb i let the cat out the bag of what i want o do for kelly and i )

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Nice idea butch, never thought about that. I'm just big on " keeping it local". I had my suite made to measure by the local tailor. Shops no slouch, top notch but but the guy has been coming into my restaurants for years
http://www.victortalbots.com

Victor ( the tailor above) introduced me to a shoemaker a few years back when I had some questions about leather work and were to get this and that type of leather. He's making my shoes.
Friend of mine is a travel agent....
You guys get the idea keep the money in the family and community.

The billet in the plates right out of the oven
the solid billet
the billet in the rollers
the layered billet

Very cool thread, Del!

Very cool, so are those rollers how you form the pattern?

The rollers are used to reduce the size of the stock, patterning comes a bit later.
Thanks,
Del

Thanks Del. I didn't mean to de-rail your thread and turn it into "shop talk," so thanks. Looks great so far and I can't wait to try my own mokume. Those rings should turn out great.

-M

Michael Rader said:

Thanks Del. I didn't mean to de-rail your thread and turn it into "shop talk," so thanks. Looks great so far and I can't wait to try my own mokume. Those rings should turn out great.

-M

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Michael,
Thats no problem.
Questions often bring up things I forget to say, thats why I always encourage them.
Thanks,
Del

Square bar drawn to size
Bar flattened for final size.
next steps will be to cut to length, bend into a circle and sized
Del

mr drinky said:

Maybe Del should get a mail order ordination and offer a marriage/knife set/wedding band package

"Dearly beloved, just as two metals were once separate, with extreme heat and a hammer...."

You get the idea. I am sure forging steel is rich with relationship metaphors.

k.

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HAHAHAHAHAHAH! Maybe Del can go through the same people i got mine through!

What is really funny to me is that I considered going into the ministry 20 years ago. I may still do that later in life. The more time goes by the more it appeals to me. This is not to say that I don't enjoy what I do now, but several of the local ministers have a part time job in addition to ministering. I have no problem with public speaking, and I think i would enjoy most of it. However I do not yet feel that I have been called, so I will just have to wait for that day.
Del

Delbert Ealy said:

Square bar drawn to size
Bar flattened for final size.
next steps will be to cut to length, bend into a circle and sized
Del

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Wate I missed the part of how the pattern is formed?

YEs you missed it ...read in between lines.... divine inspiration.... ( just equally kidding)

ok the bar cut to length
roughly formed into a ring
closer to ring shaped ready to solder

Chef Niloc said:

Wate I missed the part of how the pattern is formed?

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This is a random patterned ring, so most of the pattern is formed by the layering and the working down of the billet, but i do like to add a bit of character, here I used a ball peen hammer to dent the surface a bit(you can see some of the dents and how the layers are deformed on the edge)

The finished ring :viking: (I'll try and get some clearer pics tomorrow)