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NatSiddle
12-05-2010, 11:21 PM
Hi :)

I saw some examples of metalowrk does using Japanese Shibuichi-apparently a mix of one part sterling silver to three parts copper.

Has anyone used this or made their own? Im hoping to make some at my next class (Silversmithing) and I have a small amount of silver (less than 25g) and a LOT of copper so thought it would be fun to make some and maybe cast a peice with it?

Thanks for your time
Nat :)

ps_bond
13-05-2010, 07:55 AM
Yes, but I've only cast into an ingot mould so far - one of these days I'll try the traditional method of casting into hot water and see what sort of ingot I get.

Did you see any shakudo too?

NatSiddle
13-05-2010, 09:50 PM
Shakudo? Is that the one whch uses Gold? I tried typing mixed metals/mixed alloys into Google in the hope I got a link to a blog or to a wikipedia article but all I get is sites dealing mainly with sterling silver :(
Ill have a browse for it, although if it is gold it might be a little out of my budget :)

Di Sandland
14-05-2010, 09:26 AM
there was an article about these very interesting looking alloys in a recent issue of Art Jewellery but I can't for the life of me find it in my pile of magazines. However, I did find this alloy calculator (http://www.artjewelrymag.com/Resources/Calculators/2009/03/Alloy%20Calculators%20Determine%20ratios%20of%20me tals%20to%20make%20your%20own%20alloys.aspx). I'll carry on looking for the article itself because it had something about suppliers ini t.

ps_bond
14-05-2010, 09:39 AM
Shakudo is about 4% gold from memory. It patinates a lovely purple/black in rokusho. Currently experimenting with something that could be a viable rokusho, not sure yet - need to do some samples yet.

If you want to see some really nice examples of modern work using Japanese alloys, Jim Kelso and Ford Hallam use them a lot.

Just don't think of making kuromido yourself (arsenic).

NatSiddle
16-05-2010, 05:37 PM
there was an article about these very interesting looking alloys in a recent issue of Art Jewellery but I can't for the life of me find it in my pile of magazines. However, I did find this alloy calculator (http://www.artjewelrymag.com/Resources/Calculators/2009/03/Alloy%20Calculators%20Determine%20ratios%20of%20me tals%20to%20make%20your%20own%20alloys.aspx). I'll carry on looking for the article itself because it had something about suppliers ini t.

Thanks for that calculator-Ive copied down some recipes it spat out and hopefully tomorrow night at class I will make something pretty interesting, wether it works or not! :)

daisychain
16-05-2010, 06:52 PM
I've found the article Di mentioned - it's in the March 2010 issue of Art Jewellery. There's an article on the history, patinas, and some other technical info, and also a project on a cuff that layers Shibuichi and silver, fixing them with rivets. Some of the info:
Shibuichi literally translates as "four parts" or "one quarter", meaning that it's generally made up of 3 parts copper and one part silver, but it's also the generic name for a group of alloys like hoji-gin and samobo-gin, each with varying percentage of copper and silver, up to 50% silver. It can be etched using ferric-chloride, reticulated, cast.
The author, Lee Rumsey Haga, prefers to patina her work. Lee uses ammonia, but you can also buy Baldwin's patina which gives a range of warm olive and brown tones, and Rokusho which gies gray/green tones. You can see some of her work here CMAG Members (http://www.cmaguild.org/members/Haga_Lee/index.html). The bamboo cuff is my favourite!
The only supplier listed in the magazine is Reactive Metals Studio, Inc. Home Page (http://www.reactivemetals.com).

Hope that helps - please show use what you make! I'd love to have a go at this - it's on my long must-do list!

daisychain
20-05-2010, 09:49 PM
I've just seen some effective yet simple Shibuichi jewellery, some of it enamelled, on a blog here mairedodd: just one of those 'what if' thoughts (http://mairedodd.blogspot.com/2010/05/just-one-of-those-ideas.html)