When metalsmiths create mokume gane (from

the Japanese term for “wood-grain metal”),

they create billets of layered metals in con-

trasting colors, which they roll out into sheets. They then carve

(or forge) and sand these sheets and roll them out again to

reveal the namesake wood-grain pattern. With the different

types of metal clay now available, metal clay artisans can

achieve a similar effect. In this simple pendant, you can

combine copper, bronze, and steel clays in a mokume-gane

pattern with the help of a clay extruder.

Mokume- Gane Pattern Pendant

Use copper, bronze, and steel

clays to replicate the appearance of mokume gane in metal clay.by Hadar Jacobson

INTERMEDIATE

Layering, extruding, and molding a variety of metal clay types produces a pattern reminiscent of traditional mokume gane. 2 in. (51 mm) long.#

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©2012 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.

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Roll out the metal clays. Apply olive oil to your work surface, a roller, and your hands. Roll out the following sheets of clay: Quick-Fire copper: 6 cards (1.5 mm) thick; Quick-Fire bronze: 3 cards (0.75 mm) thick; Quick-Fire steel: 1 card (0.25 mm) thick [1]. (See “Editor’s Note: A Note on Materials,” page 75.)

Cut out the circles. Use a circle cutter with the same diameter as your extruder (or use the barrel of the extruder itself) to cut five circles out of each layer [2].

Stack the circles. Make a stack of circles in a repeating sequence of copper, bronze, then steel, using all of the circles [3].

Put the stack inside the extruder. Insert the stack into the extruder, with the first copper circle facing the opening of the extruder [4] so the copper is the first to come out.

NOTE: The clay that comes out of the extruder first will be the main color for the extruded cane. The proportion between

materials ■ Metal clay*:

■ Quick-Fire copper: 25 g ■ Quick-Fire bronze: 12 g ■ Quick-Fire steel XT or Pearl Grey Steel XT: 6 g

tools & supplies ■ Battery case for 4 AA batteries ■ Clay extruder ■ Circle cutter the same size as the inside diameter of the extruder: 20 mm (3 ⁄4 in.) for the Makin’s Professional Extruder (optional)

■ Hard clear plastic sheet ■ Craft sticks ■ Flex shaft, or rotary tool ■ Drill bit or diamond bur ■ Extra-fine mini fiber wheel ■ Baldwin’s Patina

* See “Editor’s Note: A Note on Materials,” page 75

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the thicknesses of the layers is always the same: copper = 6 cards, bronze = 3 and steel = 1. If you want bronze to be the main color for your cane, roll one bronze circle to 6 cards (1.5 mm) thick and place it facing the opening of the extruder; the rest of the bronze circles remain 3 cards. Steel cannot be the main color, because the temperature needed to fire the copper and bronze is too low for a large amount of steel to sinter properly.

Extrude the clay cane. Insert a disk with a 6 mm (1⁄4-in.) circular hole into the extruder cap, and screw the cap onto the extruder. Press or twist the handle to extrude the whole stack of clay [5].

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Cut the cane. Cut the cane in half [6], then into quarters [7].

Stack and twist the cane pieces. Bundle the four cane pieces, and twist them [8].

Form the cane into a cylinder. Place a hard, clear plastic sheet over the twisted cane, and roll it into a cylinder [9].

NOTE: If the cane gets longer as you roll it, press the ends in toward the center to keep it at its original size. Split the cane. Use a tissue blade to slice the cane in half lengthwise [10].

Form the cane halves. Place the cane halves cut-side down into non-adjacent indentations in a clear plastic AA battery case [11].

Press the cane halves into the indenta-tions until they conform to the plastic [12]. Look at the plastic case from underneath to see the pattern [13].

Dry the cane halves. Place craft sticks on a mug warmer, then place the battery case upside down on the craft sticks [14]. This slight elevation will keep the plastic from melting. As the clay dries and shrinks, the cane halves will release from the battery case. Let the cane halves continue

to dry on the mug warmer until they’re completely dry.

Refine the cane halves. The rounded sides of the cane halves will form the outside of the pendant. Using a 150-grit sanding sponge, sand the flatter face of each cane half until they are level. Then, sand the curved, patterned side of each half. The pattern will become clearer as you work; make sure you can identify each color [15]. The clays may have blended in the caning process, creating an alloy. Sand off any part that does not look like copper, bronze, or steel.

Assemble the cane halves. Wet the flat sides of the cane halves, and hold them against each other with some pressure until they adhere [16].

Fill in any gaps. Use copper clay to fill in any gaps between the two halves, working around the entire perimeter of the assembly [17]. Allow it to dry completely.

Refine the assembly. Sand off the excess copper clay to shape the assembly and reveal the pattern cleanly [18].

Drill a hole. Choose a drill bit or diamond bur that is compatible with the size of your

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EDITOR’S NOTE

a note on materialsFor this project, we called for a specific brand of clay, because we cannot guarantee that other brands of copper and bronze clay will work with Hadar’s steel clay. If you are not using steel clay in your blend, you can experiment with different brands as you wish; the factor to keep an eye on is the shrinkage rate. Use clays with shrinkage rates that match as closely as possible in order to achieve a seamless blend in your finished piece. Jacobson posts updated firing recommendations for her clays at www.hadarjacobson.com/blog.

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18necklace cord, and place the bit or bur in a flex shaft or drill. Drill a hole through the assembly from side to side [19].

NOTE: Drill your hole in the top third of the assembly so that the pendant hangs properly when strung.

Fire the pendant. Fire the pendant according to the manufacturer’s instruc-tions, using the guidelines for the clay included in the mix that has the lowest firing temperature; in this case, it would be the bronze.

Process photos by Hadar Jacobson.

Finish the pendant. Sand the piece with 220-grit sandpaper, then 400 grit. Fit your flex shaft with an extra-fine fiber wheel, and buff the pendant to a matte finish.

Patinate. Sanding and finishing the surface reduces the contrast between metals. Baldwin’s patina highlights the contrast by reacting with the steel and copper but not the bronze. Use a cotton swab to apply the patina sparingly so the copper doesn’t get too dark. Rinse immediately after applying the patina, and allow the pendant to dry naturally.