Mokume-gane using minimal tools
This information accompanies the post about using minimal tools, and the Mokume-gane post.
There is no paint or other materials used here – and the only tools are a hand roller, blade and knife (and some found items for making impressions).
The way I use this technique works just as well with, or without, a pasta machine.
The end result is usually unexpected – sometimes disappointing, at other times a lovely surprise.
Experiment with colours, the number of layers and the items you use to make impressions. This is what I did.
I rolled three colours to about the same thickness. I wanted the white, and particularly the black, to be thinner than the other colours, so I put a thin layer of black on the white then rolled them together. (I think I used a total of about 60g of clay, the equivalent of a small pack of clay, and this will make a lot of pattern).
Next I stacked the four sheets. It doesn’t matter if the edges aren’t even, you can tear some of your sheets and fill in gaps so that most of your stack has the four sheets.
Rolll out thinner, then cut in half and stack again. You’ll have ten layers. Roll out again, cut in half and stack once more, again tearing some pieces to even the stack. You’ll have twenty layers. I generally like to have between 15 and 30.
I roll this out to a thickness of about 4mm – about 1/8 inch – but try thicker or thinner for different effects.
I then make impressions on the stack. I used the items in the pic above. Make the impressions fairly deep.
Take a clean blade, slightly bend it and take the thinnest slices that you can from the top. You could practice on some plain clay first. As well as pulling the blade towards me, I moved it slightly from side to side. It can help to use your little fingers for support by placing them on your work surface while you slice. I would usually try for a bit more contrast in impressions, for example use the back of a knife in one area, and more rounded objects in another. See one example.
Place the thin slices on a plain sheet of clay. You can create your pieces from this sheet, and also from what remains of the original stack.
Making earrings
You can flatten the sheets in a few ways. You can simply roll over with your roller, using some pressure. This is effective particularly where the sheet is very uneven. Alternatively, you can put deli paper, freezer paper or plain paper over the work, and press your fingers, or the back of a spoon, in a circular motion. You may need to use some pressure, but this will work if the piece isn’t very uneven (for example the green piece on the left.
Once the sheet has a flat, even surface, I draw and cut out shapes from paper. I keep a collection of favourite shapes by covering thin card with contact (or book cover) and cut the shape out with a blade.
I find a place where I want to cut the shape out, then put the shape down in that spot and cut out carefully with a craft knife. This takes a bit of practice, so try on some plain polymer clay first.
Once cut out you can put a hole in the top with a needle (so you can put in a jump ring later). Twist the needle gently or you may split the piece. You can also bake as is, and make a hole later with a hand drill. Alternatively, using an idea from https://www.instagram.com/lindlyhaunani/# I use plastic covered paper clips which I have cut off with wire cutters. The plastic seems to melt with the clay and the attachment is firm. I gently make two holes with a very fine needle, twisting as I go, then a slightly larger needle. I then gently push the piece of paper clip in. I have the earrings on a tile to make this easier – if you need to touch the earring put a piece of paper over the top.
For these earrings I’ve pushed some course sandpaper in to make a texture. Test first on your scraps. If that’s going to stick put a small amount of cornflour on your piece before using the sand paper. It will wash off after it’s baked.
Bake at the recommended temperature. I usually bake everything for an hour.
Making the neck piece.
Start with a lump of scrap clay. Roll into a ball then insert wooden skewer (or similar). Start gently rolling. Take care not to make the hole in the middle too big. If it’s getting large, just take the skewer out, squeeze it in a bit and roll for a bit without the skewer. You can control the length. If you move your two hands closer together while rolling, you will make it shorter. If you aim your hands apart as you roll, the log will get longer. I wanted to cover the scrap with some colours which would show through any gaps. I used different colours to give the piece some variation. Roll until smooth, moving hands towards each other to stop it becoming too long. Take the pieces you sliced off your stack and place them all over the log. Once again, roll this to smooth it out.
Once it is the right length, take the skewer out and gently shape into a “U” shape. Once baked, thread some buna or other cord through. I smoothed mine more after baking by sanding with wet and dry sandpaper using P400 then P600 – then buff it on an old pair of jeans to give it a bit of shine. (sandpaper grits can differ between countries so check out what grits are recommended in your country.)
