[Jewelry making - Article 00268] - Re: [Orchid] Working with Shibuichi?

[J Collier]

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Hi Noel!

    The great thing about these two wonderful metals is that you _can_
    get an enormous range of colors; the tough part for me right now is
    consistent repeatability although I am getting much better at the
    process. Don't feel alone in your efforts to succeed. 

    I can offer some observations that may help sort out of the "why's"
    of one piece going one direction in color while another goes a
    different route, but first, let me say that the best source I've
    found for information for coloring these two materials is Japanese
    Patinas by Eitoku Sugimori. http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books/
    There is a wealth of knowledge to be found here. 

    Initially it might be best to buy your metals from a reliable
    supplier such as Reactive Metals Studio 

    http://www.reactivemetals.com 

    so as to eliminate some of the variables involved with making and
    fabricating your own alloys. They also carry Baldwin's Patina which
    could be the answer to some of the colors you want to achieve. 

    Surface finish (degree of polish), texture (the evenness of the
    polishing applied to the texture--hills & valleys), the number of
    times the piece has been heated (oxidized) and pickled, and the grain
    structure of the metal (through strain such as embossing, folding,
    bending, etc.) all have been important factors in the color results
    that I've observed. 

    In the same fashion as one would run color sample tests with a set
    of new enamels, it is worth the time to test these metals. Do use
    pieces big enough that you can accurately evaluate the colors for
    each test. With some innovation you can devise ways to overlap some
    of the tests to gain additional information and possibly save some
    time. You should be able to salvage these metal samples for a future
    project or maintain them for reference. You also may want to
    determine how your favorite wax or Enjen Joe's Brown Polymer works to
    protect the different finishes. 

    After a few of the tests you'll find that it is not just the
    chemicals of the patina solution that make the colors. All of the
    steps in the process have a contribution to the result. Patinas can
    be a result of building one color with one solution and then a second
    color on that foundation. Restricting the patina process to one area
    and not another is definitely a case by case procedure. Depending on
    the desired colors and the metals being used it may be as simple as
    choosing the right sequence of steps for application of the
    solutions. In other situations you may find that you have to mask an
    area to restrict the patina solution application. Sometimes you can
    wing it and do it freehand. 

    I hope this helps and does not confuse. It is important to stress
    that Eitoku Sugimori's book will prove valuable to anyone who wants
    to pursue the use of the Japanese alloys. If there is anything I can
    help clarify, please contact me off line. It genuinely has been just
    three years since I've started making jewelery as Dr. Rourke
    mentioned. I've never enjoyed anything more. There have been
    countless times I needed help with a technique and I clearly remember
    the Eureka moment when I found the Orchid web site. What a blessing!
    I feel privileged to be able to share this information. 

    Good luck and let us know how your work progresses. 

J Collier
Small Scale Metalsmith
http://jlcollier.com
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