[Jewelry making - Article 00364] - [Orchid] Pure iron for mokume

[celest]

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Hello orchidians

    I am a longtime lurker first time poster. I am employed as a jeweler
    and currently I am taking a damascus knife forging class. I have
    also made mokume gane in the past using the kiln/foil/torque plate
    method. 

    I would like to find a source of pure iron to try in some of my
    laminates so that i can potentially try raising some vessels with
    the resulting materials and also for jewelry. I have made some
    jewelry from some of the damascus steel from class but we are using
    tool steels so of course its a real fight to do anything other than
    machine or hot forge. 

    I have found the Wagner company which carries pure iron but only in
    bar form. Does anybody know of a source for sheet or strip about
    1/8" thick? I could potentially have the bar rolled down (my teacher
    has a hot rolling mill at his own shop) but it seems like a lot to
    ask. 

    Does anybody have experienc with pure iron alone or in
    damascus/mokume whatever you prefer to call it? 

    Can I roll it down cold (Yes i know to keep it away from the rolling
    mill at work)from 1/8" to thinner gauge for doing mokume gane? 

    What metals could it be potentially bonded with? I have nickel 200
    which is supposedly pure nickel-obviously not good for jewelry but
    for raising?. I also have some stainless steel 304 and 316. Would
    mild steel give a color, or etching difference? 

    What about bonding pue iron to precious metals including palladium
    95? 

    I am also concerned about electrolytic situations. I would know to
    avoid copper and silver laminates for rings anyway but wouldn't
    solders because of the zinc and other alloys be a problem too? Given
    this what would be the best solders to use on any kind of steel
    jewelry, to fabricate with or to solder on gold bezels etc. Do
    stainless steels have the same issues as regular steels in reguards
    to electrolytic conditions? 

    I have the books on mokume and also Brepohl but most of the research
    I do just raises more questions so anyone with practical experience
    that can give some input would be greatly appreciated and will help
    make a project successful for me. thank you. 

Respectfully,
Celeste
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