teenylittlemetalguy Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 I took 25 cents worth of US nickels and a marble and made this pendant. Stacked and welded the nickels Mokume style, then formed the body. Punched and drifted an eye slightly smaller than the marble. Melted the marble in and cleaned it all up. Seemed silly to post in Mokume section as it was all one color. Doing just nickels surprised me a bit, not sure why, but they really seem to stick together better than quarters. Hat tip to Gordon Williams for the marble melting trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinobi Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 I like it :) did you leave the piece in the forge to cool after melting the marble or something similar to prevent it from cracking? or maybe nickel is more forgiving than iron when it comes to expanding in contact with glass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 Nice pendant! I like the color and design! Yes, PLEASE! We want to know the marble trick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted June 11, 2013 Author Share Posted June 11, 2013 The marble trick works on Iron as well. this was actually a test to see if it works with nickel. this is for a Gasser, not sure how it would work with coal. Hold the item with the marble on it at the entrance to the forge for 2 full minutes before sticking it in. then all the way into the forge, let it melt and pull it out after it sags to where you want. it isn't required, but I do another minute in the dragons breath on the way out to be safe. Afterwards set it somewhere safe while it cools slowly. Edit; feel free to post your picture here, I would love to see your melted marble projects as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 That is VERY cool Tristan. I gotta see if I can find some marbles, they're not as common as when I was a kid. do you have any pics of the basket twisted marble? That has so much potential it's almost scary. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 IF the hot glass cools to fast it can crack and shatter, this method anneals the glass nicely, good job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted June 12, 2013 Author Share Posted June 12, 2013 Here is the basket twist frosty was talking about, as far as metal work goes it is an abomination, but the glass looks so good I don't notice... As much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K. Bryan Morgan Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Holy smokes Tristan. What a neat trick. Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 I LOVE the twist Tristan, there is so much potential there It gets my juices flowing just thinking about it. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 It's sometimes a cool effect to let let the glass crack and craze deliberately. I read it on one of the forums and tried it a couple of months ago while working on my first split crosses. Just be careful, especially if doing it by quenching. It can spall and have pieces of glass break off violently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted June 12, 2013 Author Share Posted June 12, 2013 Yeah, that's why I like the extra step of a minute in the flames to help cool down. I have some more ideas for it before I am done for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Mullins Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Well thanks to you, I had to go figure out just what the heck mokume was LOL . I had heard the term, but never knew what it really meant. Thanks for the prompt, its a very nice piece. But know I have yet another new thing to learn. I can see where it could have lots of applications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Well I am a coal forge guy but I should be able to make that work. Thank you!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted June 12, 2013 Author Share Posted June 12, 2013 Well thanks to you, I had to go figure out just what the heck mokume was LOL . I had heard the term, but never knew what it really meant. Thanks for the prompt, its a very nice piece. But know I have yet another new thing to learn. I can see where it could have lots of applications. I have had a lot of fun tinkering around with Mokume. In both coin and precious metals. I highly recommend trying it. Using coins is a cheap and easy way to start. , just remember, once the shine is gone there is NOTHING that will stick them together short of cleaning them up again. so keep 'em flat and keep 'em stacked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted June 12, 2013 Author Share Posted June 12, 2013 Well I am a coal forge guy but I should be able to make that work. Thank you!!! I was hoping a coal guy would pipe up. I wish I was more familiar with a coal fire. Really interested to hear how this works for you. My guess is you can do a better job keeping scale off the rest of the piece when you do this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Works OK in a coal fire, I tried one in a cross the other day, placed the cross on a flat piece of steel, placed a red and white marble central cavity, and when the marble ran into the cavity, (There was a small space benaeth the cross and the plate to allow the glass to flow through. removed them from the fire on the plate and let it cool, when cooled, I twisted the cross from the plate, and excess glass sheared off cleanly, (Beginers luck maybe) I wanted to do this to put a candle at the rear to give a red focal point in the cross, will have to get round to finishing it when I have time and facility, will also try to get a picture when I can Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Here are a couple of pics of the glass marble melted into the cross Just got to mount it as a candleholder now when I get the opportunity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bosox Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 That is very cool! Creative! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 looks like it was fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted June 20, 2013 Author Share Posted June 20, 2013 Yeah, that does look nice. thanks for letting me know it works ok in coal. Nice to have a little trick for an accent now and then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
781 Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Cut some copper disks the same size as the nickels and you get the same as quarters. The outside if a quarter is the same as the whole nickel. 75% cooper 25% nickel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windancer Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Jeeze, guys, I already have too many things I want to make. I saw Gordon do the marble at NWBA spring conference this year and decided not to think about it. Will now put this idea at the top of my list for next week. Good job, guys! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 That cross looks really cool John! The marble looks like a RUBY! Really fun! Well I am fishing a lot right now and getting a few jobs finished and tying up new flies... I will be a while before I get to try this out! I can see FUN coming though!! Thank you teenylittlemetalguy and everyone else too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 Cut some copper disks the same size as the nickels and you get the same as quarters. The outside if a quarter is the same as the whole nickel. 75% cooper 25% nickel Or just a few quick hammer blows and the nickels are the same size as quarters and you can stack them. I would have done that but I wanted just plain white metal on this. The hammer finish on actual mokume looks funny to me so I never do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinobi Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I agree, hammered texture on top of inherently patterned material gets really overworked and looks very distracting in most cases. at least to my eye at any rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.