A Change of Plan

When I start a project I try to have a plan – at least a loose idea of where I’m heading.  This experiment started out with me wanting to make links for a bracelet with mokume gane  that I learned to do in Hadar’s class in Tucson.  I used Friendly Copper, Friendly Bronze and Pearl Grey Steel clay in my extruder to make a long square rope that I cut into sections.  The sections had all 3 types of clay in concentric circles that mimicked the Japanese mokume gane. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mokume-gane 

I made the back layer for the 8 links in bronze and placed the cut squares in rows making sure I had good contact with the backing.  The nice thing about using these there clays is firing them all at one time and in one stage.  So much easier. 

Before I started the project, I made U shaped wire tabs (nickel chromium) to insert between the bronze backing and the mokume gane squares.  I thought that would be the best way to connect the links.
 

U shaped wire tabs(nickel chromium)

I also knew many of you were not familiar with the finishing steps in working with Hadar’s base metal clay.  After I fired the links, I finished them so I could photograph all the stages at one time to show you.

Starting on the left: #1 is just out of the carbon and the kiln.  #2 is cleaned off with the radial ceramic disc.  #3 is sanded with 220 sandpaper.  #4 is sanded with 400 grit sandpaper.  #5 is buffed and patina'd with Baldwin's Patina to bring out the colors and #7 is sealed with PYMII.

These are all finished and ready to assemble.  Each little square within each rectangle has pattern made by the 3 kinds of clay - that's the mokume gane pattern.

And this is where my original plan to make a bracelet took a detour and turned into a necklace with Tiger Eye beads between each link!  I really like the change and the combination! Plans are just that…. A roadmap with unexpected turns!