Menuki Work in Progress...

Daniel Fairly Knives

Daniel Fairly Knives

Full Time Knifemaker
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Jan 9, 2011
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I made a copper Menuki, check it out!

What's a Menuki? handle ornament under cord wrap. It goes under the palm swell side of the grip, they are made for looks and purpose.

I have made a few from dinosaur bone, I thought hammered copper with a patina would be cool...


Saw out a chunk of copper



I cleaned up and beveled the edges on the grinder.
Sanded flat - I was having fun with the sanding, next time I want to make some fittings with a directional "cat scratch" pattern.



I put a burr in the flex-shaft (Foredom style... mine is a Grobet brand though) and did some basic carving



roughed out a bit...



more grinding


filework - this takes the most time


More filing was done - I did a lot of sanding too but more for shaping than finishing, this gets beaten with a hammer next!
 
I have to admit... at this point I got a bit carried away and forgot about pics!

I sanded a ton more, drilled some holes, filed a ton, sanded a bunch more then hand hammered the piece. I used a tiny ball peen hammer, the hammering is lots of fun as the metal really moves. My point of the filing/sanding was to provide a landscape for the hammer to move around and really shape the piece. The hammering also hardens the copper a bit.

After that I used a liver of sulphur solution to blacken the part. Sanding at 800 then 1000 grit was the last step... I did that to bring out the hammered pattern.

Enjoy!


 
Dude, I keep telling myself I need to go by that guys shop up in Portland.. Visiting a friend this weekend, maybe I'll make a point to finally go there!

edit: ok maybe NOT! Just spoke with Fred and he just does work and web sales. Actually kind of gruff O_O Plenty to do in P-town otherwise..
 
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Pretty cool. I've gotten more interested in doing mokume, gonna do a proper fixture and get some flux. I have some sheet stock as well, but I wanna try quarter for sure.

-X
 
Cool...

I tried quarters and think in a few tries I'll get it... one day I hope to make a press too.
 
Yeah, I tried quarters and got spotty welds with marginal success. Still need to refine a bit.

The menuki sure is cool looking!


-X
 
Same here, I had one appear to weld but delaminated with lots of oxides/black gunk in the weld. I forget what to do now... flux or better atmosphere IIRC. At a lapidary show a ways back I saw some made in a kiln with ht foil so that will be my next try. I want to go by the scrapyard eventually to find some metal for plates. (if I find some I'll buy extra!)
 
I've read both ways, stainless foil or flux. Reducing atmosphere is always best. Surgically clean nd very flat surfaces, bolt the jig down very tight and as the metal expands it will begin to weld itself.

I got a couple of good welds, but on only a two quarter stack. I don't have anything to pickle them in, so I have to rely on a good scrubbing. I plan to try again soon, but I need some borax as well.


If I can get it going, I'll send you a couple pieces.

-X
 
Hmm, did a little searching, turns out you can use whie vinegar and sea salt with a bit of water. I think I'm gona go for that. Hot sulfuric acid fumes don't excite me much.


-X
 
That combo will instantly clean copper, it's like magic! Jewelry stuff is odd, quench to soften... quenchant used to clean stuff and like knives everyone does it differently.

Sara has worked with copper a lot, we went to copper when silver went up. All wire work though, no soldering..
 
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