KOGAI Project

[Stephen]

Picked up a kogai with missing plate of design, fooled around with metals in collage and want to experiment on my own, this will be for sons Navy project, See Otanto Found else where. going to try some kind of background then have a plaque in center with a Latin phrase or Axios ...not sure of that yet. But i get ahead of my self. I was wondering what gauge of copper to use for the plate, anyone have a idea, seems our local artisans are very busy.

[Ford Hallam]

Stephen

 

it depends on the depth of the recess into which the plate must fit and how deep you want it to be. The type of decoration, engraved, raised or flat inlay, nunome-zogan, ought also to taken into account. So really, no-one but you can answer your question yet.

[Stephen]

Thanks Ford

 

I supect there will be a lot of trial and error, guees ill just go it alone.

 

ill only not be right but ill be wrong too.

[watsonmil]

Dear Stephen,

I keep several different gauges of brass on hand, ... some new, some old. If you give me the measurements ( length, width ) ... I'll see what I can find you and sell you a few pieces at basically the cost of postage plus PayPal fees. Remember I live in Canada, ... so postage might be a little higher than what you would pay if I lived in the USA. You can email me privately at : watsonr@mts.net

... Ron Watson

[Stephen]

Thanks Ron

 

let me see what I can find locally, I may take you up on it.

Hai domo!

[b.hennick]

Hi Stephen:

I took care of ordering trophies for my school. The folks in the trophy shop would have many sizes of brass plates and can engrave on it easily. It might be a source for you. They were very helpful.

[Stephen]

Thanks Barry, a kind member has mailed me some brass, and i have a copper sheet coming as well. May take a few trys to see if i can still saw in a st8 line. something i did way way back n the day

 

 

Metalsmiths whats the best torch for small time? i wont need a big jewelers torch for now. one of them propane stand up should do the right?

 

[Ford Hallam]

whoa! what's with all the brass? the closest the old guys got to modern brass was around 18% zinc. Modern stuff, the standard commercial brass, is around 30 ~ 40 % zinc. This will never patinate well in an old piece of Japanese metalwork. And if you want a shakudo black at the end (like the rrest of the kogai) you need to do some thinking on this matter..... :?

 

"Japanese metalwork!...you can't just make this s**t up in your garage." The next big internet meme. Or it ought to be.

[Stephen]

brass is for motto plaque ... copper for background to be patina, dont have the money or time for pro, if remembered its not traditional with sub emblems for menuki....got a problem with me wanting to give it the ol college go??

[Soshin]

Hi Stephen C.,

 

One very important word of caution Ford makes it look way to easy in his YouTube videos!

[Stephen]

It will be nothing on Fords scale, elementary my friend, I hesitate to show in end.

[Ford Hallam]

Stephen, I'm happy to send you a bit of whatever metal you like to use...as long as it's not solid gold :D

[Stephen]

Ford, thank you for the offer, if i cant do it with the sheet i have coming, i best rethink the process. Looking forward to showing memebers our other project esp one who was such a naysayer poo pooer of the tsuba.

[Stephen]

Ford i would take you up on gold plating some seppa LOL

[Ford Hallam]

hah! the gold plating solution I use is stupidly expensive £1200 for 100ml!

[Alan Morton]

Stephen,

it would be more sensible to sell this piece and watch for another

complete one on Ebay at the right price or maybe a single menuki

to be glued to the middle.

Alan

[Brian]

Alan,

Stephen is not doing this the easy way. He wants to do it as a project for his son. I doubt "the sensible" way even crossed his mind. Like most of us, I am sure he sees it as the effort is part of the end result

 

Brian

[Stephen]

I m 100% postive that what little i do in how amature of end result will mean more to Sean than any goto or ko kinko ready made ...its for respect of his service to mankind, not just the US Navy, he has cared for the handicap for over twenty years after his Navy stent. That my friend is pure gold to me.

[Stephen]

Just need copper to let the adventure begin