I am in the process of documenting a workshop taught by Satsuo Ando at the University of California at Fullerton in the summer of 1979. I am doing what I can to contact the craftsmen and women who attended the 2 week class and will document what I find in the blog over the next few months. The workshop dealt with Japanese techniques such as uchidashi and metal inlay. The making of the tools used was an important part of the class.
I am a beneficiary of this important event through the workshops taught by Eleanor Moty and am indebted to her and all who participated and their willingness to share.
Fred
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12 comments:
Hello, nice blog!
Would you like to exchange links?
Here are my blog info:
URL: http://metal-industry.blogspot.com
TITLE: Metal Industry Blog
Email me at midwestmetalproducts@gmail.com if you are interested.
Hi Fred,
( my granddad was a Fred too ;-0) just checking in...
I think you project to document and detail the Ando seminars/workshops is a great idea. These sort of seminal events can so easily be overlooked so it's good to remember where every bit of the whole comes from.
best regards,
Ford
Ford,
It is important to me that some of the results of this important workshop be documented for others to read and learn. This will take me some time gather and digest all that I am finding. I feel this blog will allow me to dole it out in small segments and then I can hopefully compile it later.
Best,
Fred
Hi Fred,
This is a great idea! I wasn't at the workshop, but was sent the compiled information sometime around 1984, and it was extremely useful. The irotsuke instructions were the first, useable guide to Japanese patination that I know of in English.
Thanks for doing this.
Jim
Hi Jim,
Thanks for the words of encouragement and I appreciate hearing about how you benefitted from the workshop. I am not certain that I have the patina information in my text. I have so much to mull over and sort out.
Best,
Fred
Was that when Satsuo Ando introduced hi method of pouring metal into a cotton sling, underwater, to make a button ingot? I do that a lot. I've been asked to make a video, as there are many out there would love to start doing it.
I believe Ando did introduce that method of pouring ingots. I do not know if he demonstrated this method during the workshop.
I attended the workshop as Al Ching’s grad student/gofer. One of the great experiences of my life. Have you contacted Al’s wife. I have a photo of Mr. Ando helping me with my exercise piece. Also kept the T-shirt. I can’t believe I met and worked next to some of the preeminent metal workers of the day. I can send you a shot of my workshop sample piece and that photo. Very excited to see this post. Are you still working on this project? Quentin Brown, Brea, California
It occurs to me there may have been more than one Ando workshop in the United States around that time, but I don’t think so. The one I attended was in the Art Department at then California State College at Fullerton in the late 70s. Organized by Professor Al Ching. Al was researching a book based on Mr. Ando’s tools and techniques. I remember seeing Al’s tool diagrams for the book. I may still have copies of some of those diagrams somewhere.
Quentin, How did you you do on the research of the book? I believe Al was going to write such a book. I wonder what ever happened to his reseach paperwork?
Bob Ebendorf sent me an image of the entire group. You are in it as well. I hope to post many more images. I took pictures of the pieces created by Val Link this summer and of the tools he continues to make and use.
Fred
If there is any way I can contribute I will. I did not pursue a metalsmithing career. I’ve got the repousse tools from the workshop and two projects completed those few days and lots of memories. Al passed away in his early 50s. His wife Terry and I were classmates at Fullerton, but I lost touch with her. She or his children might still have his papers. If you are interested I could pursue her contact information through the CSUF Art Department. email me at breabrowns@gmail.com
This appeared today on the Orchid jewellery forum:
Japanese irogane alloys and patination -- a study of production and application
O'DUBHGHAILL, C. and JONES, A. H. (2009).
In: Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Santa Fe Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing Technology, Albuquerque, New Mexico, May 2009. Met-Chem Research.
Japanese metalworkers use a wide range of irogane alloys (shakudo, shibuichi), which are colored with a single patination solution (niiro). This approach allows different alloys to be combined in one piece and patinated, producing a multi-colored piece of metalwork. At present the production of irogane alloys and their patination is an unreliable process. This study aims to develop reliable alloy production and a safe, easy-to use and repeatable patination process using standard ingredients available from chemical suppliers. The study has examined the production of shakudo and shibuichi alloys, characterizing the alloys produced by casting into cloth molds in hot water, into steel molds, and produced using continuous casting. The influence of traditional polishing methods was assessed using surface texture (Sa) measurements. Traditional rokusho, an ingredient of the niiro solution, was analyzed by XRF and XRD. Niiro patinated surfaces on a range of alloys were examined using XRD and L*a*b* color measurements.
Read full document here http://www.ganoksin.com/ftp/japanese-irogane-alloys-and-patination.pdf
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