{"id":4129,"date":"2016-01-03T10:26:19","date_gmt":"2016-01-03T18:26:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=4129"},"modified":"2016-01-03T10:33:21","modified_gmt":"2016-01-03T18:33:21","slug":"inlaid-shibuichi-slimy-snail-hobo-nickel-tutorial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=4129","title":{"rendered":"Inlaid Shibuichi “Slimy Snail” Hobo Nickel Tutorial"},"content":{"rendered":"

Starting a new project, a Hobo Nickel with a shibuichi Japanese-style snail inlay.<\/p>\n

\"Shibuichi_Snail_Hobo_Nickel_Tutorial_1\"<\/a>
\nI’ve been watching Ford Hallam (https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ford-Hallam-Following-the-Iron-Br\u2026\/<\/a>) make his lovely metal inlays, and have been taking his advice to “steal with my eyes.” \u00a0I think I’ve broken the code, so I’m trying it with this snail. \u00a0I’ll discuss the technique further as the project unfolds. \u00a0Here I’m sawing out and filing a tiny snail from a self-made plate of shibuichi (75% copper and 25% silver). \u00a0Note the tiny vise I use to hold the snail for careful filing.<\/p>\n

I cut it out with a jeweler’s saw and 2\/0 blade (actually several of them, since I had to attack it from several directions because of the length of the shibuichi plate, and I broke a blade backing out – I seldom break blades in forward gear, but reverse sometimes gets the best of me…)<\/p>\n

\"Shibuichi_Snail_Hobo_Nickel_Tutorial_2\"
\nOne of the problems I’ve always had with this style of inlay is getting a clear and close outline of the inlay transferred to the substrate because I couldn’t hold the inlay in place and trace around it without things moving, and then requiring a lot of adjustments to the inlay pocket. \u00a0I’ve even superglued the inlay in place, then scribed around it, but removal is a mess. \u00a0However, I saw a beautiful clamping fixture designed to fix all that – unfortunately no longer manufactured. \u00a0So, this is my (rather inelegant..) solution, but it works like a champ. \u00a0I use the clamp fixture both for tracing the inlay outline and permanently seating the inlay in the substrate..<\/p>\n

\"Shibuichi_Snail_Hobo_Nickel_Tutorial_3\"
\nThere’s been some interest in the inlay hold-down clamp I took my inspiration from , so here are some images of it. \u00a0Much more elegant than my cobbled-together solution. \u00a0Photos courtesy of Mike Dubber and Brian Marshall, the clamps actually manufactured by Ray Letourneau.<\/p>\n

\"Shibuichi_Snail_Hobo_Nickel_Tutorial_4\"
\nHere’s how I begin the inlay process (upper left) – using a flat graver, I drive it downwards (slightly inside the lines) at about a 45 degree angle, pushing up a little mound of metal and continuing to move that mound until it it slightly beyond (outside) the inlay line. \u00a0I repeat this all the way around the edge. \u00a0In the past, I’ve cut around the inside edge of the inlay pocket with a v-graver, then removed the interior waste material, but getting a good fit was difficult. \u00a0This new method (new to me…) solves those problems, needing only minor adjustments. \u00a0I then remove the interior waste material as per normal (flat gravers and carbide burs). \u00a0Two rounds of waste removal seemed to make the proper depth. \u00a0Next, I’ll seat the inlay and push the nickel edges up tight against the shibuichi inlay <\/p>\n

kupbezrecepty.com<\/a><\/div>\n

, fixing it permanently in place. \u00a0I believe this is the method of the ancient Japanese metal artists.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Shibuichi_Snail_Hobo_Nickel_Tutorial_5\"
\nGot the snail inlay installed in the nickel. \u00a0You can see the before and after, using a punch to move the nickel “piles” back into place to contact the shibuichi inlay. \u00a0The hold is solid, permanent and strictly mechanical – no glue or solder. \u00a0Now I have to begin simmering turkey necks for tomorrow’s world famous gravy – hope everybody has a wonderful Christmas!<\/p>\n

\"Shibuichi_Snail_Hobo_Nickel_Tutorial_6\"
\nFinished carving and texturing the snail with flat gravers and carbide burs. \u00a0Next will be creating the background by removing the Indian head, in a logical sequence.<\/p>\n

\"Shibuichi_Snail_Hobo_Nickel_Tutorial_7\"
\nThe Slimy Snail Hobo Nickel is complete. \u00a0I slipped in a simple background and texture and patina. \u00a0Shibuichi snail, hand engraved and inlaid into a 1929 US nickel (5 cent coin).<\/p>\n

Thanks for Looking!
\n<\/b><\/p>\n

Tom Sterling
\n<\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TomSterlingHandEngraving#
\n<\/a>http:\/\/instagram.com\/tom_sterling_hand_engraving<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Starting a new project, a Hobo Nickel with a shibuichi Japanese-style snail inlay. I’ve been watching Ford Hallam (https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ford-Hallam-Following-the-Iron-Br\u2026\/) make his lovely metal inlays, and have been taking his advice to “steal with my eyes.” \u00a0I think I’ve broken the … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[23,43],"tags":[9,3,7,45,26],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6qLAy-14B","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4151,"url":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=4151","url_meta":{"origin":4129,"position":0},"title":"Shibuichi Longhorn Beetle Hobo Nickel Tutorial","date":"January 20, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Starting a new project, a Hobo Nickel with a shibuichi Japanese-style inlay of a longhorn beetle. I've been watching Ford Hallam (https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ford-Hallam-Following-the-Iron-Br\u2026\/) make his lovely metal inlays, and have been taking his advice to \"steal with my eyes.\" I think I've broken the code, so I'm trying it with this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Carving"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Shibuichi_Longhorn_Beetle_Hobo_Nickel_Tutorial_441.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5565,"url":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=5565","url_meta":{"origin":4129,"position":1},"title":"Dragonfly Hobo Nickel Tutorial","date":"May 29, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I need a little timeout from the hummingbird skull reliquary puttygen.in , so here\u2019s the start of a fun Hobo Nickel with a gold dragonfly. I\u2019m leveling out Jefferson\u2019s head with a punch and abrasive stones, and beginning the engraving. Inlaying a 24 karat gold dragonfly in a Hobo Nickel.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hand Engraving"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/TomSterling_Dragonfly_Hobo_Nickel_Tutorial_7.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3636,"url":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=3636","url_meta":{"origin":4129,"position":2},"title":"Skull and Centipede Hobo Nickel","date":"November 17, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Back to engraving with a Hobo Nickel project, just for me. This is my first solo Hobo Nickel, with\u00a024 karat gold centipede legs, moose antler zombie eye. Here\u2019s my design transferred onto a 1937 buffalo nickel. Don\u2019t know what a Hobo Nickel is? \u00a0Try hobonickels.org Above is the design engraved,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Carving"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Skull_Centipede_Hobo_Nickel_16.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3238,"url":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=3238","url_meta":{"origin":4129,"position":3},"title":"William Henry “Engraved Longhorn Beetle Knife” Part 2","date":"July 3, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Installing the Shibuichi Pocket Inlay Today is all about getting the shibuichi inlay into the stainless steel scales. \u00a0As far as I'm concerned, this is the make it or break it phase. \u00a0If I should fail to get the inlay properly in place, that is probably the end of this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Carving"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/William_Henry_B10_Longhorn_Beetle_15.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1472,"url":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=1472","url_meta":{"origin":4129,"position":4},"title":"Ants Miseretto part 9 – Risk Reduction","date":"February 29, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Now that my \"canvas\" is completed, it's time to turn my efforts to the design phase of the project. \u00a0I've spent an awful lot of time making the knife, and I'm concerned about inlaying the gold ants in the shibuichi. \u00a0I've inlaid one in nickel before, but not shibuichi, so,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Carving"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Shibuichi_Pendant_16.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4775,"url":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=4775","url_meta":{"origin":4129,"position":5},"title":"Koi and Waves Hobo HalfDollar Tutorial","date":"September 7, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"How about a Koi-themed Hobo Nickel (OK, it's actually a silver half dollar)? Above, I\u2019ve begun the coin carving by transferring my pattern to the face of the half dollar, and then using a V-graver to cut in all the lines. Some folks like to remove the head or figure\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Carving"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Koi_and_Waves_Hobo_HalfDollar_15.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4129"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4129"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4129\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4142,"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4129\/revisions\/4142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}