my kintSUgi / kintSUkUROi pRActiceS02。金継ぎ／金繕い，練習（二）。

After asking bakers and pâtissiers, I bought three - very high-gluten, bread, and cake flours for my kintsugi / kintsukuroi practices, for the reason of different texture and water-absorbency.

在練習（一）裡提到過，在問過糕點師傅們之後，我買了日本的特高筋、高筋、低筋三種粉進行實驗。不同筋度的麵粉吸水性不同，麵糊／麵糰的質地、黏性也都不一樣；另外，也許這聽起來偏執了些，但我是認真地認為麵粉的顆粒越小的越好（日本製的麵粉顆粒最小），越能細柔地填滿每一絲縫隙。

For the proportion of the flour and water, I thought that it doesn't have to be 1:1 (as in the DIY video) as long as the paste has a good texture (then makes a good mixture with lacquer), but I think that I was wrong: the mixture was getting weak after a period of time as it has lost the elasticity and became watery; as a result, the mixture couldn't hold the broken pieces nicely (I believe it's not only the lacquer to join the pieces together but also the flour - at beginning). So I go back to the proportion of the flour and water again.

關於麵粉：水的比例，在練習（一）裡的幾次實驗都是以1：1的比例調製，粗略得到了「粉與水的比例不是那麼重要／加水的速度與攪拌才是重點」的心得；然而，在修復過程中，放置一段時間的麵糊筋度會開始消退（好像是因為澱粉老化造成的？），導致黏著劑的黏合力減弱（直覺認為在修復的時候並非完全是以生漆黏合，麵粉的黏性也略有影響），於是我想：也許影片中使用粉：水＝1：1的比例是有其道理的，否則應該不必特別註明比例，只要說明麵糊的濃稠度就可以了？

The result was good. The 1:1 paste made a much better mixture as the texture stayed in a good condition even after a period of time (and until I finished it), neither became watery nor too dry.

因此我又回到粉：水這個步驟，以與麵粉等量的水，一滴滴加入、攪拌成適當的濃稠度，再加入生漆調製黏著劑。幾次的實驗結果都是相同的：以粉：水＝1：1調製的黏著劑即使放置、使用經過一段時間，依然維持著濕度、黏度適當的狀態（直到使用完畢）。

關於筋度。越高筋的麵粉吸水性與黏性都比較強，質地略粗，乾得也比較快（麵糊階段）；低筋麵粉的吸水性略弱，質地細緻，乾燥速度也比較慢。以等量的水調製麵糊的時候，低筋麵粉要以特別慢的速度加水，否則比起特高筋與高筋，不小心一次加太多水的結果⋯⋯洗掉重來會比較快（特高筋與高筋麵粉，多攪拌幾次就救回來了）。

Last but not least, the differences between the three flours are:

Very high-gluten flour: water-absorbency is high, therefore it dries fast, and the paste has a rough texture;
Bread flour: water-absorbency is medium and dries slower than very high-gluten flour; the texture of the paste is medium too.
Cake flour: water-absorbency is low, therefore it dries (very) slow, and the paste texture is fine / smooth.

當初會買三種筋度的麵粉⋯⋯其實只是好奇心＋強迫症的性格使然，想知道 每 一 種 結 果⋯⋯。在實際使用上的差別並不大，關鍵點還是麵糊的狀態；不過個人習慣是會搭配天氣濕度使用⋯⋯持續實驗ing（說不定根本沒差別）。

It's not too different either using very high-gluten, bread, or cake flour to make the mixture as long as the paste texture is good. I am using all of them depending on the weather though. Experiment continues.

my kintSUgi / kintSUkUROi pRActiceS01。金継ぎ／金繕い，練習（一）。

I have fallen in love with kintsugi (golden joinery) / kintsukuroi (golden repair) for a while, not only because of the idea of wabi-sabi, but also behind this, I see the concept of 'respect' - well, it might not be very precise, but it is the closest word to my thoughts.

不記得是什麼時候對金繼／金繕開始有興趣，只是漸漸察覺，每次看見那些「線條」，就感到⋯⋯很放鬆，彷彿被帶進另一個空間；更進一步，開始對「修復」這件事情感興趣；再退一步看它，除了殘留缺．美，是「惜物」的概念讓我著迷。

Recently I have found a short video that showing the kintsukuroi  / kintsugi techniques. It looks not too difficult, so I start doing research and studying it myself. Firstly, I have to get the ingredients for the 'glue'.

前陣子在網路上看見一段金繼／金繕DIY的影片，決定自己先來研究一下。整段影片都是日文說明（文字），沒有中文翻譯；不過示範得很詳細，不難理解。以漢字的線索，可以得知影片中的修復者所使用的黏著材料之一是麵粉。

但是使用哪一種麵粉呢？問了糕點師傅們的意見，我買了日本的特高筋、高筋、低筋三種粉，進行實驗。

I bought three flours with different gluten content: very high-gluten flour, bread flour, and cake flour. See the thickness experiments (basic, flour and water only) below:

cake flour

低筋

bread flour

高筋

very high-gluten flour

特高筋

第一次的實驗，麵粉：水的比例都是1：1。很明顯地，以等量的水調低筋麵粉會太稀，完全無法當黏著劑使用；高筋麵粉也是，不夠OK；只有特高筋勉......強......稠一些。

The proportion of the flour and water is 1:1 (for all three flours), but it is too much for cake flour and bread flour, and still thin for very high-gluten flour. To have the best result, the crucial point is to add water slowly, bit by bit until it reaches the appropriate texture; in addition, flour with higher gluten content absorbs more (and quicker) water than lower one, therefore I would wash away a NG texture and redo a new one if I was using low-gluten flour, whereas if I was using a higher one, I would add more flour (bit by bit) to fix it up. Higher is easier.

以粉：水是1：1的比例為基準，經過幾次的實驗與推翻發現，其實粉與水的比例不是那麼重要（當然也不能太離譜），因為重點在於加水的速度與攪拌。不過筋度高的麵粉吸水性比較好，所以如果一開始不小心加了略多的水，越高筋的麵粉比較不受影響，也比較容易救；筋度低的不是不能救，但是洗掉重來會比較快。當然，如果真的加太多了，無論是哪一種麵粉，還是洗掉重新調吧。

有機會也試一下糯米粉。

Open！春季開放日再登場。

The last Spring 2015 LOHAS Talents Open Day is taking place on Saturday, April the 25th, from 10am to 4pm. See you at No. 33 LOHAS Talents Studio, Gold Museum New Taipei City, Taiwan!

2015春季樂活創意家開放日即將在本週六再次登場！春季的最後一場囉～

地點：新北市立黃金博物館 樂活創意基地33號

時間：4／25（六）1000～1600

歡迎來玩：）

Open！春季開放日貮登場。

Spring 2015 Open Day - Saturday March the 28th - Gold Museum New Taipei City Taiwan - 10am to 4pm - No. 33 LOHAS Talents Studio.

基地開門！

地點：新北市立黃金博物館 樂活創意基地33號

時間：3／28（六）1000～1600

歡迎來玩～

Open！春季開放日初登場。

Spring 2015 LOHAS Talents Open Day.

Saturday February the 28th.

Studio 33.

SSSee you!

2015春季樂活創意家開放日即將於這個星期六（2／28）初次登場，這回......

歡迎來玩～

地點：新北市立黃金博物館 樂活創意基地33號

時間：2／28（六）1000～1600

The weather murmurs。天氣，碎碎，碎碎唸。

The weather in JinGuaShi, October, 2014.

The brass pieces were placing outdoor one a day through the October, 2014, during my residency at JinGuaShi, New Taipei City, Taiwan.

每天放一枚黃銅到戶外，讓它們自然地氧化、變色。

金瓜石的十月天。

Open！最終回秋季開放日。

Autumn 2014 LOHAS Talents Studio will be open on Saturday, December the 27th, from 10am to 4pm at No. 35 LOHAS Talent Studio. The last one for Autumn 2014 LOHAS!

秋季開放日最終回／Cu pROject，本週六開採倒數！

地點：新北市立黃金博物館 樂活創意基地35號

時間：12／27（六）1000～1600

Open！秋季開放日再登場。

Autumn 2014 LOHAS Talents Studio will be open on Saturday, November the 22th, from 10am to 4pm at No. 35 LOHAS Talent Studio. The etching pool is ready!

這個月的開放日來得好快......比腐蝕還快＠＠

地點：新北市立黃金博物館 樂活創意基地35號

時間：11／22（六）1000～1600

The weather, and murmurs。天氣，碎碎，碎碎唸。

The weather at JinGuaShi in October, 2014.

金瓜石，十月的。

Open！秋季開放日初登場。

Autumn 2014 LOHAS Talents Studio will be open and patinated on Saturday, October the 25th, from 10am to 4pm at No. 35 LOHAS Talents Studio!

2014秋季樂活創意家開放日，即將於這個星期六（10／25）初次登場，歡迎大家來玩金屬染色！

地點：新北市立黃金博物館 樂活創意基地35號

時間：10／25（六）1000～1600

Brass 。黃銅，碎碎，碎碎唸。

To be continued.

Cu pROject。紅銅。

Cu pROject, starts today!

除了黃金，銅也曾經是水金九地區重要的礦產與經濟活動資源之一。雖然採礦事業已經終止，然而留存下來的遺址與古蹟，是歷史的紀錄，是水金九地區輝煌、沒落、再輝煌的見證。蒐集了黃金博物園區週邊景點、黃金博物館＋樂活創意基地，十四份的土壤與水，將紅銅埋入、浸泡在其中，試著膚淺地想像、模擬銅礦蘊藏在地表下的狀態。預計三個月後「開採」。

Soil and water are from:

1）LOHAS Talents House No. 35 樂活創意基地；
2）Octagonal Pavilion remains 八角亭遺跡；
3）Prison of war memorial 戰俘營紀念碑；
4）ChangRen Tunnel No. 3 flue pipe 臺金濂洞煉銅廠煙道；
5）ChuanJi Temple 勸濟堂；
6）ChiTang old street 祈堂老街；
7）The residence of MIKE Kikujirou 三毛 菊次郎宅；
8）JinGuaShi shinto shrine 金瓜石神社；
9）Mt. Teapot 茶壺山；
10）ShuiNanDong smelter 水湳洞選煉廠；
11）Mt. Keelung 基隆山；
12）Gold waterfall 黃金瀑布；
13）Yin-Yang Sea 陰陽海；
14）Gold Museum BenShan No. 5 Tunnel 黃金博物館本山五坑。

Gold Museum tour attractions.

黃金博物館週邊景點介紹。

LOHAS Talents at JinGuaShi。金瓜石．秋。

Artist-in-residence programme 'LOHAS Talents' at Gold Museum, New Taipei City Government, Taiwan.

黃金博物館樂活創意家秋季進駐，2014Sep15～Dec31。

Wearable ceramics workshop。陶瓷首飾工作營。

2013 February, at 冶器金屬物件工作室, Taipei City, Taiwan.

Ring, broken。耳．環。

14PCS。金工一四。

鑄：金字部，十四劃。鑄造：將金屬熔化倒入模型中冷卻凝固，做成各種器物。

即將登場。

Fourteen plaster cast series, fourteen pieces.

Experiment，PNP papers。

以PNP紙（press-n-peel blue transfer film）為保護層，進行金屬表面質地效果處理的蝕刻法，除了官方網站有詳細的使用方法介紹之外，在網路上也有許多金工創作者的P N P paper心得分享。

這裡寫的是稍微特殊一點的使用經驗。

I have been checking the internet and trying to find if there is a possibility that I could transfer PNP image onto a curved surface. I have found nothing, but I have to have it - both the chance and the surface. The piece I am working on needs plenty of forging. If I etch→forge the piece, the patterns and textures would be changed, maybe even flattened or gone; if I forge→etch the piece, which is what I have done, I would have to find the answer to the question: how to transfer a PNP image onto a curved surface?

Therefore, I did some tests.

一般來說，PNP paper只能用於平坦的金屬表面上，因為它需要熱、壓才能有好品質的轉印，所以任何無法與PNP paper貼服的部份，都可能影響蝕刻圖案的效果。目前正在製作ing的此物件，我需要的圖案只能使用PNP paper進行轉印，才能滿足精細度的需求。然而先將圖案轉印到金屬上，在腐蝕之後再進行塑形，蝕刻的圖案很可能會在鍛敲的過程中扭曲變形，甚至凹陷；反之，如果各大小零件的形狀、尺寸、嵌接都定型之後才進行蝕刻，我要面臨的就是「PNP paper的圖案能否被轉印到彎曲的金屬表面上呢？」這個問題了。

Certainly I started with a clothes iron. Although the metal sheets were forged to metal bands, they still have smooth surfaces and the PNP papers seemed to be placed nicely on the surfaces.

首先試老方法：熨燙。雖然金屬片已經變成金屬圈，但是表面還算平整，於是我抓著剩下的一絲希望，拿出熨斗。然而，無論我將熨燙的溫度設定在適溫或是高於適溫，都無法將圖案漂亮地轉印到金屬表面。接觸面積不夠，壓力就不夠，溫度更不夠。圖案支離破碎，效果不優。

However, the contact areas were far too small so the pressure and temperature were not enough and even, therefore, the images were not successfully transferred. The result was bad.

Then, I thought of using a hair dryer.

接著試吹風機。轉印PNP paper的熱源必須是乾熱，加熱的時候遇上的液體或水汽都可能毁壞圖案。有熱源也要有壓力，我用的是不鏽鋼尺－的尺面（不能用尺緣，否則刮破膠膜又損壞圖案就......）。不過，即使把吹風機放在再怎麼樣近的距離加熱，溫度還是太低；人工手施的壓力也太不穩定，加上接觸面積仍然太小，效果更差。

The result was even worse. The temperature and pressure were too low and weak, and not stable either: I applied the pressure with a steel ruler (flat side), and it caused the friction.

There are people using rub-on transfer stickers for the protection.... I did consider to order custom-made rub-on transfer stickers, and I made phone calls to the companies.... no way, they are ink-based images.... .

就在我開始考慮是否應該訂製轉印貼紙的時候，突然靈光一現：烤箱！如果我能將PNP paper緊密覆蓋在金屬表面送進烤箱加熱，是否會成功呢？

Ha, OVEN!

I placed the PNP images on the surfaces and fixed them with masking tape for the first try, and the result was.... not too bad, no burning masking tape, and the images were transferred quite nicely. But the masking tape stuck to the metal and left stains, which couldn't be removed by scratching - the transferred images would be off either.

一開始我用紙膠帶固定PNP paper。紙膠帶雖然不會燒起來，但是會烤得脆脆硬硬地，巴在金屬表面，要摳摳摳。一陣翻箱倒櫃，我翻出一卷磁鐵帶。PNP paper定位，拉緊，頭尾用磁鐵帶覆蓋、壓緊（並非為了磁性，是為貼服與加壓的效果），用金屬夾固定，送進烤箱，以200℃的溫度加熱......最少二十分鐘。件數增加，溫度也要拉長（比較保險）。

I found a magnetic tape. I placed the PNP images on the surfaces again, and covered them with the magnetic tape (for the protection, not the attraction), then hold them with metal clips. The oven temperature was set to 200℃ and baked for at least 20 minutes (longer time if more pieces), and it came out....

結果......

Hurray!!：D

It might be working too with baking paper + binding wire. I presume.

ps. Do not quench the whole piece after baking, otherwise the PNP film could become crispy and crack up when peeling, which would cause more problems. Just leave it and let cool.

後來我又想到，如果用烘焙紙包覆＋金屬絲纏繞綁PNP paper，應該也有機會。

另外，加熱完畢取出之後，請勿將物件入水想急速降溫，PNP paper的膠膜會脆化，然後巴在金屬表面......摳摳摳......轉印圖案就一起摳掉。請讓它們自然降溫。謝謝。

SanDIY casting, attempt 3。

Liquid glass / water glass (sodium silicate / Na₂SiO₃) is another choice for making a sand casting mould. The seller told me that after mixing the substances, they will harden the mould by injecting CO₂ to it for industrial use, but in my case he wasn't sure if it would work as my mould is tiny and I haven't got CO₂ and the tools.

I am going to give a try anyway. I didn't inject CO₂ to the first mould either and it worked.

水玻璃（矽酸鈉）是沙／砂模鑄造製模的另一種材料選擇。一般工業使用的沙／砂模，在成型之後會注入二氧化碳，讓模具硬化再進行灌模。

就算我呼一包二氧化碳也沒有工具注進模具體。先試。

矽砂：水玻璃＝10：1，效果尙可，不過沒有經過硬化的砂模的確小鬆軟。壓入模型物的時候比起壓入黏土粉配方模輕鬆，不需要用槌子。可能是因為水玻璃的質地黏滑吧。分離上下模的時候有些矽砂掉落。

I mixed the silica sand and Na₂SiO₃ in the proportion of 10:1 for the first try. The mixture was soft and had a greasy texture, and little silica sand fell from the mould when I separated the top and bottom rings.

I decided to make another mould and leave it for a while, in order to see if a 'hardened' mould would be a better one. I came back after 15 minutes. It looked quite close to the first mould but harder and crispier, and about the same amount of silica sand fell from the mould.

未經過硬化程序的砂模質地比較鬆軟，稍微有外力擠壓就有破碎的可能（還沒製作氣孔與澆鑄通道呢！）。於是我製作第二個砂模，室溫乾燥十五分鐘之後將上下模分開……稍微乾燥之後，砂模硬了一點，不過比較像是心有餘而力不足的硬化～質地變得比較脆些，掉落的矽砂量與第一個砂模相差不多，但比較像是「剝落」而不是「掉落」。

再試。以10：2的比例混合矽砂與水玻璃，第三個砂模的質地，與第二個相差不大，不過質地較黏，分離上下模的時候不夠乾淨俐落（無論是否經過室溫乾燥都是如此），連模型物都黏。

I made the third mould with silica sand and Na₂SiO₃ in a proportion of 10:2. It was not so different to the previous ones, except the texture is stickier so that the mould was not neat and tidy. CO₂ is absolutely needed.

我想我暫時先回到最初的配方吧。

SanDIY casting, attempt 2。

I have learnt that Delft clay is a substance that is like a sand mixes with oil, so I mixed the silica sand with oil this time - without the clay powder.

沙／砂模鑄造第二試。Delft clay是金工沙／砂模鑄造使用的一 種……油性「土」，是一種類似沙／砂與油混合的物質。於是這次我用油取代水，開模。

 

I made a proportion of 10:2, silica sand and oil for the fist try, and the mixture was too greasy and it slipped down from the aluminium ring. Oops.

第一次我沒有加黏土粉，而是把黏土粉的比例給了油，因為它是「沙／砂＋油」的組合（偏執），所以矽砂：油是10：2。結果就是沙／砂模整個從模型裡滑下來。NG。

第二次以之前的比例（矽砂：黏土粉：油＝10：1：1）加入黏土粉混合。沙／砂模沒有從上模型裡滑落，倒是與下模型裡的沙／砂黏住。

看來，黏土粉與油的合作關係，並沒有與水那樣好。

待續。

I then went back to the formula with silica sand, clay powder, and oil, which in a proportion of 10:1:1. As shown in the photo, I presume that oil may not be a good friend as water to clay powder.

To be continued.

SanDIY casting, attempt 1。

The first cast, the second type of sand, with the third formula for the mould - a mixture of silica sand, clay powder, and water, in a proportion of 10:1:1.

To be continued.

沙／砂模鑄造第一試。矽砂：黏土粉：水＝10：1：1。再試。