One of the materials you use in kintsugi is flour. It is used as an additive in a mixture called mugiurushi, mugi = flour, urushi = lacquer. Mugirushi is used as a “glue” to stick things back together. Regular, white wheat flour is what I use. In Japan there is a type called middle gluten which works best for me.
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Kintsugi materials, palette knife
A wooden, straight palette knife is traditionally used in kintsugi. There are a couple of qualities of wood and thickness with the thinner one being of higher quality.
Kintsugi materials, palette knife
Kintsugi materials, metal holder
This is a tool used for sprinkling the metal on the lacquer. You load it up in the open end and the metal comes out the meshed end. The mesh stops any debris in the metal from coming out.
Kintsugi materials, metal holder
Kintsugi materials, mixing oil
This is an oil that is mixed with either roiromigakiko or ishiko for final polishing of the metal. It is possible to use other oils but this one doesn’t really gum up or heat up as much as others.
Kintsugi materials, mixing oil
Kintsugi workshop, Nara, Japan, spring, 2016, day 3
Here are some photos of the final day of the workshop. The piece is drying and will be finished during the upcoming 10 day workshop. There is one photo of dinner. Raw chicken, eaten raw. No one died of salmonella poisoning so I guess everything is good.
Kintsugi workshop, Nara, Japan, spring, 2016, day 2
Here are some photos of the second day of the kintsugi workshop in Nara for spring, 2016.
Nara workshop, Spring, 2016, day 1
Here are some photos of the first day of the Nara spring kintsugi workshop for 2016. This is the first one at a small ryokan in Nara.
Kintsugi materials, charcoal
Charcoal is more of a makie material but can be used in kintsugi as a cleaning powder. You use it to clean the surface of the piece after you have mixed it with some water.
Kintsugi materials, charcoal
Materials in Kintsugi, brass
Brass is an easy to use metal. The brass I have is extremely fine grind, finer than gold keshifun. Since it is so fine it goes on nicely and usually lays flat.
Here is a video showing application of brass.