The tools needed to make domed circles in copper are a dapping block and punches and a hammer. I anneal the metal before dapping to soften it.In this case you can see a disk and a washer on the block, an eyeball,a dapped and decorated disk , an open back bezel,and a brass ox decorative ring. My first thought was to create a mount for the eyeball. I chose some copper disks from
www.bsueboutiques.com and using a torch heated the copper to a dull red color the allowed it to cool completely. The disk is placed in a depression in the steel block and the punch set in the middle.
Next it is hit with the hammer a few times to fully round the disk into a dome.
I did the same with the copper washer and adjusted the size by using a different hole in the block to create the size cup that was desired. You can actually cup the disk from a flat slight curve to a complete hemisphere just by moving the disk to smaller and smaller depressions in the block and using the corresponding smaller punch. The disk may need to be re-annealed as the curve deepens and the metal work hardens.
This pair of domed pieces look like a mount for a gem to me...a 10 mm head with a cz could be mounted in the opening and a bail connected to form a pendant. I will do all soldering and finishing before I mount a stone in this.
I decided that the backing disk for the eyeball looked better than the eye. I placed it in this 35mm open back bezel in rusty black finish and inserted the brass ring also from
www.bsueboutiques.com. A hole for a wire was drilled through at the break in the ring. The coloring on this copper comes from heating the metal from underneath and allowing it to cool and watching for the color to develop. When it reached the current set of colors I allowed it to cool and sprayed lacquer over to seal it. I will finish it with a large jump ring and a chain.
These are some raku ceramic beads I made. The colors from the glaze and reduction firing remind me of the copper in the metal.
This is a bead that gives me an idea to create a focal to go into the copper disk and washer..Similar coloring framed in the copper would look nice.
The tools needed to make domed circles in copper are a dapping block and punches and a hammer. I anneal the metal before dapping to soften it.In this case you can see a disk and a washer on the block, an eyeball,a dapped and decorated disk , an open back bezel,and a brass ox decorative ring. My first thought was to create a mount for the eyeball. I chose some copper disks from www.bsueboutiques.com and using a torch heated the copper to a dull red color the allowed it to cool completely. The disk is placed in a depression in the steel block and the punch set in the middle.
Next it is hit with the hammer a few times to fully round the disk into a dome.
I did the same with the copper washer and adjusted the size by using a different hole in the block to create the size cup that was desired. You can actually cup the disk from a flat slight curve to a complete hemisphere just by moving the disk to smaller and smaller depressions in the block and using the corresponding smaller punch. The disk may need to be re-annealed as the curve deepens and the metal work hardens.
This pair of domed pieces look like a mount for a gem to me...a 10 mm head with a cz could be mounted in the opening and a bail connected to form a pendant. I will do all soldering and finishing before I mount a stone in this.
I decided that the backing disk for the eyeball looked better than the eye. I placed it in this 35mm open back bezel in rusty black finish and inserted the brass ring also from www.bsueboutiques.com. A hole for a wire was drilled through at the break in the ring. The coloring on this copper comes from heating the metal from underneath and allowing it to cool and watching for the color to develop. When it reached the current set of colors I allowed it to cool and sprayed lacquer over to seal it. I will finish it with a large jump ring and a chain.
These are some raku ceramic beads I made. The colors from the glaze and reduction firing remind me of the copper in the metal.
This is a bead that gives me an idea to create a focal to go into the copper disk and washer..Similar coloring framed in the copper would look nice.
Enjoyed, Harry...thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI like your ideas, and step by step project. I learned a lot from you.
ReplyDeleteTimmy