Level 4
Project 5
(c) Jerry Davis 2005
music
"Crawdad Hole"

REPOUSSÉ
Chasing and Embossing

Materials:

Norma Ann's

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Please bring to class old screwdriver with rounded end, smoothed and polished.  Any old punches that can be smoothed on the end with different shapes.  We need round ends of two or three different sizes.   Long ends and curved ends too.

Bring a very simple, basic design (maybe more than one to choose from) that can be transferred to metal.  Overall 2 1/2"x 2 1/2" or 2"x2".     If you want ear rings then light weight metal and smaller designs.  You can transfer your designs to metal at home if you want to, I don't have to see it before hand in this case.

If you have an electric engraving tool, please bring it to class.

Draw your design on white adhesive shelf paper and stick to the metal or draw on the metal. 

Pitch pots will be at your work stations when you arrive along with mineral oil.  Place the mineral oil on the back of your piece of metal before you locate it on the pitch.  The oil helps ease the removal of the plate from the pitch later.

Outline your design and put in some details either with a small outlining punch or with a hand engraving tool (electric).  

All pitch will be burned off outside the classroom on a table that I will provide.  I will have a torch outside for the burn-off. You will anneal the metal during the burn-off.   The pitch is leveled again with the torch but do not heat it enough to set the pitch on fire.  Oil the back of your metal and locate it back on the warm pitch and as soon as it cools enough.   Then repeat the process.  

Use very light and small strikes with your chasing and embossing punches.  Your design will slowly take shape.  You will alternately have to anneal and work on both sides of the piece.  You may want to also put a textured background around the design before finishing.  If this project is done in copper, we can then put on a patina with some different colors if appropriate.  We can do some with silver also but the choices are different.  The patinas can be sealed with Trewax or other chemicals.

If you don't finish while you are in class then take the pitch pot home or to the club to complete the work on Monday nights.

If it is a piece of art as opposed to jewelry when you finish, you may want to consider having it framed.

This is the last project in level 4 so when all work is completed bring your certification paper for me to sign.  

Keep your projects together and later we will have our "show and tell" at the club house and receive certification documents.

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