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Out of curiosity I picked up a small sheet of copper. Wanted to try covering something with it but the wife couldn't think of anything she wanted done.
So, I grabbed an old wooden bowl I never finished and just started hammering.
Ain't much but I enjoyed making this sort of square bowl. ~5".
Not sure this qualifies as metal working so I put it here.
(EDIT: moved to metalworking, as per Bill's note. JKJ)
My son does a lot of repoussé. The technique can go nicely with woodworking. This is a weekend project my son and I made a couple of years back:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/finewoodwor...mage4-mainjpeg
Always fun to try something new, especially if it doesn’t take a whole lot of start up cost. I think it turned out really well. Nice job!
Nice look. I tried that with soft zinc and then some mild steel, hammering into a depression formed on the end of a log.
I think it is metalworking. Do you want it moved? Some people who follow the metals might be interested. Or it could be in Turning since you turned the "form".
A round disk hammered like this can fit nicely into a turned recess as a lid or as an accent in a lid.
JKJ
I tried it years ago with a canvas bag of sand as my form. Worked ok. Frankly I don't even remember what I made other than a small spoon and an ashtray.
I love the look of hammered copper. It does work-harden quickly though & needs to have the torch put to it regularly to soften it.
That would be nice, JKJ.
If you consider it metalworking then I would like it moved, thank you.
Yes, it does harden quickly, so I torched it many times as I was forming it.
Today I cut a 9" round sheet and still pushing it up.
Steve, incredible looking piece. Do I understand correctly that it is copper clad wood or is it a hollow made with soldered pieces?
Is the bottom flat?
For some reason running the bottom over a belt sander keeps popping into my head.
jtk
Hard to see with flash.
I struck the bottom from the top with about a 2" turned piece of wood with beveled edges.
It's not working well for me.
I need to create an obvious flat bottom.
That is, if you are talking about the round piece.
The smaller piece I sanded with 220 on my orbital sander.
Once I get the bottom to my liking I think I will spray it with flat or satin. lacquer.
Am I doing anything that others obtain from doing?
Am I doing anything right?
Not being smart. Just trying to get am idea whether or not this is something that I show any promise.
In short....should I abandon this craft after looking at my first 2 pieces.
I appreciate honest opinions regardless of how much my mind has fooled me into false expectations.
It's a bandsawn box made from hard maple. The lid is also maple with a hammered copper top sheet. The knobbly surface of the wood was done with a gouge. Finished, I think, with boiled linseed oil and carnauba.
Bill,
Most metal working like that I've seen and done has been with metal tools against a steel or wooden form. There are hammers and other tools made just for that but I don't have any myself.
Are you annealing the copper as you go? Copper and brass get work-hardened and must be annealed to keep soft and pliable. They are annealed differently from steel. (lots of google help). I once watched a metal-spinning demonstration and the guy took the piece off the lathe and annealed a copper disk several times. (You might look into metal spinning. If not familiar with it the process involves forming a disk of metal around a turned wooden or other form. It can be done easily on the wood lathe with the right tools.)
The time-honored method of forming metal by hand has a lot of promise! I've dabbled but have always been interested. I'm signed up for a course this summer and if I don't know more by then I'll have wasted my money. :)
JKJQuote:
Originally Posted by Bill Jobe
I dabbled in silversmithing as a hobby for a time. The art of making a 3 deminsioned item from flat sheet is called "raising". It has a steep learning curve. I once visited a shop in a small English town and they had hundreds of different hammers and stakes for shaping. All highly polished. It was amazing to watch them work.
Yes, John, I heat it up as soon as I can hear it getting hard.
Been using a MAP torch and that gets it to about 600F.
Is it necessary to quickly cool it with water or does letting it cool (>2 or 3 minutes).
Steve, just how big is that piece?
I'm not understanding exactly what I'm looking at. I don't see any wood.
What is a bandsaw box?
It's beautiful.
I didn't explain my question about letting it cool by itselt. Does it require being squelched to stay soft.
Thanks for moving my thread, John
Hopefully I'll get more feedback here.
A couple of members have mentioned using a sandbag .
Didn't have one on hand so I am using a bag of lead shot from back when my oldest Granddaughter and I used to bench shoot.
It took just one trip to the range to realize she was a far better shot than me so I reloaded and she shot the gun.
Sadly she can no longer participate in target shooting.
Since it's lead, I wrapped it in an old pillowcase. Don't want to kick up and lead dust.
Members of metalworking, am I doing anything dumb?