Repoussé with iron

[LeMarechal]

Hi to all out there,

it seems that repoussé often means : working with nonferous metals.

But in earlier day´s  there was much repoussé-work on iron. Take a look at all these leafwork at older buildings etc. and you know what I mean

However, I can´t find books about chasing, repoussé etc with iron? Does anyone know such a book explicit for ironworks, respectively for blacksmiths?

 

greetings Sascha

[ThomasPowers]

Well not on the actual techniques; which are pretty much the same only with more force needed---and the lowest carbon steel you can find like 1005  rather than 1018 or 1020!  However for some truly amazing repousse work done in medium carbon steel:

"Heroic Armor of the Italian Renaissance: Filippo Negroli and his Contemporaries",    Pyhrr, Stuart W., and José-A. Godo

[LeMarechal]

Hi Thomas,

 

hoping you survived this dentist thing...!

 

Thank you for the tip with the armor. That may be a good scene to look around for further informations.

 

Greetings

Sascha

[ThomasPowers]

There is at least one person out on the west coast of the USA doing Negroli level work in steel; I'll see if I can dig up a name and perhaps a website with some info on how he works it. (As I recall he gets commissioned to do some work for the Movies.)

[ThomasPowers]

Ah yes; look at the  armour work of Ugo Serrano for modern repousse in steel to high levels of art indeed!

[Frosty]

Mr. Serrano's work is intimidatingly exquisite. 

Not to be picky but repousse is the name of a technique that has nothing to do with what it's used on. Means "pushed from the back". The fine detail is "Chased" meaning driven in from the front with special chisels and punches. 

Altoid and cookie tins make excellent practice stock and nice gifts. They're thin low carbon steel made to be easy to press or extrude and so, stretch well and take good detail chasing. Maybe better when you screw up and punch through or just make something horrible looking the stock's price doesn't hurt so much to toss them

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

Though I think it is specific to metals; I haven't heard any chased and repoussee'd clay or plastic for instance.

Copper is often a beginner's material as it is easy to source, anneal and work.

[Frosty]

Yes, metal,  that was sloppy of me. <sigh>  

I JUST remembered, Mike Rowe in a "Dirty Jobs" episode worked with a potter who made face pots, with repousse and chasing techniques. Knuckles from the inside and clay tools on the outside. 

Not that it's a valid exception, especially here but it came to mind as I was moving the cursor to the Send button.

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

I wonder if the same term is used though. The definitions I just checked do associate both terms with metal.

[IronAlchemy]

For books, go to bluemoonpress.com and search repousse. I am not familiar with European artists or training opportunities but in the US you can check out Doug Pryor (http://douglaspryor.com) and Saign Charlestein (http://www.saignc.com) as current artists who also teach. Saign sells tools as well. Ernie Dorrill used to teach but has pretty much retired. Dan Nauman, Tom Latane, Peter Renzetti and Carl Close are also well know US blacksmiths who do chasing and repousse in iron. There are numerous other artists that you can find online.