JHCC Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 There’s a good thread on homemade chaser’s pitch HERE. Here’s a tip I picked up on the Chasing and Repoussé Facebook group for a backing material that can be easily molded onto the non-working side of your piece, comes right off with needing to be heated, and actually has the intriguing non-Newtonian property of getting harder as it’s struck: Silly Putty! This is now an indispensable part of my “repoussé on the road” kit, since it can be applied, removed, repositioned, and reapplied at will and without needing a heat gun or a torch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 To touch on that earlier bit, working marble glass at high temps makes it sag, or slump, so if you're looking to keep the shape, as above, do the last bit cold. If worked hot, and you slump glass into a circle, slit, or bezel it looks cool as heck, but with iron it tends to crack as it cools because of the different coefficients of friction, i.e. the iron and the glass contract different amounts or at different rates. Plus if not annealed, the glass often cracks anyway from thermal shock. This makes for a really cool crazed sort of eye of Sauron effect if you want, but too much and you're risking glass splinters or it falling out of the piece. Copper on the other hand, or even bronze usually works well with it because they have very close coefficients of expansion to glass. Stan, aka trying-it used to play with copper and glass a lot, and he got me toying with it a few years ago before he passed. Different glasses also have different temps, so some glasses have to be hotter than others. Also, also, just in case I haven't babbled enough, you can slump and even melt at least some glass in a microwave...if you start it with a torch first. NOT OSHA recommended though (i.e. it ain't remotely safe) and can be pretty rough on the microwave. And for the truly insane...under the power hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 That was fun, I think they need to develop a better work circle though. Thanks for the link. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shainarue Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 Frosty I was thinking the same thing. That run from glass work room to metal work room with a big blob of molten glass leading the way - it's a recipe for serious injury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 I think any relatively normal tool oriented person would think the same way! On the other hand putting 15 or so lbs. of squishy hot glass under a power hammer WOULD be pretty darned irresistible. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 Made a hammer for a freind. Came out just under 2#,. Soaking in linseed oil right now, after a few days i will take it to work and test for hardness. Made from 1040, hickory handle. Also made a small cross pein for an iron in the hat at an event i will be attending the end of April. Worked on a couple ideas for a scroll on an upcoming project. This is the one i am liking most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 Looks pretty nice for only being able to see one angle from a distance? Hmmmm? I don't know about the handle though, I like them to widen gradually from head to the end. It makes them almost effortless to hold onto. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 Made a template for marking out tryzubi in preparation for repoussé. Not perfect, but a lot faster than tracing with carbon paper, especially since the original sketch is getting a bit fragile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 I tried modelling it after my hammer. I left a bit of material so that it could be modified for the user. The polished shin spots on my hammer are from use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 Nice hammer I'll bet he loves it. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 Finished another repoussé practice piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 Took the hammer to work to day and put it on the hardness tester. 60 Rockwell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 Billy 60Hrc where? edge of face, center of face? John, your getting better.. Nice seeing steady improvements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 Side of face, the tester would not open far enough to get a test on the center of the face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 I've never used a tester. Does it put a ding or dent in the test piece? Maybe I should look it up. I'd rather ask you. And JHCC how did you cut out your template? Dremel'? Saw and file? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 Yes. Or at least the ones we use and i am familiar with do. It is not very big at all and you have to look for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 I can't find my jeweler's saw (I think it may be in my old woodworking toolbox in the basement, but I haven't actually used it in over thirty years), so I punched out most of the holes' area with my little Roper Whitney No. 5 Jr and then cleaned things up with a couple of files. I was greatly aided in making the straight sides by using the depth stop. Once that's set to punch holes a specific distance from the edge, all you have to do is punch a bunch of them side-by-side and then go over them again to punch out the bits in between. Punching overlapping holes wasn't a problem with this thickness of brass; certainly much easier than trying to make them with a twist drill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 Thank you both! I was wondering about testing the hammer face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 Hrc, test files don't leave enough mark it can't be polished out on a buff. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluerooster Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 I've got one of those punches at work. It works great for punching holes in sheet steel for plug welds. I let a coworker borrow it the other day, (he'd been drilling holes) He loved it, and wants one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rojo Pedro Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 Nice repousse John. Like the background texture Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 I created the texture with tools made by heating the ends of some steel rods, hammering them against a file, grinding the outside to shape, and hardening & tempering. Here are a few others I made with the same process, although instead of hammering against a file, I hammered them against a rough spot on my shop floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad J. Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 Spent the night yesterday working on more clothes hangers. I'm playing around with the bodies making them each kinda unique. Did I mention how much I like my swage block I made from 1 inch square stock? It's great for making half rounds. Need to make a few other shapes to pound into it. Maybe some nice tapers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 15 hours ago, JHCC said: I hammered them against a rough spot on my shop floor. That is brilliant in my mind, I'll have to remember it when making texturing tools. I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s. Semper Paratus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 (edited) Using the shop floor for texture, i agree that is brilliant. Made a couple sample pieces for a ranch/butcher place that just opened here. The fork and ladle. Also made this Viking ship hook rack. I call it a Viking ship, the scrolled part is the sail and shields, the square bar the boat. That is what it looks like to me at least. Edit: i forgot to add that is the scroll i made the other day as a trial, this is what i did with the practice scroll. Edited March 16 by BillyBones forgot ssomething Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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