There are many techniques and skills used in metal jewelry making, but they all start with the basics. These basic skills will be used on every single piece of metal jewelry you make. And many pieces can be made with these skills alone. It’s likely that you are already familiar with sawing and drilling. Most people have sawn something in our lives, if only a loaf of bread or a tough cut of meat with a serrated knife. And most know what drilling is, if from nothing else but a visit to the dentist. But you’re probably not familiar with the term piercing as it is used in metal jewelry making or with the difference between buffing and polishing. This section will introduce you to these basic skills as well as a few others, along with some tips and tricks for their successful use in making metal jewelry.
The jeweler’s saw is one of the simplest tools to use and, in the beginning, probably the most frustrating. Most jeweler’s saws are made the same way: a C-shaped frame and handle with the saw blade strung between the top and bottom of the C and held tight with some type of clamp and thumbscrew. They come in different throat depths—the distance from the saw blade to the inside of the frame. This allows for cutting through different widths of metal and for larger piercing projects. A 4" (10.2 cm) jeweler’s saw will work for most small-scale jewelry applications.
One of the most important factors for the successful use of the jeweler’s saw is selecting the correct saw blade. The size of blade needed will differ with the gauge of metal you are cutting. Most suppliers carry blades in about sixteen different sizes, from size 8, the largest, to 8/0, the smallest. The Jeweler Saw Blades & Drill Bits Chart, in the appendix (page 218), will help you select the right saw blade for the metal gauge you are working with. Basically, the saw blade you use should have two to four teeth in contact with the metal at all times. If you use a blade that is too small, it will cut very slowly, making it hard to cut a straight line. If you use a blade that is too big, it will rip and tear the metal, leaving you with jagged uncontrolled cuts. Using the right blade for the gauge of metal you are cutting will also make it easier to clean up and finish the cut edges.
After selecting the correct saw blade, you need to string it in the saw frame. There are a number of ways to do this, and some saw frames will tension the blade differently, but this is the most common way to string a saw blade.
Tools
• saw frame of your choice
• 5/0 saw blades
• beeswax or commercially available bur lubricant
• bench pin with holder
• pencil or marker
• ruler
Materials
• 6" x 6" (15.2 x 15.2 cm) 22-gauge (.0643) copper sheet
• tracing paper
• rubber cement
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
• Wear eye protection.
• Know where your fingers are at all times.
Wear safety glasses, as tensioned blades can break and fly anywhere. Also be aware that the blades are sharp, so treat them as you would any other sharp object.
1 Examine your selected saw blade; you will notice the saw teeth point in only one direction.
2 Position the saw frame between your body and the edge of your bench or work surface. Putting a small dimple in the edge of the bench to rest the top of the saw frame in will help to keep it steady. Align the handle of the saw with the little pocket below your sternum.
3 Align the blade so that the teeth are pointing down toward the handle of the saw frame and out toward you. Insert the blade into the top clamp, and push it up until the blade can go no further; align the blade so that it is level with the saw frame and tighten the thumbscrew.
4 Loosen the frame adjustment screw on the back of the saw frame (a), and adjust the frame until the end of the saw blade is about 1/4" (6 mm) from the back of the bottom clamp (b); tighten the thumbscrew. This will most likely be the last time you have to adjust the saw frame.
5 Insert the blade into the bottom clamp and, with your body, push against the frame handle to add tension to the frame and then tighten the thumbscrew; this will take a few tries to figure out.
6 Hold the saw up to your ear and pluck the blade with your fingernail. Achieving the correct tension on the blade will take a bit of trial and error, but it will be close when you hear a medium-pitched ping. If the blade is too loose, it will make sawing difficult and it will be hard to follow a straight line; if it is too tight, it will break easily.
You are now ready to saw, and here is where it can become frustrating for the beginner. The first thing is to know, and accept, that you will break blades when you start out. No one can teach you exactly how not to break a blade except for yourself, and this requires practice, so buy blades in bulk. Most suppliers sell blades in packs of 12 and in what’s called a gross, which is 144 blades. Second, most beginners want to rush through the cut, sawing vigorously and trying to push the blade through the metal; this leads to many broken blades and a lot of aggravation. Take your time and let the saw do the work. Smooth, even strokes with light forward pressure is all you need.
The second part of the puzzle is the bench pin—the most used device on any jeweler’s bench. It is a block of wood with a tapered side and a flat side, and some have a V-groove cut into the center. If you don’t actually have a jeweler’s bench, you can purchase bench pins with holders in different configurations that will adapt to any workbench or tabletop.
1 With a ruler and pencil, draw a few 2" x 2" (5.1 x 5.1 cm) square boxes on a 6" x 6" (15.2 x 15.2 cm) sheet of 22-gauge (.0643 mm) copper.
2 Set the piece of copper on the bench pin with the first line that you want to cut in the center of the V-groove.
3 Lube the saw blade by drawing the blade across beeswax or a commercially available bur lubricant.
4 Hold the saw with your dominant hand and align the blade with the mark. While applying downward pressure to the copper sheet with your fingers of your other hand, place your thumb on the back of the blade and apply slight pressure. Tilt the blade forward slightly and draw the saw downward to start the cut. This will help you get the blade started where you want it to and will help you start to create the kerf—the name used for the cut that is created with the saw blade. After the initial cut, you can move your thumb and fingers to a more comfortable holding position.
5 Realign the saw so the blade is straight up and down. Your hand should be under the cut you are making. Hold the saw gently but securely, lock your wrist, and start cutting (a). Continue sawing on your line with smooth, even strokes, applying light forward pressure and using the majority of the toothed section of the blade (b). Make sure you do not twist the blade or tilt the saw frame to the left or right. Keep the blade square in the kerf and carefully follow your line.
6 Once you reach the end of your line, back the blade out of the kerf. You will find it easier if you repeat the sawing action as you are backing out the blade.
7 Repeat steps 2 through 6 on the other line to finish your square.
Now that you have a handle on straight cuts, let’s practice some lines that are not.
The following image is a template of different shaped lines. With a piece of tracing paper and a pencil, trace the designs.
1 Using rubber cement, adhere the traced designs to the square of copper you have already cut. A thin layer of the rubber cement will hold the design adequately; be sure to smooth out all the bubbles and let the cement cure for 10–15 minutes before you begin.
2 Lubricate your saw blade and start your saw as you did before, tilting the blade forward slightly to start the cut, then moving the blade into a vertical position to continue sawing. Remember to make smooth, even strokes and to keep the saw blade square in the kerf.
3 When you reach a corner or a sharp curve (a), you can no longer take the long strokes that you did on the straight cut. This is where you are most likely to break a blade, if you haven’t already. Here, you will need to take short, quick strokes. This will remove less material per stroke but will allow you to nibble away the metal while you are slowly turning it. Do not try to turn the saw blade into a corner or curve; it will bind and break. Try to keep the saw in the same position and turn the metal as you slowly nibble away at the cut (b). Also try to keep the piece supported on all sides with the bench pin as much as possible; this will help to reduce vibration, which translates to a more accurate cut (c).
When removing a tensioned saw blade, put pressure on the frame before loosening the bottom thumbscrew.
4 Practice, practice, practice.
The flex shaft is one of the most useful and most used tools on the jewelry artist’s bench. It is composed of four pieces: an electric motor, a foot pedal that controls the speed of the motor, a long flexible drive shaft that rotates inside a protective sheath, and a hand piece that attaches to the end of the shaft, onto which you can install small rotary tools, including drill bits, burs, and sanding discs.
Either the drill-bit gauge number or a millimeter measurement usually designates the size of drill bits used in jewelry making. Drill-bit gauge numbers range from size 80 (the smallest) to size 1 (the largest). A letter instead of a number is used to designate drill bit sizes larger than a 1. The appendix includes a conversion chart for drill bits that are most commonly used in making metal jewelry and that can be used with the standard flex shaft. For now, let’s concern ourselves with the proper way to drill a hole.
YOU WILL NEED
Tools
• flex shaft with hand piece and chuck key
•#60 (.0400") (1.01 mm) drill bit
• beeswax or commercially available bur lubricant
• small center punch
• small hammer
• steel bench block or anvil
Materials
• 1" x 1" (2.5 x 2.5 cm) square piece of 22-gauge (.0643 mm) copper sheet
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
• Wear eye protection.
• Know where your fingers are at all times.
• Secure long hair, no loose clothing, and wear closed-toed shoes.
• Remove distractions and be mentally present.
Let the bit do the work; do not try to force the bit by pushing down hard with the hand piece—light pressure is all you need. If the bit is not cutting with light pressure, then the bit is most likely dull and should be discarded.
1 Insert a #60 (1.02 mm) drill bit into the chuck of the hand piece and tighten the jaws with the chuck key. Make sure that the bit is squarely in the chuck. The easiest way of ensuring this is to close the jaws of the chuck until the bit just slides in the hole, before inserting the bit and tightening the chuck. If your bit is not in the chuck squarely, it will wobble as it spins. Lubricate the bit with beeswax or bur lubricant.
2 Pick a spot in the field of the copper piece and mark it with a pencil or marker. Place the piece of copper on a bench block or anvil, align a center punch with your mark, and lightly strike the punch with the hammer to make a slight indentation. This will help to guide the bit and keep the bit from “walking” or sliding across the piece.
3 Set the piece of copper on a wood block or bench pin. Hold it securely and align the bit with the indention you created with the punch; you will feel the tip of the bit fall into place (a). Hold the hand piece straight up and down, and begin drilling at a high rpm (revolutions per minute). Drill straight through the piece into the wood block or bench pin (b). Continue to let the bit spin as you extract it from the hole (c).
The main concern and danger of drilling holes into anything occurs if a bit binds. This can spin the piece you are drilling and possibly injure you, or it can spin off and injure someone around you. It is not much of a problem for small holes like this, especially if you are using a lubricated, sharp bit and are keeping the bit centered and plumb. For larger holes, there is a way to greatly reduce this risk. A drilling block is easy to make and it helps to secure the piece you are drilling. It can be made with a scrap of lumber and a paint stick. This will prevent almost any piece from spinning when drilling a hole. You can also use a metal screw to secure a corner of the piece for added safety.
To drill larger holes, never start with the size of drill bit that you want your finished hole to be. With any hole larger than 2 mm (.08"), a pilot hole should be used and you should use a step-up process. For example, to drill a finished hole that is 4 mm (.16") in diameter, start with a 1 mm (.0394") bit, and then move up to a 2 1/2 mm (.0984") bit and then finally a 4 mm (.1575") bit to finish. This process will reduce the chance of the bit binding in the metal and reduce the possibility of spinout. It will also result in a more accurate, cleaner hole. An even safer way of enlarging holes—and the choice of most jewelry makers—is to use burs (see the Bur Types and Their Uses chat in the Appendix, page 220).
Piercing is the technique used to cut shapes from the center of a piece of metal without cutting through the edges. It utilizes both drilling and sawing, and with patience and practice you can use the technique to create beautiful intricate designs.
Tools
• flex shaft with hand piece and chuck key
• #78 (.016") (.4064 mm) drill bit
• beeswax or commercially available bur lubricant
• center punch
• small hammer
• steel bench block or anvil
• saw frame
• 5/0 saw blades
• bench pin with holder
Materials
• 2" x 2" (5.1 x 5.1 cm) square piece of 22-gauge (.0643 mm) copper sheet
• tracing paper
• rubber cement
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
• Wear eye protection.
• Know where your fingers are at all times.
• Secure long hair, no loose clothing, and wear closed-toed shoes.
• Remove distractions and be mentally present.
1 Using a pencil and tracing paper, copy the design above and adhere it onto the square copper sheet with rubber cement and let cure for 10–15 minutes.
2 Mark drill points slightly inside the line of each piece you want to cut out.
3 Place the copper sheet on a bench block or anvil. Using a center punch and hammer, very lightly punch all of the marks you made. The drill bit is very small and does not need a deep impression to follow.
4 Insert a #78 (.016") (.4064 mm) drill bit into the hand piece and secure it with the chuck key. Select a drill bit for piercing that is just big enough for the saw blade to slip through. You might wonder why you need to use such a small drill bit for piercing. First off, you don’t, except for designs with delicate line work, where a larger drill bit would make a noticeable hole. But if you are working with precious metals, be diligent in saving as much metal as you can. Drillings, chips, and filings are called bench sweeps and they are really only good for the refiner. The Jeweler’s Saw Blade & Drill Bit Chart, in the appendix, page 218, will help in selecting the proper drill bit for the size of saw blade you are using.
6 String your saw with a 5/0 saw blade, but before you insert the blade in the bottom jaw, thread it through one of the holes that you have drilled in the design. Then insert the saw blade into the bottom jaw, tension the frame, and tighten the thumbscrew.
7 Lubricate the saw blade, align the piece properly on the bench pin, and carefully cut out the design, cutting slightly inside your line. This will give a little material that can be filed or sanded off to refine the edge.
8 Once the piece is cut out, apply tension to the saw frame as you did when installing the blade and loosen the bottom thumbscrew. Remove the blade from the finished cut and move onto the next piece to cut out.
9 Repeat until the design is complete.
Bits will break and they are almost impossible to extract, so in the beginning you might want to use a larger bit like a #60 (.04") (1.016 mm) until you get the hang of it.
Anytime you cut metal, no matter what tool you use, you will be left with an edge that is rough or distorted in some way. Filing is the first step in the finishing process, regardless of the desired final finish. Filing is the simplest and most intuitive skill to learn if you follow a couple rules: First, firmly support the piece that you are filing. Second, file in only one direction, away from yourself. And finally, use a flat file for straight cuts and outside curves, and a rounded file for inside curves.
The files that are used most in making metal jewelry are called needle files. Like drill bits and saw blades they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and cuts. The cut of a file is its coarseness, which relates to its ability to remove metal. Depending on the manufacturer, needle files can be found in #0–#6 cuts (the higher the number the finer or less coarse the file is), and typically in sets of 6–12 different shapes. For general use, a set of #2 and #4 cut files will accomplish pretty much anything that you will need. A diagram of Common Needle File Shapes & Uses can be found in the appendix (page 220).
YOU WILL NEED
Tools
• set of files #2 cut
• bench pin and holder
Materials
• pierced design from the Piercing chapter
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
• Wear eye protection.
• Know where your fingers are at all times.
• Secure long hair, no loose clothing, and wear closed-toed shoes.
• Remove distractions and be mentally present.
1 Flip the bench pin so that the angled side faces up. You will find it easier to support the piece on this side of the pin. Place the piece so that it slightly overlaps the edge of the bench pin and pinch the piece and the pin together tightly. Using the flat side of a half round needle file, come up from below the piece. Place the file against the edge and with your index finger apply pressure to the file.
2 Push the file up and away from you, following the curvature of the design. Filing in this way will allow you to see where you are in the filing process.
3 Remember the file cuts in only one direction, so, at the end of the stroke, take the pressure off of the file as you bring it back to the beginning for your next stroke. The pressure you apply to the file with your finger should be enough that you are removing material, but not so much that it is hard to move the file along the edge.
You can also clamp the piece in a bench vise for support, as shown in the photos above, but make sure you use something to protect the piece from the vise jaws. A piece of thick leather between the piece and the jaw face on either side will work fine.
Support the piece using the bench pin or a vice. Pick an inside curve and, using the rounded side of the same half round file, begin filing as you did before.
The finishing of a piece of jewelry can make or break how successful the completed piece is. A finished piece with rough dull surfaces, unless it has been envisioned with those traits in mind, can distract from an otherwise well executed design. This applies especially to those designs that are meant to have a high polish, where imperfections are magnified. The two terms that are most used in finishing are polishing and buffing. Polishing prepares the surface for buffing by removing small amounts of metal and smoothing the surface to a uniform finish. Buffing removes small imperfections in the polished surface and brings out the true color of the metal.
There are two methods that you can use to finish metal, hand finishing and mechanical finishing. Both can be used to achieve similar results, the only real difference is the time that is required and the tools that are needed.
YOU WILL NEED
Tools
• your hands
Materials
• 1 1/2" x 2" (3.8 x 5.1 cm) rectangular pieces of 22 gauge (.0643 mm) brass sheet
• wet or dry sandpaper in 400 grit, 600 grit, 1000 grit, 1500 grit, and 2000 grit
• commercially available metal polish
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
• Wear eye protection.
• Know where your fingers are at all times.
• Secure long hair, no loose clothing, and wear closed-toed shoes.
• Remove distractions and be mentally present.
1 Place the piece of metal that you want to finish on a water resistant surface. Using a piece of wet or dry 400 grit sandpaper and a few drops of water, sand the piece in one direction only.
2 Once you have sanded the surface to a uniform finish rinse the piece in clean water, turn the piece 90 degrees and repeat the sanding process with 600-grit sandpaper.
3 Rinse the piece in clean water, turn the piece another 90 degrees and sand with 1000-grit sandpaper
4 Repeat the process until the surface has a uniform 2,000-grit finish. The piece can now be buffed with a commercially available metal polishing paste.
You can also use a piece of a paint stick to wrap the sand paper around. This can give you better control of the amount of pressure you are applying and can give you a smoother, more uniform finish.
The type of buffing machine most common in the jewelry studio consists of an electric motor mounted inside of a metal cabinet, that drives one or two spindles. Inside of the cabinet is a fan that produces suction, which pulls wheel fibers and compound dust away from the user and into a disposable filter.
The type of buffing wheels and compounds you need will depend on the metal you are using and the surface condition of that metal. There are many different compounds on the market, some metal specific and some that can be used for multiple metals. Ask your supplier for recommendations and then experiment yourself to find out what works best for you.
The metal surface should be relatively free of scratches before you start to polish. If the metal has deep scratches, the process will only enhance them. The surface should have an overall uniform preparation to at least a 600-grit finish before polishing.
YOU WILL NEED
Tools
• buffing cabinet
• cut and polish buffing wheel—stitched fine muslin
• final polish buffing wheel—loose unstitched cotton wheel
Materials
• 1 1/2" x 2" (3.8 x 5.1 cm) rectangular pieces of 22 gauge (.0643 mm) brass sheet
• white diamond compound
• red rouge
• rubber gloves
PRECAUTIONARY NOTE
This is extremely important. When using any machine, including the buffing machine, direct all of your attention to what you are doing. The buffing motor spins at an extremely high rpm. This produces large amounts of torque that can pull the piece you are working on out of your hand with great force, possibly injuring you or someone around you. Always be mentally present and concentrate on what you are doing. Never try to polish wire or chain with the buffing machine unless you have the proper equipment. Polishing compounds should never be inhaled, so always wear a protective dust mask when polishing with any motorized tool. Always ask your supplier for a MSDS (material safety data sheet) on the compounds you use.
1 Put on a pair of rubber or latex gloves. Polishing and buffing is a messy job, and compounds are hard to get off of fingers and almost impossible to remove from under fingernails; later in this book, you will notice exactly when I skipped this step for a quick polish and buff. Also put on a dust mask and safety glasses.
2 Install a stitched fine muslin buff on the spindle of the motor and turn the motor on. Charge the buff with the polishing compound (white diamond) by touching the bar to the wheel for a count of one thousand one. You do not need a lot of compound; if you use too much, the wheel will glaze and will create scratches instead of remove them.
3 Hold the piece that you want to polish with a firm pinch grip. If the wheel grabs the piece, this type of grip will allow the piece to slip out of your hands without injuring you.
Buffing wheel work zone. The work zone on any buffing wheel is the bottom quarter of the wheel only.
4 Press the piece into the wheel with enough pressure that the wheel just starts to slightly deform (a). With a slight swirling motion, move the piece back and forth across the face of the wheel but not so far that the piece will leave the wheel (b). Repeat this three to four times and inspect your progress (c).
5 Charge the wheel again and continue this process until the entire piece has a smooth scratch-free finish. There will still be very fine scratches that look like a fine haze, but they will come out in the buffing step.
6 Once you have completed polishing the piece, install a fine unstitched buffing wheel and charge it with buffing compound (red rouge) as you did earlier. Repeat until you have a smooth, shiny mirrorlike finish. Use a 50/50 solution of ammonia and water to remove any residual compound, and rinse thoroughly.
At some point, you may have stubborn scratches that do not come out with this procedure and you might need to be more aggressive. Try pulling up on the piece, pulling against the direction the wheel is spinning while moving across the face of the wheel so the wheel will cut more aggressively. The opposite works with buffing: move downward with the rotation of the buffing wheel while applying light pressure to help remove swirl marks.
For smaller jobs, intricate parts, and touch-ups, try the many sanding, polishing, and buffing attachment that can be used on the flex shaft. They come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and grits and are used in the same manner, starting with coarser grits, progressing to finer grits, and then polishing and buffing using the same compounds.
Never mix your compounds. Once you have used a wheel for a compound, mark your wheel and use it for that compound only. Mixing compounds will only lead to poor results in the future.
Patinas are a way to give color to metal and to enhance a texture. There are many ways to patina metal and a lot of them use harsh chemicals and acids that are not necessary. This chapter will cover two patina methods that are about as safe as they get.
For most metals used in jewelry making, the surface that is exposed to the atmosphere is constantly oxidizing. The more reactive the metal is, as with pure copper, the faster this reaction; this is what most of us call tarnishing. Patinas are a way to speed up this natural process and “control” it. There are many variables that will affect a patina, such as temperature, humidity, and how clean the metal is before patination; this is where jewelry makers need to put on their chemistry hat and experiment a bit.
The patina on a piece is a surface finish, and although some are remarkably durable, they are also fragile; incorporate them into your designs in such a way that they will be protected. A layer of wax or lacquer can be used to protect the patina and help retard any further oxidation.
Tools
• enameled pot or glass container
• warming plate
• saw and saw blades
Materials
• 22-gauge (.643mm) (.025") sterling silver sheet
• liver of sulfur, warmed and mixed properly
• clean running water
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
• Wear eye protection.
• Know where your fingers are at all times.
• Secure long hair, no loose clothing, and wear closed-toed shoes.
• Remove distractions and be mentally present.
Liver of sulfur (sulfurated potash) is a chemical compound consisting of potassium sulfides. This compound has been used for ages in the jewelry trade to darken metals. Liver of sulfur comes in two forms: a dry lump form that needs to be mixed with water prior to use and a liquid form that is premixed and ready to use straight from the bottle. It has a strong “rotten egg” smell that is easily transferred to skin or clothing and can cause respiratory irritation, so be sure to follow proper safety precautions. As with any chemical or gas, a well-ventilated environment is a must, as are protective gloves and safety glasses. Ask your supplier for an MSDS sheet and follow the manufacturer’s directions and recommendations.
1 Prepare the liver of sulfur solution in an enameled pan or glass dish. If using the lump form, mix 1/2 gram (.018 oz) liver of sulfur with 6 fl. oz. (177 ml) of clean water.
2 Place the pan on a warming plate or a fully adjustable hot plate; you do not want to bring the solution to a boil, as boiling the solution releases hazardous fumes, you just want to keep the solution warm. If you do not have a warming plate, warm the water prior to mixing. The solution will also work at room temperature but the reaction will take much longer.
3 Thoroughly clean a piece of 22-gauge (.643mm) (.025") sterling silver sheet. This patina works best on a rough surface. Use 600-grit sandpaper to rough up the surface of the metal before cleaning it.
4 Put on a pair of rubber or latex gloves and, holding the piece by its sides, dip the sterling silver sheet into the warm solution (a) and immediately rinse with cool, clean water (b).
You will see a progression of colors forming on the surface of the metal, from yellow to black. By dipping the sheet of metal in a warm solution and rinsing it with cool water, you are able to control the reaction somewhat and stop when you achieve the look you want.
The colors that can be achieved depend greatly on a number of factors: the temperature of the solution, the concentration of the solution, the environment (that is, the temperature and humidity level in the work space), the time that the solution has to react with the metal before it is rinsed, and the quality of the water that is used. Experimentation is the only way to know what will work for you. If you want a black patina, then these variables are not important. Whatever the final patina, develop it on the surface slowly to achieve a durable finish.
A protective layer of lacquer can be applied to seal the patina; it may, however, mute some colors. If left unsealed, it will continue to oxidize over time.
As previously mentioned, a patina can also be used to enhance a texture. This piece of copper was roller embossed with a leaf. The texture can be seen on the raw metal, but if you patina the piece with liver of sulfur and then remove the patina on the high spots, the texture will be highlighted and the image will pop.
If you are experienced with soldering, then you are already familiar with this patina, but you have been using flux to all but eliminate it. Anytime you anneal or solder a piece you are oxidizing it. This oxidation, along with the flux, is mostly removed in the pickle bath and further removed when it is sanded and finished. Copper, the most reactive metal used in this book, responds exceptionally well to a heat patina and produces a beautiful red oxide coating. Most heat patinas are very fragile and the colors will be muted with the use of a lacquer or wax coating; but this one, when done correctly, produces a surprisingly durable patina that does not lose its vibrancy.
Tools
• torch and striker
• soldering tripod and screen
• polishing cabinet, buffs, and compounds
• dapping block and punches
• disc cutter (optional)
• saw and 5/0 saw blade
Materials
• 22-gauge (.643mm) (.025") sterling silver sheet
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
• Ensure proper ventilation.
• Know where your hands are at all times.
• Make sure the area is clear of any flammables.
• Secure long hair and no loose clothing.
• Remove distractions and be mentally present.
• Never light a torch with a cigarette lighter.
• Work on a nonflammable surface.
• Wear eye protection.
• Wear flame-resistant clothing and closed-toe shoes.
1 Cut a circle from the copper sheet using a disc cutter or saw and saw blade. Dome the piece using a dapping block and punches (see Dapping, page 90).
2 Sand, polish, and buff the piece to a high gloss (see Finishing, page 32).
3 Clean the piece thoroughly; any residual compound or fingerprints will contaminate the patina.
4 Place the piece on a soldering screen and tripod, and start heating the piece slowly from below. You will notice a progression of colors form on the surface as the metal gets warmer; continue heating until the surface has turned black. The slower you raise the heat, the thicker the oxide layer becomes and the more durable the patina will be.
5 Turn off your torch and let the piece air cool. Do not quench or pickle.
6 Once the piece has cooled, lightly buff it with red rouge; this will remove the black and reveal the red oxide layer. A thin layer of conservator’s wax can be applied to protect the finish.
