Hello Everyone,
Can someone suggest any books that focus on the techniques of
anticlastic raising and forging?
Thank you, Belinda
Try Silversmithing by Finegold and Seitz. I can’t remember off the
top of my head if it specifically addresses anticlastic raising, but
its a thorough workup of silversmithing techniques. (As opposed to
jewelry making).
Silversmithing (Jewelry Crafts)
By Rupert and Seitz, William Finegold , William Seitz
Price $25.17
Media: Hardcover
Manufacturer : Chilton Book Company
Release data : 01 August, 1983
Belinda,
Thanks for starting this thread. I know there must be many other
books on anticlastic raising out there and I’d like to read them.
A few online sources that I’ve enjoyed are:
Brian Clarke and Michael Good, or, “How they used to do it way back
when!”: http://homepage.tinet.ie/~ybc/TorqueProject-1.html
Michael Good, brief article on basics:
http://professionaljeweler.com/archives/articles/1999/dec99/1299mm2.html
Michael Good, a bit more of Michael and his philosophy:
http://professionaljeweler.com/archives/articles/1999/dec99/1299mm1.html
A brief ‘how to’: http://www.midcoast.com/~mgood/page2.htm
Michael Good’s website, awe inspiring work:
Books (what you asked for!)
Metals Technic: A Collection of Techniques for Metalsmiths (Jewelry
Crafts) by Tim McCreight (Editor) There’s a really
good article by Michael Good in here. It’s an much more complete
elaboration on the /page2.htm article above.
Metals Technic: A Collection of Techniques for Metalsmiths
By Tim McCreight
Price: $15.26
Paperback
Brynmorgen Press
Release data : June, 1997
Form Emphasis for Metalsmiths by Heikki Seppa Really thorough book
written in 1978. Covers a lot more than just anticlastic raising. You
have to try this stuff to really understand how to do it.
Form Emphasis for Metalsmiths
By Heikki Seppa
Price: $13.50
Paperback
Kent State University Press
Release data : 01 June, 1978
And that’s the small offering I have of anticlastic raising
instruction. Perhaps Oppi Untracht describes some of the technique?
I’ve ‘cook booked’ a lot of my casting knowledge. I tried that with
anticlastic raising and could get my hand positions right.
Everything I did felt awkward. Then Bill Churlick here in Asheville
showed me how to form a curved spiculum using a metal hammer and
delrin stake. I liked it! Finally, the metal began to move in a more
or less smooth way under my hammer.
Then (may we have a drum roll please?) I enjoyed a 4 day workshop
with Michael Good at MetalWerx. Wow! His teaching is as extraordinary
as his jewelry. He defines what’s going to happen very well with
clear descriptions and fun stories. He shows the class how to make
the most basic forms to just as advanced as people can push him. I
left Metalwerx thoroughly saturated with hands on knowledge of how to
make many of the designs that Michael has developed. Now my challenge
is to develop my own look! If you go to his website, michaelgood.com,
you’ll see what hard work, elegant consciousness, refined
craftsmanship can do.
Karen Christians has done a really superb job of creating a world
class jewelry school. It’s small and intimate. The teaching room,
when I was there in October, 2004, was clean, well organized, and
well equipped. Be sure to visit her website often so you can sign up
for the next Michael Good workshop! They fill up almost instantly!
Chuck in Asheville
Form Emphasis for Metalsmiths by Heikki Seppa
Jim Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts
Phone (360) 756-6550
Toll Free (877) 408 7287
Fax (360) 756-2160
@James_Binnion
Member of the Better Business Bureau
Ah Chuck!
Now my deer antler secret is out! They work. They also are good
conversation starters when the students cruise the tool drawers. I
need to get back to this technique. It is exciting to watch the
shapes develop. Anneal often!
Bill Churlik
@Bill_Churlik
www.earthspeakarts.com
Chuck,
Thank you so much for your advice and response to my question. I
have long admired the work of Michael Good and Patti Daunis and am
anxious to try to learn this tecnique for myself. Have a great day.
Belinda
Form Emphasis for Metalsmiths by Heikki Seppa http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books/us/product/0873382129.htm
This one is really good - a classic in my opinion.
Eric
Belinda,
It’s a really fun technique! I’m in love with it because it is so
much more immediate as compared to lost wax. And in a way, it’s as
elaborate in its technique as lost wax.
The elaboration comes in with each pass of the hammer over the
metal. For lost wax, I carve the wax, gate it, invest, burnout, cast,
solder and polish. For anticlastic raising, the form just keeps
elaborating itself as long as I keep hammering and annealing. The
technique has a lot of continuity in that the metal gets coaxed into
shape with basically the same tools from beginning to end. Hammer and
stake and you.
It’s just so neat to me to not have to invest, burn out, and cast!
Thanks again for starting the thread!
Chuck in Asheville
Greetings Chuck.
Here we are in the same town and I talk to you more over Orchid than
in person. Love it, what a great place to meet. You are definitely
right about how immediate the anti clastic raising is. I got wound up
yesterday, took a few minutes and did a piece like the sample you
showed me from Michael Good’s workshop that you took at Metalwerx.
There is something so soothing about moving that metal right where
you want it. Almost as much fun were the visitors who just watched
with big eyes as the metal moved around. One visitor was a
metallurgist for a company that builds race car engines for GM. He
went away with a whole new insight on moving metal. “Performance
Art”. It is like you already see the piece in your mind’s eye and
are just coaxing the metal into that shape that already exists so to
speak. (Philosophy Speak).
You are right about the difference from lost wax. Both processes
have their place. The shell forms that we are getting aren’t likely
to be castable anyway.
I need to bend up that large mandrel and then vessels will be fair
game.
Just rambling. This is fun stuff.
Bill Churlik
@Bill_Churlik
www.earthspeakarts.com
I have been following the posts regarding “Anticlastic raising” and
to be honest I was curious as to whether this was some kind of new
technique that I needed to learn. I was apprenticed for six years at
one of Londons most prestigeous gold and silversmithing companies
back in the sixties, as a goldsmith, and I never heard the term
anticlastic raising until the last decade. But as it turns out I
have been doing it for years when hammering out my flower shapes,
particilarly when shaping leaves and grasses. I am afraid working
alone for the past twenty years has meant that I am a bit behind
with many of the new techniques and machines available for our trade,
I am too old to learn new techniques of manufacture,the old ways suit
me best, but I am interested to read about new methods and all of
the queries regarding various available machines,lasers,welders,
torches and supplies mentioned on the Orchid digest. May I say to
anyone just starting, all you need is a small amount of hand tools,
an idea on how to use them, some talent, and a design then you can
make something to be proud of. I can make a good representation of a
flower using only a piercing saw, a home made shaped hammer, a block
of lead to hammer onto, some home made texturing punches, some doming
punches and a small oxy/propane torch with a borax cone and water for
flux.
James Miller FIPG - An English Goldsmith
Fellow of the the Institute of Professional Goldsmiths
https://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/jmdesign.htm
http://www.whoswhoingoldandsilver.com/search/portfolio.asp?did=136
I am too old to learn new techniques of manufacture,the old ways suit me best,
Hello James;
I’ve seen your work online, so I know what you are capable of, and
I’m not buying this about you’re being too old to learn new tricks,
not for a minute. But I appreciate the decorum of such humility.
Nonetheless, I also hope that there are a few folks new to the trade
who will have the patience to learn and master those old ways you
speak of. And I believe that you should find the time to experiment
with some of the newer techniques. Nobody would be the wiser, and
you might just find a pleasant surprise or two. I have to take a
break now and then from doing careful work with precious materials
and experiment with unusual materials and methods, making things that
have no market or audience to look forward to. It’s about as close
to a hobby as I have and helps me from feeling like a complete slave
to my livelihood. Sometimes I think that if I had the choice, that’s
all I’d do. That and gardening.
David L. Huffman