BTW Julia, I much prefer white glue sticks to rubber cement to
place the paper designs (designed on computer). This works for
silver, but on sheet gold I have to abrade the surface. I'll try
rubber cement for gold sheet and see how it goes. I can't stand it
when the paper rides up with the saw. Anyone else have personal
preferences for adhering paper to sheet?
Catching up on my Orchid after a long time…there is an easy way to
transfer designs to sheet metal. No glue, no mess, durable until you
use a torch, at which time it disappears. One caveat, it requires
access to either a carbon-base toner used in a photocopy machine or
laser printer (b/w only, no color). Just draw or use your computer to
design your art work, print or photocopy (carbon-base toner,
remember) to a high quality paper. Tape the design along the edges of
the paper to the sheet metal.
Turn an iron upside down and block it to keep it stable. Place a
sheet of paper on the iron bottom (which is now the top), which
prevents any carbon or tape getting on the iron, and prevents the
husband getting clocked with the iron by the wife :-} Place sheet
metal and the paper transfer on top of the sheet of paper covering
the iron bottom.
Turn on the iron, usually to the cotton setting, or about 425
degrees F., and allow the metal to heat up. Transfer the design to
the sheet metal by way of using a folded piece of paper or a Pyrex
burnisher to rub across the design. It is very much like using
LetraPress.
When the design is transferred, use the protective bottom sheet to
transfer the whole works to a hot pad to cool off. Once cool, remove
the paper by peeling it off at a 90-160 degree angle, like you would
peel off tape.
Result is a nice, crisp design that holds up to oil, perspiration,
wax, lubricant, etc. until you finish sawing. The first lick of heat
above 800 degrees F. causes the carbon to disappear (carbonize).
You have beautiful Celtic work, by the way.