Hi Gerry, thanks for your feedback.
Ive thought about this too and think I aught to clarify the
difference between chasing punches and what I do.
Its important to know that chasing is basically repusse, here in the
UK that is, ie one is not incising the metal but pushing it back to
make the design usually on hollow ware thats filled with pitch during
this process…
What I do is on much thicker metal supported on a steel block,
usually 2in thick, 2in wide by 6in long thats hardened and supported
in a proper smiths leg vice, these are designed to be hammered upon,
not like engineers vices,! so whereas repusse/chasing can be done in
30/1000 metal, you cant do what I do on that thinness. you can of
course but the visual results arnt worth the effort.
Then the repusse worker uses a 6oz hammer and I use a 2lb one!. he
does lots of very light blows, i do just one per incise.
Id be interested to hear what you can get students to do in just 4
sessions.
As you know jewellry metal work can be done basically in 3 ways,
- cast,
- fabricated,
- Wrought.
What I do is 3. And, basically all my work is in that vein, tho of
course if im making buttons altho the fronts are blanked, then
minted in dies, the omega has to be silver brazed on the back. I only
fabricate if I have to. Some of the things I make are all done cold.
Once youve made a few punches, and tried them theres a tendency to
want to make lots more!. Is addictive!
Hope this is of some help.
Ted.