Hi,
I am using my half round drawplates for the very first time…and am starting the process with (annealed) square wire that i rolled down.
it seems to be working ok, and an advantage of using square wire is that i can pick one flat side to maintain consistent orientation through the drawplate…
but! I am wondering what best practices are…is it better to start with square wire? round wire?…
or…2 round wires together thru a round drawplate…
curious…
julie
When you want a flat side and crisp edges, it is probably better to start out with them, thus the square wire.
I’ve found that drawing round wire into angular shapes (say basically round rods that have eight small points)
causes the points to be jagged rather than smooth, once filled. Of course that could be poor technique on my part or inadequate lubrication of the wire, but that’s what I find that happens.
But why try to force round wire into a sharp corner if you already have wire with sharp corners?
As an aside, what is the absolute best lube to use when drawing? I had some green liquid, water soluble, that Otto Frei used to sell, which was o.k. but not great. I’m using bur life now, also o.k. but not great. Has anyone tried a high-pressure grease?
Neil A
Hi Neil!
ooohhhh, that eight point star looks interesting!!!
i just recently saw someone making rings with irregular striations on the wire and wondered how they achieved that effect…kinda reminds me of pasta…deeper less uniform than a line graver…perhaps they sre using something similar to the 8 point star…perhaps a custom made tool…
julie
I would worry a bit about the sharp edges of the square wire not completely conforming to the HR hole that you are drawing through leaving a bit of flashing. I would probably start with round wire. I roll my HR wire, mainly because I have HR rollers and no HR draw plate. Keep track of how much stock you start with resulting in a desirable amount of finished stock. You can use this ratio the next time that you need a specific amount of finished stock. Good luck…Rob
Hi Rob,
i wish i had half round rollers!!!
ok, so!…flashing was not really a problem…just a teeny bit of sharp edges…before annealing for the next passes, i just ran a piece if 400 grit down the length of the wire…
one interesting thing I learned is that i can stop before the the half round totally meets the flat edge/ bottom, and the result is a higher domed wire with straight sides…me likey…
my drawplates are medium dome half round…meaning the height is 50% of the length…
i contemplated also getting high dome half round draw plates, where the height is 60% of the length, but did not… i think i can achieve a similar high dome with these medium dome plates…
there was also a low dome half round drawplate, where the dome height was 33% of the length…
my next drawplate will be a sharp cornered square…
julie
This is a situation where what works for you is OK. It may not be the best way for someone else, but we, and our needs, are all different. Sanding off any flashing or feather edges always makes sense. You don’t want them reappearing later on when you think that you are done. Good luck…Rob
Hi,
check out the instagram account leenheyne, who does a beautiful striated texture on metal…does anyone know how this surface texture result might be achieved?
julie
I saw that today and wondered the same thing. If I find out I’ll let you know. It’s very interesting to see the contrast of texture with the form.
The five rings posting is amazing.
Maybe it’s a customized file or florentine graver? But it’s very cool.
Wow! What unique settings!
Her stuff is magic
A very good article on him here…
Leen Heyne artist statement:
The life of a Lenn Heyne jewel invariably starts with a single strip of precious metal. In his studio in Tilburg, located in the Dutch province of Brabant, Heyne places a passionate focus on the rich nature of this material. Each sweeping bend, twist, and turn is the result of a very balanced approach, achieved through manual dexterity and physically force.
Born: 1986 - NIjmegen the Netherlands
Only one of each gem-set piece is created- the stone and setting in combination are wholly unique. Heyne’s work is hand fabricated through a process he engineered over several years in which precious metal seemingly flows to support the gem and make it appear to float in the setting. A graceful approach that is incredibly strong, such as an elegant bridge.
A meticulous and persistent maker, Heyne is in constant evolution with his process, and has a mind that resists complacency
Absolutely beautiful, I love this prong less settings where the stone are seemingly hugged by the beautiful textured Gold.
Im wondering if hes somehow getting it to a certain temp then drawing it through and twisting or something?
I wonder if you put tension on a piece of gold at each end, add heat carefully, you could stretch it equally each direction. He must use soft pliers to form the piece as well. Probably lots of trial and error!
I commented on his Instagram that i thought he was using ancient viking techniques and he liked it w no comment. Busted!!! Lol
Heh try to get the secrets!! It’s a fun mystery!
Deeply presanded. Hmmmm lol
