Fold forming question

Jewelry Discussion
1

I am working on a rather large project for a class project (
sculpture piece) and have decided to try fold forming. I have cut a
piece of copper, pattern similar to that in the metals technic book
for the Ruger fold. My copper is about 4 1/2 inches at the widest
part (after folding).

My question is, will this metal curve when hammered or is the
distance from the hammer area too great from the open edge of the
copper? Has anyone tired fold forming this big, and what were the
results?

Thanks for any answers you can give me, I appreciate it, Karen

2

Hi Karen,

It depends on how thick your copper is, and what kind of hammer
blows you give. Also how long the strip is, as if the proportions are
too blunt you will not get much curvature. Long narrow, elegant
proportions are important for best results.

If you forge heartily you should get some movement.

This piece is about 2 feet high, out of 20 guage

And this one is about 2 1’2 feet across out of 24g.

For best results on a Rueger fold:

Keep the hammer at right angles to the fold edge (the handle is
parallel to the fold edge when forging) The blow should cover one
half the distance across the folded sheet (halfway from fold edge to
leg).

The mark of the blow should be a single mark, a single blow rather
than a colletion of little pecks. You may not be able to do this on
this size, instead try and get the marks as long as you can.

Stay just inside the fold edge with the hammer blows. (use a
synclastic forging hammer peen).

best
Charles

3

Karen,

I have fold formed copper sheet 24"X36" with no problem. Contact me
directly if you would like to see some images.

4

Charles,

Thank you for the images! I feel a hammer attack coming on. Guess I
know what I will be doing Friday afternoon!

I do a “morning glory” that is a variation on the Heistad Cup. It
involves moving 6 layers of 24 gauge copper. I use an 800 gram hammer
“heartily” and get 100% elongation.

Thanks for the inspiration!

Bill Churlik
@Bill_Churlik
www.earthspeakarts.com

5

Thank you Charles and Joel for your help.

The piece I am working on is about thirty inches long and four and
1/2 inches at the widest part. The copper metal is 20mm thick and I
have it folded over).

I understand about the fold and not hammering on it and about
hammering not more than 1/2 of the way out toward the open end. I
am sorry I do not know what a synclastic forging hammer peen looks
like, the one I though I should use comes to a taper at one end but
is not sharp enough to cut the metal and is about 14 mm wide, I do
have another one that is bigger and more rounded but it is kind of
squared at the end so I don’t think this will work. I bought another
hammer at a local welding shop that is tapered at the end and can be
modified so it is not so sharp. Thanks again for everyone’s help.

Karen