alternative way to create hammered finish on white gold?
I am trying to create a hammered finish on a 10ktw gold wedding band
and on a 14ktw band as well. I am a student in jewelry and have only
worked with silver and base metals thus far and white gold is
certainly a different animal. I am looking for a fairly pronounced
hammered texture. I have tried a ball peen hammer but in order to
get a visible texture I have to hit the metal hard enough to deform
the band. The bands are for my son and his fiancee who have decided
to get married in 2 months and asked me to make their bands.
Performance pressure! I have heard that there is a way to create a
hammered finish with a rotary tool might that be a better option for
me? Or do i need a different kind of hammer or tool for striking? I
realize this is an awfully basic question for this forum but I have
had no luck getting help anywhere else and I am desperate. Can anyone
suggest a resource, tool, or other approach I might try? Thank you
SO much in advance for your help!
I’ve always used a planishing hammer for this finish. I hit the band
while it is on a ring mandrel, held parallel to the surface. The
planishing hammer is only slightly domed. Let me know if you need
further
I am looking for a fairly pronounced hammered texture. I have tried
a ball peen hammer but in order to get a visible texture I have to
hit the metal hard enough to deform the band.
We had discussion about design of repousse tools recently, and your
problem is related to that. In this case it is more appropriate to
talk about chasing, but principles are the same. You need a round
punch, where diameter of the face is twice the desired footprint,
and crown diameter maybe 5x diameter of the face. Start with that. If
still unsatisfactory, either get a heavier hammer, or increase
magnification factor to 7x or even higher. If alloy is very hard, you
may have to do both. If you have no idea what I am talking about,
find previous thread about repousse punches. The main idea is that
you would have to create high enough pressure per unit of area to
overcome metal resistance to deformation.
I have to hit the metal hard enough to deformthe band.
Well, Wendy, it’s a little secret… I have a friend who has
calculated rings so that he can make a strip, hammer it and it will
stretch to just the right size. Now, if the band is already made then
you have two problems, really - even three… One is that it’s darn
difficult to hammer with force hanging on a ring mandrel, the second
is the deformation, as you say. And the third is that you’re going to
change the ring size by up to a couple of sizes, depending. So don’t
hammer it… … Get a giant round/ball bur and go over
the whole ring, being careful to keep it random. Then go back with a
rubber wheel, leaving more or less texture behind as you like.
I like to make thick band rings with a hammered texture, whether
just a band or a shank for a ring with a stone. I solder the ring
closed (with hard solder), making it a couple of sizes too small,
then hammer the texture into the ring while it’s on the ring mandrel.
I’ve found that it works really well for me and is the only way to
guarantee the ring is truly round. Oh, don’t forget to turn the ring
round on the mandrel, or you’ll have one side a different size to
the other, due to the tapered shape of the mandrel! And anneal
periodically if necessary.
To produce a hammered finish on a gold band, the band should first
be annealed. You should then place it on a mandrel and hammer, using
a hammer with a polished peen surface. A ball peen hammer will work
if you sand and polish the ball but it would be best to use a hammer
designed for metalsmithing. Hammering will deform and enlarge the
ring, so you will have to straighten it and then resize it. The
soldering necessary toresize it will require that it be refinished.
You can however, using a flex shaft or dremel tool and a fairly fine
wheel, produce a finish which looks like a hammer finish. Sounds like
that might be your best bet.
We had discussion about design of repousse tools recently, and
your problem is related to that.
In regards to the previous thread on punch design please take a look
at my latest drawing in an attempt to understand the principals
involved in designing a chasing punch:
The drawing attempts to incorporate the following perceived
qualities for a texturing tool that would leave an impression that
is less than full face:
a spherical hitting end, and face; both hardened, the spheres
centred on the axis of the tool
the origin of both face and hitting end spheres closer to the
hitting end for added manoeuvrability
origin of surface radii within the thickest part of the tool
weight of tool centred on radius origin resulting in greatest
weight above the grip point
Unless I’m missing something here, I don’t see why you don’t just
texture your sheet and THEN cut out the strip for your ring from the
textured sheet… Make sure to anneal before bending it into a
ring! Minor touchup texturing over the seam and anywhere else should
not require distortion.