WOW HH!!
That is gorgeous, though it looks like there was a bit more involved than piercing and casting?? How have you got the layered detail effect?? Pretty fine casting in Delft clay too!!
Great work
Beautiful result. Was the master created by chasing and repoussé?
Thanks everyone for your kind words.
I sawed out the outline from 1.5mm brass sheet then severed the front and middle legs reducing them in depth to around 0.75mm ( they needed to be set back a little from the main body).
Next, I rejoined the limbs and soldered the piece onto another flat sheet of 1.5mm brass.
I then had to saw out the body again following the lines of the first piercing which gave a 3mm depth all over except the two legs at around 2.25mm. A further wing section was sawn out and added completing the 3D appearance. The detail was achieved by the Enset and a little chasing.
The Delft clay cast came out pretty well and I just had to smarten up the detail - again with the Enset.
I then fitted a red gold tongue and also a red gold pointy bit to the end of the tail as this hadn't cast as crisply as it should.
I used 18 carat white gold pin wire for a really hard, springy pin and was quite please with the overall result. Fortunately the client was too!
Thanks again everyone ...
Lovely! Very impressive.
Hi Martin, May I ask what the dragon was for, I assume that you intend making more of them as you made a casting pattern. I have some experience in making flat backed creatures with slight relief as used on heraldic crests, but as they were one offs I made them from layers, similar to how you made your casting pattern.
James
Excellent question James: yes, it does seem a rather long winded process and if not for the Welsh gold element, I would have saw pierced from 18 carat sheet without bothering with a cast version. As my client was insistent on having at least a very small mix of welsh gold, I had to buy a gramme ( at exorbitant cost) of Welsh gold and alloy it with ordinary 18 carat gold; doing so added approximately £1.5k to the overall cost.
The commission remains a one off but I will keep the brass pattern as a memento ...
ATB Martin ...
Hi Peter
I have a friend who said, "Come and see my new pneumatic engraving tool". Reluctantly, I visited his workshop, tried out the Enset and decided there and then that I had to buy one! I never consider the GraverMax of other derivatives.
I guess I knew I would end up buying one hence my initial reluctance to try it. Having said that, I'm glad I did.
ATB Martin ...
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