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Goldsmith
23-02-2013, 06:25 PM
I don't think I have posted this on this forum, forgive me if I have done so already, but it is a photo tutorial I prepared a while back, showing how I shape a copper leaf. I always make copper patterns before committing myself to precious metals.

James

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silken
23-02-2013, 07:18 PM
James, you always make everything look so effortless :D

Beautiful work, thanks so much for the photo tutorial!

Gemsetterchris
23-02-2013, 08:10 PM
Very clever, I enjoyed that tutorial.
Thanks for taking the time to show.

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2

lorraineflee
23-02-2013, 08:26 PM
Thanks for the tutorial James, your work is so good!!!!

Goldsmith
23-02-2013, 08:49 PM
I used this same method when making leaves and blooms for all of these flowers;

James

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SilverBouillon
24-02-2013, 01:39 PM
James,
Thank you for another great tutorial!
What kind of metal is your forming block?

Goldsmith
24-02-2013, 02:05 PM
James,
Thank you for another great tutorial!
What kind of metal is your forming block?

I use lead as my forming block, when it's all battered and well used it can be re melted and as good as new once again. There are some explanations on Didi's Making a silver ball pendant, write up; http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4801

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James

SilverBouillon
24-02-2013, 02:30 PM
I use lead as my forming block

Thanks! I put one in my shopping list :)

Didi
26-02-2013, 01:49 PM
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Ok.. Now I know that the quality of this is vastly inferior to James', but.. I did it. Made my own lead block and hammered this little beauty. The finish is awful and I have no idea how to get it smooth but its a start!!!!
Didi

Goldsmith
26-02-2013, 02:06 PM
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Ok.. Now I know that the quality of this is vastly inferior to James', but.. I did it. Made my own lead block and hammered this little beauty. The finish is awful and I have no idea how to get it smooth but its a start!!!!
Didi

Well done you:-) have you ever seen a smooth leaf? now is the time to experiment with textures.

If you want to solder a stem to your leaf, here is how I do mine and some variations of shapes.

James

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ps_bond
26-02-2013, 02:27 PM
James, *when* are we going to see all these how-to drawings in a nice binding? Please?

Patstone
26-02-2013, 03:51 PM
Peter, do you have snipping tool on your computer. Its symbol is a pair of scissors over a circle, its a brilliant bit of kit. I use it mainly for recipes, but you can use it for anything provided it will fit on the screen. I copied one of James's drawings that he sent to me of his clamps so that I could make them without fear of losing the drawing, I have also made notes of all the tips basically because I have a crap memory and dont want to keep asking the same thing.




James, *when* are we going to see all these how-to drawings in a nice binding? Please?

Susie
28-10-2016, 03:46 PM
I know this is an old post, but after seeing one of your posts, i scrolled through some of the topics you covered, and i REALLY want to play around with some copper shapes. I no longer have my pitch bowl, so just wondered what you were using as a support to dome your leaves? It looks like a block of lead, but wanted to know if you could let me know what it is and where i could buy it from? Thanks so much, Sue

Goldsmith
28-10-2016, 05:12 PM
Yes Sue I do use a block of lead, I make my own ingots by melting scrap lead into an ingot mold, but if you want ready made lead ingots you can buy them from Amazon, see; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cast-Lead-Ingots-fishing-casting/dp/B00CKNLYB4 or from eBay;http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Scrap-Lead-Ingots-2kg-5kg-10kg-15kg-20kg-Fishing-Weights-Ballast-Models-Bullets-/131670602285

You can also shape copper by hammering it into hollows cut in a wooden block.

This shows my lead block and ingot, when the block needs re melting after it has been used a lot I just stand it in the ingot mold and heat it with my Seivert gas torch and it melts into the mold quite easily, leave it to cool down the tap it out.
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James

Susie
04-11-2016, 05:38 PM
Perfect. Thank you James. I think i'll go the way of ordering one lump rather than buying the mold aswell.
I've just ordered some titanium strips from Tam too. So helpful. Thank you.