Hi from East Anglia

[EmmaC]

Hi :~:
I've lurked for a while since discovering Cooksons and thought I should probably register finally. I've been an artist/printmaker for about 14 years and wanted to fulfil a lifelong dream of doing some silversmithing. What really interests me is putting drawings onto metal and I'd like to try things like chasing and repousse, cloisonné and so on as a means to do this. I've been metalworking for a couple of months, self taught, and am trying to learn the basics so I don't try to run before I can walk. Before that my only experience with a saw since school has been occasionally trimming a cockerel's spurs. I'm currently leaving a huge number of broken saw blades in my wake!

I may pop on with a daft rookie question as there are many things you can't learn from YouTube and books alone and it seems like a nice friendly atmosphere here.

[caroleallen]

Hi Emma. Yes it is a friendly place, so feel free to ask. There are a lot of very talented people on here just waiting for your questions! Not sure I can help much with chasing and repousse but I may be able to help a bit with cloisonné.

[CJ57]

Hi Emma and welcome

I did quite a bit of chasing work at College a very long time ago and it was something I meant to try again as I really enjoyed the process. It would appear to be more difficult to get repousse tools as easily and I've only found them on the HS Walsh website at no small cost. I wouldn't know how many I would need to have a basic kit and James will tell us to make our own :) will wait and see what his reply is!!

6024 I made this hair clasp in 1979 think I'd need a refresher!

[EmmaC]

Thanks for the welcome and I love the hair clasp!
I did look for chasing and repousse tools but there are so few about my husband is currently making me some as I don't feel I have the skills yet to do my own. I suspect I may be a nuisance to him once I get going and start to understand exactly what shapes I like or need. I have the Nancy Corwin book so we've really been looking at the shapes in there and making versions of them.

[EmmaC]

Thanks for the welcome! I'm as far as buying cloisonné wire thus far and am just doing some basic enamelling to get a feel for it and how they work. I need to get my head around the fact colours all need to be layered not mixed like paints can!

[ps_bond]

I did look for chasing and repousse tools but there are so few about my husband is currently making me some as I don't feel I have the skills yet to do my own. I suspect I may be a nuisance to him once I get going and start to understand exactly what shapes I like or need. I have the Nancy Corwin book so we've really been looking at the shapes in there and making versions of them.

I did a course with Megan a while back - I've got a moderate set of punches I made then (and have added to since). If I can help, give me a shout.

[CJ57]

I did a course with Megan a while back - I've got a moderate set of punches I made then (and have added to since). If I can help, give me a shout.
I may well get back to you on that too Peter if that's ok, I would have thought there would be sort of half a dozen shapes that would cover most things, we were spoilt by a large selection at College!

[CJ57]

Thanks for the welcome and I love the hair clasp!
I did look for chasing and repousse tools but there are so few about my husband is currently making me some as I don't feel I have the skills yet to do my own. I suspect I may be a nuisance to him once I get going and start to understand exactly what shapes I like or need. I have the Nancy Corwin book so we've really been looking at the shapes in there and making versions of them.
Thanks Emma I was doing my thesis on Art Nouveau and got a bit inspired.
Lucky you with the husband making your tools will be interested to see how you get on. It's all the pitch and mucky side that would probably put me off now!

[ps_bond]

I may well get back to you on that too Peter if that's ok, I would have thought there would be sort of half a dozen shapes that would cover most things, we were spoilt by a large selection at College!

NP. Half-a-dozen is definitely a good start; I've actually got the steel sat here for me to make up some sets, but as with so many things it's a question of the time to get it done. Figured that I'd do the heat treat en masse, with everything wrapped in stainless foil to prevent oxidation.

[EmmaC]

I did a course with Megan a while back - I've got a moderate set of punches I made then (and have added to since). If I can help, give me a shout.

Many thanks I may well do that!

I'm starting with a small selection until I understand what marks they make and if anything turns out half decent I'll post a picture!

[ps_bond]

FYI, I bought my red pitch from Karl Fischer. It doesn't adhere as well as black bitumen pitch, but it smells a lot less, cleanup is easier (dissolves off in meths) and it doesn't get everywhere.
(But I still have the pitch around for some things too).

Delrin & brass punches are useful to have, particularly if you want to move the metal around without putting dents in that then need to be planished out.
Make sure your posture is good for this too.

[EmmaC]

FYI, I bought my red pitch from Karl Fischer. It doesn't adhere as well as black bitumen pitch, but it smells a lot less, cleanup is easier (dissolves off in meths) and it doesn't get everywhere.
(But I still have the pitch around for some things too).

Delrin & brass punches are useful to have, particularly if you want to move the metal around without putting dents in that then need to be planished out.
Make sure your posture is good for this too.

Many thanks for your help, I may have to get back to you about the brass and delrin tools as I have no knowledge of them at all. I'll check out the pitch as well. Apologies for the late reply, I don't get on the computer much these days.

[Ebo Von Gaz]

Hi Emma, welcome to a lovely and supportive forum with a high degree of tolerance for newbie questions and general tomfoolery!

[ps_bond]

Many thanks for your help, I may have to get back to you about the brass and delrin tools as I have no knowledge of them at all. I'll check out the pitch as well. Apologies for the late reply, I don't get on the computer much these days.

Megan is keen on them - the brass ones are quite nice for undercutting work & giving it greater separation from the base.

[EmmaC]

Hi Emma, welcome to a lovely and supportive forum with a high degree of tolerance for newbie questions and general tomfoolery!
Thank you!

[EmmaC]

Megan is keen on them - the brass ones are quite nice for undercutting work & giving it greater separation from the base.
Ah okay thanks. I had a bash at the weekend but the pitch I currently have is way too hard for the repousse aspect, cools very quickly, so just taken out a second mortgage for another pitch bowl and some medium pitch. Found a guy on eBay who does California pine pitch, and had 20% off which was lucky. Of course now all I need to do is learn how to actually use the tools. I may be some time!

[ps_bond]

Harder pitches give sharper detail too, remember. It's much more difficult to get definition if the pitch happily squishes away from you as you're working - it has to give a bit, but not too much.

[EmmaC]

The pitch I have is actually Cookie's engraving pitch, since I had a mind to try engraving but discovered my Lyons engraving tools don't really work so well on metal. I've only engraved wood or resingrave, and it's a totally different discipline. I'll bear in mind about the harder pitch thanks, I am really into detail and did get some nice crisp lines with it. I need to get my head around it as draw right handed but am hammering with my right hand and guiding the tool with me left, so basically need to become ambidextrous!

[ps_bond]

Ah... That stuff is for gluing work in place so it doesn't move. I don't know much about woodcutting, but I think the cutting geometries are different - don't know if the steel hardness is as well.

[EmmaC]

Yeah I know the pitch is probably not ideal, but since I've got into doing the jewellery I'll face either bankruptcy or divorce if I keep buying more tools, so it's a case of trying out things I have to see if we can multi-task a bit! Then I can say but I really, really, do need it, honest!
I think the geometry on the tools is probably different, having said that I have seen artists use them on copper for making printing plates. I think with engraving anyway it's beneficial to know someone who does it who can mentor you because it is very difficult to become skilled at it alone. Sharpening the tools is an art form, let alone the usage of them :)