Keum Boo Advice

[Snorkmaiden]

I have treated myself to some Keum Boo foil. Never seen it done though. Anyone have any advice on things like hotplates, cutting the foil, how long it takes and how to tell if it is fused? Can you cut out shapes, or is it best to go with fragments? Any recommended books? TIA

[Dennis]

There'll be lots of advice, but ultimately you will have to experiment. I have made some test pieces, but did not go on with it, so I am no expert.

An easy hot plate to use is a small travelling iron, clamped upside down in a vice. also a domestic hot plate with a dial, so that you can settle on a temperature setting, somewhere in the top one third.

The silver to be used needs to be clean and grease free and at the ultimate state of polish, preferably satin, because the foil is too thin for any further polishing.

When the piece has reached a suitable temperature, cut out pieces of foil are laid on and burnished down, with a metal or agate burnisher until they are smooth and free of bubbles. The foil is cut with a craft knife or scalpel and handled with tweezers.

The effect is too subtle for my taste, but the most striking appearance is when you 'oxidise' it afterwards, so that the silver turns black . The gold will not be affected, so that you have a strong contrast. Dennis.

[CJ57]

I use an old iron plate on the gas hob so it can be done on the cheap. Also use the addition of the little hand torch from underneath for items that aren't flat and need a bit more heat but this has to be done carefully so as not to melt the gold into the silver just bond. The silver has to be fine, it won't work on Sterling silver.

I started out with very precise designs but soon found I needed to be more flexible:) it isn't always easy to cut out precisely although when you look at the craftsmen online their designs are astonishingly beautiful. A little whiff of a breeze will send the gold out of the tweezers or tear it before you even lay it on:/ I build up layers if I want more depth of colour or need to fill in gaps, this allows you the choice of subtle gold on a matt silver background if you don't want to oxidise. I've found that oxidising does darken the gold slightly, not blacken and I'm not sure I always want that.
I have agate burnishers but I've been using it in domes a lot so I've been using doming punches and sometimes I use my steel burnisher for large areas because the agate doesn't cover enough ground and they tend to be quite bulky for intricate work. I do a lot of Keum Boo and use a lot of the scrappy offcuts for some of it, people seem to like the effect and you can just keep on building up until you get the look you want. I have a lot of work on my Fb page if you want to take a look but don't expect the craftsmanship of the Korean artists!

[Snorkmaiden]

Thanks Dennis and Caroline. I forgot to order some fine silver!
Had a look at the Facebook page - love the keum boo earrings. Do you heat up the doming block?

[Dennis]

Ouch, no. I guess that the gold is added after doming and soldering are complete, but I hope that Caroline will confirm that.

[joella]

Hi
Have PM'd you, but not sure why I didn't just add it here now! Anyway it was just about cooling your burnisher and using punches for cut outs.
See you Friday.
Sue

[theresa]

You can use sterling silver if you keep heating it and cooling it to bring the silver to the surface. I think it's called depletion gilding....

[CJ57]

Ouch, no. I guess that the gold is added after doming and soldering are complete, but I hope that Caroline will confirm that.

Yes Dennis I should have made that clear but then you'd only be applying the Keum Boo to a finished piece as embellishment.
I only use the doming punches and not the block, the sizes are perfect for burnishing the foil to domes or cups and don't get hot as quickly
Yes depletion gilding is an option but it takes time and I now either make the areas for gilding in fine silver or it's worked into the design and soldered onto Sterling if you get me. Hope this helps

[Snorkmaiden]

Thanks everyone. I was a little scared about heating the block!
Joella - I've never been PM'd before! See you Friday unless the plasterers return.