Keum Boo help

[The Old Bat]

Hi everyone

I've not been around for a while and the jewellery has had to take a bit of a back seat. Anwyay - now back on track and I have some questions re Keum Boo. Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere

I am going to silversmithing classes (which is working out great) but the tutor has no experience of working with Keum Boo and so its a case of the blind leadling the blind... I had a go with the technique this week and I definitely need some more practice. The gold came away from the silver when it was in the tumbler.. so I guess that it hasnt had enough heat or pressure.

I was using a hot plate with a piece of copper underneath the silver to allow even heat distribution - as had been recommended. How long approx would a 1mm piece of silver need to heat on the hot plate before it can be burnished.
The gold foil was placed onto the silver before it was put onto the hot plate - is it OK to do this.
My piece had been hammered and repeatedly heated (3 times) and pickled as per instructions. My tutor advised that there was no need to polish the piece after it had been in the pickle before applying the gold foil but I am wondering if it would be better to polish first and add gold at final stages.

Any help anyone can give is much appreciated as I am wanting to have another shot next week. I am making a series of pendants based on the golden ratio principle, which are partly textured. Eventually I want to apply the gold foil to part of the textured surface. Sorry for the long message!!

Bev

[Dennis]

Welcome back Bev and thank you for your input.

This question came up only a few days ago http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/nee...uestion-s.html. If you put Keum Boo into the search box you can trawl back through the months.

The foil is thin and fragile; you might substitute the words 'gold leaf' and you will know instinctively how to treat it. The limits can be found by experiment, but ideally you add it last and leave it alone.

A one page guide can be found in Tim McCreight ‘Complete Metalsmith’ Which is a must for jewellers, but if like me you go for the spiral bound version, brace yourself for a fight with the covers
Regards, Dennis..

[The Old Bat]

Hi Dennis

Many thanks - will have a look at the thread and try again next week!
Bev