One of My Christmas Creations

[H H Wheen]

I saw pierced the master pattern in brass, cast in 18 carat welsh gold using Delft clay, added an 18 carat red gold tongue and tail - and there it is ...

[Tabby66]

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

[Dennis]

Beautiful result. Was the master created by chasing and repoussé?

[H H Wheen]

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 ...

[metalsmith]

Lovely! Very impressive.

[caroleallen]

That's beautiful.

[ps_bond]

The detail was achieved by the Enset and a little chasing.

I missed that initially - what attracted you to the Enset over the competing tools?

[Goldsmith]

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

[H H Wheen]

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 ...

[H H Wheen]

I missed that initially - what attracted you to the Enset over the competing tools?

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.