Swage problems

[Goldsmith]

If you have access to a lathe perhaps you could turn a spit to suit the job. Or have you thought about making your insect's body in two halves?

James

[trialuser]

What's a spit please James?
Google is just making me hungry with pictures of hog roasts!
I think she is intending to make it in two halves.

[Dennis]

Vanessa has probably changed her approach by now, but at the bottom of her problem is the fact that her metal is far too thick to form in the way she has tried to do it.

She would have more success with a thin walled tube, made by her, or ready made, using a collet plate. Dennis.

[Goldsmith]

What's a spit please James?
Google is just making me hungry with pictures of hog roasts!
I think she is intending to make it in two halves.

It's an old workshop term for a length of rod for shaping metals or winding jump rings on. As an apprentice I had to file brass rods into oval spits for winding oval wire links on, I still have them in my tool collection.

[trialuser]

Cheers James

[Vanessa]

Thank you. I discussed my issues with my tutor and he looked at it said it had a good shape already. We put it through the swage block again to try and improve the shape (it was slightly bent) We then hammer the edges with a rawhide mallet on a steel block to tidy up one of the edges. I then sanded it so that the edges met and soldered it.. Next challenge is to cut segments into the tube bend and solder again .... 😃

[Goldsmith]

Any chance of adding photos Vanessa, so we can see what you are making.

James

[Vanessa]

Its all in bits still at the mo... But I'll upload some pics in a bit if my phone allows! 😊

[Vanessa]

Ok I cant see how I upload my photos to this via tapatalk... Anyone know how?

[Vanessa]

Ok so here it is all in bits I hope this works