Ancient groove pattern making

[victor]

Hello guys,
I am making ancient jewellery facsimile reproductions and would like to ask your opinion. I have seen many roman, greek and Etruscan gold and silver chain terminals and rings which have linear grooved decorations and always wanted to know the technique how these grooves have been made. I know that grooves can be made by hammering the sheet, but I am sure there must have been another way. I have a few ancient jewellery loops of roman period and I am sure these decorations have not been hammered because there are no marks on other side and sheet metal is very thin. Maybe they were used to engrave and then polish it.
I would like to know how to make those details in traditional way. I have uploaded a few pictures just to clarify what I am talking about.
Sorry for silly question and thank you in advance.

[Dennis]

The simplest way to emulate this, is to use round, or D-shaped wire, anneal and stretch it so that it becomes really straight and then solder several strands together, side by side. It will look neater if turned over so that you solder from the back.
You will then have stock to use for shanks and bails. Like wise, you can make a tight coil around a suitable mandrel (the stem of a twist drill allows you to choose a size), and then solder it to create a tube.
The grooves are easily finished with a reversed saw blade, or needle files. Dennis.

[Goldsmith]

If I was replicating this type of wire pattern I would use a lathe and a half round cutter, it is also possible to make a patterned drawplate to achiece a wire like that. But if I wanted wire like that I would use a lathe.

James

[china]

I have seen a similar result achieved with custom made rollers on a rolling mill

[mizgeorge]

I'd say what you were looking for is a corrugating mill. Durston make one - though I it may be only on special order now:

http://www.durston.co.uk/lan-multi/p...corrugated.php

but it's a big expensive beast.

There's a microfold brake from Rio Grande:

https://www.riogrande.com/Product/mi...d-brake/115090 - it used to be available from Sutton Tools, but like so many other things it seems to have disappeared since the Betts takeover.

The other option, especially for small pieces, is corrugating pliers like these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/26181...f14=122&ff19=0

I have a set similar to this which I've used quite a lot with good results, though you do have to sort of nibble away at larger pieces and sometimes smooth out the ridges a bit with a mallet. I will probably upgrade sometime to a corrugating brake to be able to make longer pieces and do criss crossed work.

[ps_bond]

There's also small Italian corrugating mills available in the UK - only really suitable for narrow strip, so don't expect to do eg a bangle blank crossways.
And, of course, the heavy-duty tube wringer.

[ajda]

Interesting tools in those links... I can think of all kinds of uses for them - thanks, George and Peter. For an authentic look and without having to invest in new equipment, I'd go with Dennis' suggestion of joining several D-shaped wires to make a length of stock or soldering a coil to make corrugated tubing.
Alan

[Nick martin]

James,

As I'm interested in exploring the use of a lathe in my jewellery work, would you start off with a solid band on a mandrel, then gouge the grooves out with a half round tool?

Also do you know of any links where you can buy half round lathe tools, or do you tend to make your own?

Cheers,

Nick

[Goldsmith]

James,

As I'm interested in exploring the use of a lathe in my jewellery work, would you start off with a solid band on a mandrel, then gouge the grooves out with a half round tool?

Also do you know of any links where you can buy half round lathe tools, or do you tend to make your own?

Cheers,

Nick

Nick, when I use a lathe to pattern or shape items I grip a round block of wood in the lathe chuck, then I will turn a step that accepts the band of metal tightly before cutting any shapes or patterns on the band which can be ring shank or bracelet size, if I want patterned wire I make the band bracelet size, cut the pattern in, then straighten out the band. Yes I grind my own shaping tools, which is easy on a grindstone. I use these lathe bits on my Boxford Lathe;http://www.warco.co.uk/high-speed-st...its-metal.html

James

[victor]

Thank you guys for your suggestions. I have made similar design on silver sheet using dental micromotor.