Keum Boo

[caroleallen]

I've never done this before so would appreciate some advice please.

If I make a "pillowed" piece as a brooch, at what stage should I apply the gold, ie before or after I solder the fittings on the back?

If I've already attached the fittings, how would I sit the piece on the hot plate without it rocking?

If I attach the fittings at the end wouldn't this affect the gold?

Would it be better to make the keum boo bit and set it onto the back plate at the end?

[MuranoSilver]

If I make a "pillowed" piece as a brooch, at what stage should I apply the gold, ie before or after I solder the fittings on the back?

Ideally soldering is done on a piece before the keum-boo is done. It is possible to solder on a piece after you’ve applied the gold, but too much heat can cause the gold to diffuse into the surface and visually disappear.

If I've already attached the fittings, how would I sit the piece on the hot plate without it rocking?

Difficult this as Ive got an ultralite with kuem boo disks I dont have the problem (one is dished for curved pieces) could you make a similar dished receptacle which sat between the piece and the hotplate?

If I attach the fittings at the end wouldn't this affect the gold?
Would it be better to make the keum boo bit and set it onto the back plate at the end?

Quite easy to affect the gold if soldering done after, but i found the perfect article for you in Lapidary Journal mag
Jewelry Artist Project: Keum-boo Pillow Pendant
nic x

[caroleallen]

Oh thanks Nic, that is the perfect article. Next question. What would you use as fire coat?

[caroleallen]

Another question - sorry! The back of my piece will be flat; it's just the fittings that will mean it won't sit flat on the plate. Do you think it would work if I had a piece of brass and made some little domes (or dimples) in it where the fittings will be, with my hydraulic press? I'd probably need to make a few dimples to make the brass plate sit straight. Will it give enough contact with the hot plate for the piece to get hot enough?

[MuranoSilver]

keum-boo needs to have fine silver to adhere to so you can either depletion guild the piece or use fine silver or PMC to make it. Not sure you'd then need the fire coat
The dimples would work really well and still allow your piece to have enough contact for getting to temperature. Test with a bamboo skewer if it smokes on contact with the plate then it's hot enough.
Get one piece attached then burnish from that. Best to have two burnishers as if it gets to hot it sticks to the gold (or Agate ones can crack). Keep swapping them
Nic x

[caroleallen]

Good advice as ever Nic. Thanks

[ps_bond]

I've been using borosilicate burnishers for applying keum boo - they're a little less fragile than agate and don't suffer in the same way as steel with the foil fusing to them.