Scrambled egg

[joella]

Hi all,

I want to make a little egg shaped hollow form, (narrower at the top than the bottom). I thought press forming would be the way to go, length ways - fat end to thinner end, but I have found that I'm unable to get it deep enough without the metal splitting, so after completing the two halves they create an almond shape instead of a nice egg shape.

My plan was something the size of a chocolate mini egg, but I can't think how to do it.

If I make the two halves from doming (so the join would be across the middle), again I'm not sure I can get the sides high enough, and anyway, I can't see how I can match them up as one would be wider than the other.

I'm hoping there's a simple way to do it, that I just haven't thought of - and that someone can enlighten me as to how it's done. I definitely want an egg shape, not round.

Thanks
Sue

[china]

This might sound pretentious are you annealing the metal frequently, I've metal that is constantly annealed stretch way beyond expectations,

[joella]

Not at all pretentious China. I think you may be very gently asking if I have been a tad gung ho, and you may well be right. I certainly was with the first half, having been very cautious with the pressing on the 2nd go, on inspecting it thought the metal had not moved any and shoved it back in without annealing resulting in split metal. With the second half, I was less cautious with the pressing (and in a hurry as the workshop session was ending, and I don't have any pressing equipment at home), I annealed well, but I may have gone too far to fast with the pressing. It didn't split, but was just beginning to pucker very slightly at the edge, and as it was at about the same depth as the 1st half, decided that this was probably its limit. My metal is 0.6 thick.

[Snorkmaiden]

Never done it myself Joella, but would this be an opportunity to get the pitch out and use an egg shape to make a mold?

[joella]

Funny you should mention that Snorkmaiden, I've just dug out my pitch, which is rock hard, so I'll have to warm it up a bit and see what I can do.

[Goldsmith]

I use my arbor press and some brass press tools that I made to shape small egg shaped pendants. I press the discs into a lead block to create the egg halves using a doming punch for one half and a slightly pointed punch for the other half, I also press the egg halves into a drill hole in a hardwood block to make them nice and round.




James
James Miller FIPG