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Thread: Fold forming - metal thickness

  1. #1
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    Default Fold forming - metal thickness

    Me again, sorry I really have been bitten by the bug! Thinking of Christmas presents already! I've done a little bit of fold forming on copper foil and then enamelled. But for Christmas I would love tomake a scarf pin and maybe some matching earrings for my Mum....I don't want to enamel them, just leaf shapes in silver.
    Cooksons have free postage on today so what kind of silver thickness am I looking for for? The earrings will be small, scarf pin about 2inch....

  2. #2
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    For small items 0.3, for larger ones 0.4.

    I don't do fold forming, but I have been told that unlike copper, silver surfaces will stick together and you need a lubricant to avoid this.

    Unfortunately I don't remember which, but woukd try light oil or vaseline. Dennis.

  3. #3
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    I do a lot of fold forming and it's not that it sticks so much as it's just much harder to separate than copper. I have a heavy wee bronze butter knife to separate the fold once I've managed to cut my fingers prizing an edge open, without making too much mess but it is much harder. I tend to use fine silver which is much more malleable for tight folds and small items, if I'm just putting in creases or small folds then I'll use Sterling
    I made this shawl pin in Sterling in probably .7 but I'm afraid I didn't write it down. The pendant panel would be much the same, maybe .8

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    Last edited by CJ57; 07-11-2017 at 04:59 PM.

  4. #4
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    From memory, Argentium can be a bit more prone to fusing to itself, but I suspect that's only if you get carried away with your annealing.

  5. #5
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    Thank you all, that's very helpful!

    Caroline, I love those pieces! Especially that shawl pin, it's beautiful!

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scarlet View Post
    Thank you all, that's very helpful!

    Caroline, I love those pieces! Especially that shawl pin, it's beautiful!
    Thank you Scarlet, it was really easy so you shouldn't have any problems! You need a good hammer though.
    I do a lot of fold form, sometimes just little elements within a piece even just a pintuck. The picture in my avatar is also a piece I made last year but it's more of a statement fold my OH produced for me

  7. #7
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    I don't know about foldforming, but in my time I have made many leaves for my flower pieces. I shape my leaves using shaped hammers and hammering on a lead or wooden block.
    I prepared this photo tutorial about how I shape metal leaves a while back, it may be of use to some.

    [/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]10578 [/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]10579 [/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]10580 [/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]10577

    James
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 30 Christmas leaves.jpg   31a Leaf sheet A low res.jpg   32a Leaf sheet A  low res.jpg   33a Leaf sheet A low res.jpg  

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis View Post

    I don't do fold forming, but I have been told that unlike copper, silver surfaces will stick together and you need a lubricant to avoid this.

    Unfortunately I don't remember which, but woukd try light oil or vaseline. Dennis.
    It was a talk by Paul Wells, where he showed some of his pieces. Why would he have said that?

    https://edvisored.wordpress.com/2015/07/27/study/ Dennis

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