PC as chasing tool

[Baygraver]

I have quickly discovered that the PC has significantly enhanced the chasing I can do in the chasing and repousse I have been doing in my work. Note the wings on this dragonfly. That stippling would have taken umpteen hours with a hammer. Also, I was able to do the shading and texturing of the dragonfly body with the tungsten piston in place. I'm making punches from 1/4" steel rod from the hardware store. Suddenly, the possibilities have greatly expanded!

No cutting away (engraving) of metal was done here, but, hey, I've only had the tool for a couple weeks and I'm studying with an authentic engraver, so gimme some time....[IMG][/IMG]

[D.DOUGLAS]

Baygraver, Great looking work! Its amazing what you can do with Steves equipment. Love to see more of your work in the future.D.Douglas

[brandvik]

Baygraver,
Very nice work! I'm sure I speak for others when I say I'd love to see some of the working ends of the punches and other repousse tools you used to create your dragonfly.
Thanks for showing your work.

[Barry Lee Hands]

very nice! good job. . . .

[charles starks]

nice , very nice .
i tried this once many years ago and quickly lost intrest . the more and more i see what these tools can do , the more impressed i am

[tsterling]

Very nice work, Baygraver, what's the size?! Also, can you explain a little more on the procedures and tools you're using? Pictures of the tools would be nice, as well.

Thanks in advance...

[DGrub]

Very nice Baygraver! I too would be interested in seeing the type of punches that you used. Possibilities with Steve's tools seem almost endless! You are doing very well for just getting started! Keep up the good work!
Dan Grubaugh

[Gene Tru]

Baygraver, really nice work. I've done some repousse work in my past, mainly on Sterling silver on a pitch bowl. This seems to have a similar look to it, is this how you've worked the dragon flys? Great job showing the detail in the wings. Gene

[Baygraver]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. This measures 6"x8" and is done on 22 gauge Argentium sterling silver (doesn't firescale and doesn't tarnish ). I'll send some closeups of the tips of the punches I'm using when I can but they're what you'd expect: 1/4" steel rod from the hardware store cut about 2 and 3/4 inches long. One end cut to fit the engraver, the other as planishers from 1/16" to needle point and then some "liner" punches and half-rounds. Jim

[Baygraver]

Gene, The repousse was done on a pitchbowl as you describe. Some chasing was done with hammer and punches. With the arrival of the PC, the chasing went to warp speed and gave me much greater detail with shading and texturing. Also, I can now sculpt chased shapes that weren't feasible with a hammer and punches. Jim

[Baygraver]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. This measures 6"x8" and is done on 22 gauge Argentium sterling silver (doesn't firescale and doesn't tarnish ). I'll send some closeups of the tips of the punches I'm using when I can but they're what you'd expect: 1/4" steel rod from the hardware store cut about 2 and 3/4 inches long. One end cut to fit the engraver, the other as planishers from 1/16" to needle point and then some "liner" punches and half-rounds. Jim

[Dave London]

Whow
Thanks baygraver excellent work, great idea going to make some new tools for the PC:whoo: Dave

[Baygraver]

Here is a quick picture of the chasing tools I've been making for the PC. They are about 2 and 3/4 inches long using 1/4" steel. The graver end has been ground using a mizzy wheel on a flexshaft. The working ends were ground on a belt sander, then a flexshaft with mizzy wheel and finally on sandpaper. The four from the left are round "planishers" going from about 1mm diameter down to almost needlepoint. You might note that needlepoint one is using 3/32" stock I got from Steve, but it doesn't need to be.

The remaining tools are half-rounds, fat chizels and other shapes I have found limited to no use for so far. Since I'm working on sterling (soft), I have been hardening but not tempering these tools. They're quick and easy to make and seem to give surprising effects (both good and bad), so I can't claim any great science here.

The second image here is of a grasshopper I'm working on. Note the hindleg which has some spikes on its underside. I originally tried this with standard hammer chasing techniques. Not so good. I'm now sculpting this (incomplete) with the PC and the tungsten hammer. It's giving much better control.

Regards, Jim[/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[Baygraver]

Sorry. Here's the first image of the chasing tools for the PC. Jim[IMG][/IMG]

[brandvik]

Jim,

Thanks for posting the photos of your tools and your additional work. Your repousse is really out of this world. What are these peices going to end up being? Worn jewelry? Components of a larger sculpture?

[NevadaBlue]

This is VERY interesting. Thanks for posting the pictures and tips. Lots of possibilities here. Your work is beautiful.

[Baygraver]

Jim, I've been incorporating chasing and repousse into my lamp for a while now. You can see them at http://www.luminousglass.com. The sterling silver items like the one you see here I'm having framed and sold to be mounted on the wall. Jim

[Baygraver]

Thanks. My studio is in a plating, restoration and silversmithing shop so I've been able to closely examine a lot of old work from around the world. Much of the best work, especially in sterling, has always been a combination of chasing, repousse and engraving. Because of recent technological advances, engraving skills now seem attainable. Regards, Jim

[Baygraver]

Dave, The most useful tools I've made are also the easiest to make. Those would be the round planishers, starting with almost needle point to maybe a millimeter in diameter. Starting with my 1/4" steel stock from the hardware store, I grind it down by twirling it against a vertical belt sander until it is about the right size. I then finish it on sandpaper starting at 220 grit and finishing at 600 grit. I heat to bright red to harden but don't temper as I'm working with soft metals (or am I just lazy?). All the above can be accomplished in about 10 minutes. Regards, Jim

[Dave London]

Thanks again Jim. Dave

[Jroettger]

Here is a job I did for another jeweler so I don't have a picture of the finished product. Note that I took the thumb screw for holding tools and placed a rubber washer under it to make a locking device for the high end speed. Running continuously on high at 60psi the stroke adjustment ring can drift past the maximum stroke length position. This lock down assembly keeps the speed locked when doing the heavy hitting and protects the tool from going too far to the extreme high end.

[Roger Bleile]

Originally Posted by Baygraver

Much of the best work, especially in sterling, has always been a combination of chasing, repousse and engraving.

Jim,

How do you define the difference between chasing and repousse? Is chasing shaped fronm the obverse and repousse from the reverse? Whenever I have seen objet d'art with high relief figures that are hollow on the inside, I always took those to be repousse.

Thanks,
Roger

[Jroettger]

I've always defined the terms as repousse meaning pushed up from the back and chasing as detail work from the top. As in the examples provided by Baygraver this type of work has to be done from both sides. In my schooling the two terms were always used together as "chasing and repousse" being more or less one in the same complementary techniques that go hand in hand. You can't really do one without the other to complete the job. As in the example I provided above the chasing on the top is merely the defining line around the edge of the forms and the crease up the center which was done with a somewhat sharp edged chisel shaped tool. In any case, putting semantics aside though, the real point of interest on my post is meant to be the locking rubber washer with the thumb screw to secure the stroke length adjuster during this type of heavy hitting

[Baygraver]

Your locked rubber washer guard is probably a very good idea. I wasn't aware the device could "drift" to the fully open position and possibly self-destruct(?).

As you correctly state, chasing is working the piece from the front and repousse (apparently french for "pushing back" and pronounced reh-po-say with accent on the say) is working it from the back. My studio is in a silversmithing restoration and plating shop so I've had the opportunity to study a lot of pieces from the last few centuries. Some of the best work combines chasing and repousse with engraving and I think of engraving as a component of chasing (which it actually isn't as chasing moves the metal around and engraving cuts it away).

Since I began working with the PalmControl is that I can now "sculpt" the chased/engraved surface in ways not possible previously with conventional tools. I'm still exploring the possibilities here but capacity to deliver thousands of precise blows with "chasing" tools has opened new doors. I appreciate hearing from any others who have explored these realms.

Again, here is a shot of such tools. They're made with 1/4" round stock measuring about 2 and three quarters inches long.

Regards, Jim

[mckeenh]

vert nice work, It looks as though you are working on a pitch bowl, is this correct? and where do you get the pitch? and if you are mixing your own what is the make up? and it looks like you are working on the face when I thought you would be working on the back. Is this correct?

Neil:yesnod:

[PatP]

Hats off, you have some fine silversmithing skills there. Thanks for sharing this!!!