[Janel]

Hi metal bashers,

We have seen lots of good information about metals lately, but not a lot about what you are all carving these days. I look forward to bending the posts around to the carving forum topics again, just to have a little of the metals discussions "on topic" for The Carving Path. Nope, I am not scolding, I am just interested in what you might be making from your materials .

Janel

[Patrick Hastings]

Well I have this on the bench. Shakudo plate with inlayed tree. The tree alloy is a Dirty copper I hesitate to call it Yamagane as the formula was originally labeled, but it contains Zinc tin lead and silver all at one and two percent or less. The fallen petals and flowers are raised copper inlay covered with Sheet gold. There are a few speckles of gold around the petals. This was not intentional, but it works so I left some of it. This is the only decent picture I have so far. The polished surface is a real challenge for my photo set up. The basic design and layout were predetermined by the client. I changed some minor points, but the concept is not my design. The inlay work, Polishing technique, and patinations were all techniques taught to me by Ford. This piece needs another round of polishing and Roshuko.
Patrick

[Jeff Pringle]

I did this stress-tester to make sure my raised-metal inlay technique is resulting in inlays that don't fall out, the base is carved iron. Since it's only reason for being is a check for adhesion, it is more of a metallic doodle than a carving, my iris obviously suffers from me not even bothering to look at a photo of an iris before doing the inlay - I will have to call it a Dr. Seuss plant.

[David Broadwell]

I just finished this folder at the end of the week, Janel. It's one of my Techno-Art models. The blade and handle overlays are mosaic damascus steel. All are blued and highlighted, and the two smaller segments of the overlays are lightly burnished with a wire wheel. The overlays are coated to make maintenance easier for its owner. The frame and lock are titanium. I gave the outside a random swirl finish, and anodized it with three colors showing. The back is heat treated stainless steel with various textures and finishes. The pivot "wheels" are stainless with damascus cabochons.

I used various tools for the detail work - rotary tools with abrasive disks, lots of different files, and several special blocks I've made for sanding.

I have another Techno-Art folder on my bench that's about 3/4 finished. I'll try to get a shot of it and the pens on the other bench.

David

Attached image(s)

• 
• 
• 
• 

[Dick Bonham]

Hi,
Here is I piece I just finished for a wedding present. It is cast bronze with applied copper enameled flowers and leaves. It measures 4" X 3 1/2".
Dick

Attached image(s)

• 

[magnus homestead]

Wow, beautiful works guys.

David, your knife is stunning! The lines are exquisite. The colors and textures - splendid work. Do you have a photo with the blade in closed position?
Dick, this would make a very nice lid for a box! Your enameling work gives me lots of ideas - ever do a tutorial on that technique?
Patrick, very nice work - I especially like the detailing on the tree and the root to ground relationship.
Thank you all for sharing.
Janel - what are you working on these days?
Magnus

[Hans Meevis]

I got this work in progress on my bench. Lapis lazuli, sort of a stylistic Night Jar.
I think I will put yellow gold eyes, although white gold maybe. I'm wax carving a humming bird too but it's early days yet...
Cheers, Hans Meevis

[Dick Bonham]

Hi
Hans,
I was looking in your web site. Beautiful! How was the "Swan Pendant" created?
Patrick,
Nice tsuba, In hope you show us the finished piece.
Jeff,
I think Dr. Suess would be pleased.
David,
Wow! What a beauty! The forms are wonderfully organic.
Dick

[David Broadwell]

Thanks, Folks. Magnus, here's a couple of shots with the blade closed up. I took them, so there's no telling how bad they may look.

These other pieces are really wonderful They inspire me!

Janel, since you, a wood carver, started this thread on metalwork section, you must be getting the bug to do something in metal. Can't wait to see a steel or bronze dragonfly on a curly maple pond!

David

Attached image(s)

• 
• 

[Hans Meevis]

I was looking in your web site. Beautiful! How was the "Swan Pendant" created?
Patrick,


Thanks all.
Patrick,
The Swan was carved from Ferris purple wax. Then it was cast into 95% silver alloy ( a deoxidation alloy) Then the cast piece is finished of interms of engraving. At 95% it's nice and soft.. Then a cold silicone mould (Silastic J RTV) is made of the "master pattern" Then the mould is cut open and carving wax is injected for a patern (wax reproduction)that is then cast into the 18ct gold swan. Although I do not intend to mass produce the swan at all, having many master paterns is like having a library...
The rest of the pendant is made out of fabricated metal pieces solderd together, like a normal goldsmithing shop, melting rolling, polishing etc.
Cheers, Hans Meevis

[Phil White]

I second Magnus's comments.

It is always great to see what people are workinng on.

All these pieces are really top notch!

Phil

[Karl Carvalho]

Aloha

As I am a recent "student of the chisel" (heard that somewhere), my attempts are mostly classroom exercises.



KC

[Janel]

Hans, you are carving Lapis Lazuli? We just had a new member join who is interested or is doing carving in stone. Would you post some topics about stone related carving elsewhere on the forum (not in metals)? Thanks!

Magnus, My monkey/moon reflection commission is on hold, after two weeks of tentative activities with design and materials. The client has hit a rough spot with family things. I decided today to ease into carving after a dry spell with a third "collection". This day, I made a splinter of gabon ebony into a long slender leaf. The tray this time will be a longer one, and the collection will be a variety of woods carved into interesting things and maybe a surprise .

David, what a tease! I am the admin, so I get to ask questions all over the place when I want to! Regarding metals, you are hinting in a direction I have been thinking about for a good while, but have not taken any steps towards the doing part of it. The forum is getting me familiar with some of the vernacular, and when the time comes I won't feel so shy about it.

Thanks you all for posting the work you are involved with currently. It is fun to see.

[David Broadwell]

Janel, on Jun 24 2007, 11:59 PM, said:

David, what a tease! I am the admin, so I get to ask questions all over the place when I want to! Regarding metals, you are hinting in a direction I have been thinking about for a good while, but have not taken any steps towards the doing part of it. The forum is getting me familiar with some of the vernacular, and when the time comes I won't feel so shy about it.

What, me, a tease? I know you're the big cheese here and can ask whatever you want. That was my way of challenging you to cut metals. I have not doubt that you could learn how to use the tools necessary to cut metals for your work! You certainly wouldn't be lacking people who would be happy to give you advice!

David

[Janel]

Blushing Private daydreams gone public! I've had a hankering to learn, and do believe there are a lot of excellent advisers here on TCP!

Meanwhile, back to the topic of this thread! I appreciate all of the good photos and it is great to be let in on the projects as you are doing them.

Karl C, it is nice of you to share your training pieces with us. What else are you doing with it?

David B, the patterning in the above folder looks at first like dragonfly wings and plant leaves; very complex and interesting.

Dick, that is a very unusual piece! Is the overall color somewhat pink?

[Hans Meevis]

Hans, you are carving Lapis Lazuli? We just had a new member join who is interested or is doing carving in stone. Would you post some topics about stone related carving elsewhere on the forum (not in metals)? Thanks!

Newbie question, Where would elsewhere be? Apologies, but I use a Pegasus mail for the forums that I belong to, i.e Ganoksin.com, jewelery and usfacetors list. gem cutting. So this type of 'system' has a bit of a learning curve. (figured how to put a smiley, though!
Cheers, Hans Meevis

[Dick Bonham]

Hi Janel,
Thank you. The piece is one of medallic my sculptures. It is sort of pink. My pickle was contaminated and gave me a coppery color. I liked it so it stayed. Some of the color is from the lighting when I shot the picture.
Dick

[Mumtaz Baber]

I was filing a mild steel disc to make a tsuba type guard for a sword, then decided to practise carving on it.
I used a cold chisel and a small hammer

So the guy who commissioned the sword is getting a free albeit amateur carving of a dragon on his guard!

Anyways, no pics ...but will post soon hopefully . Also managed to carve my name in Urdu script on t'other side of the guard.
Not bad for my first time.

Sorry to post without a pic

[David Broadwell]

Janel, on Jun 25 2007, 02:16 PM, said:

David B, the patterning in the above folder looks at first like dragonfly wings and plant leaves; very complex and interesting.

Janel, there are many patterns that can be put into damascus steel. I used a mosaic made up of many pieces. Competent smiths can put pictures in the steel. I made a knife last year that had the owner's name in Japanese kanji in the blade (not on it). You could probably get damascus made in a pattern that could be used for insect wings. It usually comes well annealed so it would be about like working mild steel. For carvings that you would most likely do it would not need to be heat treated. Carbon damascus would have to be protected from rust, but that's not hard. When you feel the urge to give it a try, drop me a line and I'll get you some contact info on some smiths.

David

[Karl Carvalho]

Aloha Hans,

Posting info on stone cutting depends on how you present it, I guess. IMHO - a discussion of stone as a Material would go into that subforum. A beginning to end "lesson" could be called a Tutorial. A Techniques topic would be somewhere in between, or perhaps covering a broader treatment of the subject. (Somebody correct me if I am getting this wrong. ) There was a previous discussion on the topic here, in Techniques. Hope this helps.

KC