Greetings from Kentucky

[Ken Gastineau]

Hello:

I came across this forum in my search for information to build a hammer for my jewelry business. I have been a studio production jeweler for nearly 30 years and have experience with lost wax casting, centrifugal rubber mold casting of pewter, CAD/CAM, Zbrush, and fabricating jewelry from sheet metal and wire. I have also learned basic metal spinning and produce a line of pewter cups.

I have a small machine shop as part of my setup which includes a Logan lathe, Atlas metal shaper, Taig CNC Mill, and a Tormach Mill.

Lately I have been learning more about fold forming jewelry from sheet brass and copper, a process that has been popularized by Jeweler/Sculptor Charles Lewton Brain.

I look forward to becoming a part of this community and participating in this forum to learn more about metal shaping and to share what knowledge I have of working with metal.

[Joe Hartson]

Ken, welcome and thanks for the introduction. There are several members here that work with copper and product some beautiful art work. Working with jewelry uses the same techniques just on a smaller scale. Hope you find the site informative and helpful. Thanks for joining us. Looking forward to seeing some of you creations.

[Ken Gastineau]

Joe:

Thanks for the welcome. I sorta figured that jewelry making is metal shaping in miniature. Glad to know I am on the right track.

Ken

Originally Posted by Joe Hartson

Working with jewelry uses the same techniques just on a smaller scale.

[mark g]

Welcome, Ken.

I am also interested in the fold forming and metal shaping in smaller scales. There are lots of interesting possibilities. Hope you post some pictures of your work.

-Mark

[Ken Gastineau]

Marks:

I am just experimenting with some very basic fold forming so far. I am doing some research on what type of small power hammer would be appropriate and safe to use for jewelry size forging. I agree that fold forming offers unique opportunities.

Thank you for the welcome.

Ken

Originally Posted by mark g

Welcome, Ken.

I am also interested in the fold forming and metal shaping in smaller scales. There are lots of interesting possibilities. Hope you post some pictures of your work.

-Mark

[mark g]

There's a guy near me who likes to use a small drop hammer for shaping originals in silver before he goes to wax. I wonder if a "one shot" riveting hammer with flat dies in a c-frame would do a similar job in less space. I haven't used one bit I think they give just one hard blow per tigger pull. Just a thought-

[Overkill]

Not familiar with the one shot rivet guns. However, you can adjust the regulator down far enough on the rivet guns I do use, then simply hit the pedal for a single hit. Reducing the pressure does reduce the force of the hit and the beats per minute - but if you went with a large rivet gun, I think it would still hit plenty hard for soft metals.

Expert on the rivet gun type machines is Kent White at www.tinmantech.com

[Ken Gastineau]

Mark:

I am not sure if a rivet hammer would work or not. The work of fold forming seems to be a mixture forging and planishing. What would make me nervous with a power hammer is the proximity of my fingers to the hammer blows, being that jewelry is so small. To fold form some things takes hundreds or thousands of hammer hits and numerous annealings. I have been reading up on helve hammers, planishing hammers and reciprocating hammers.

The specific work I am needing a hammer for seems to be in the realm of a miniature forging hammer with a 1/4" stroke. I am not sure that exists, unless I have described a reciprocating hammer.

Ken

Originally Posted by mark g

There's a guy near me who likes to use a small drop hammer for shaping originals in silver before he goes to wax. I wonder if a "one shot" riveting hammer with flat dies in a c-frame would do a similar job in less space. I haven't used one bit I think they give just one hard blow per tigger pull. Just a thought-

[Mark Fox]

Hi Ken . Welcome to the site. Is this what you mean, by folding metal. This is by an English silversmith. I hope I don't get into trouble posting this on here.


Liner Jug" by Toby Russell, 2010

Sterling silver - scored and folded by hand from flat sheet

In order to produce his scored and sheet folded jug, Toby Russell had to overcome the challenge of converting his final design from a card model into silver. He explains “Paper has its own unique quality and in some ways is less flexible than silver sheet. I never truly know how the design will convert or how far the silver can be pushed”.


The image that inspired Toby throughout the design process was that of a prow of a boat cutting through water and as a keen swimmer and surfer, he is naturally drawn to images of waves.

[Ken Gastineau]

Mark Fox:

Thank you for the welcome. I imagine that the piece you have shown is done by fold forming. You can see many examples of fold forming here,

http://www.brainpress.com/Foldforming.html