Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Steve]

It's been quite a while since I've posted anything new that I've completed.  Really, since the old Forum shut down.  Well anyway, I've had this in the back of my mind for quire a while and decided it was time.

It's a Tri-Metal Phoenix Broach  - Sterling over copper, brass shoulder accents and a sterling backing.  The 1st photo was scanned with just a satin finish to show the cutting detail.



The 2nd photo is another scanning after polishing.

 

It measures 3 1/4" long x 2 5/8" wide................Next I'm going to try to add some color to the copper selectively using my torch.  If it works out I'll post another photo..............

[olgguy]

That piece is great. A very terrific example of intricate Lamination. One question, to help me understand the process better, is the copper higher or lower than the silver?

[Enchantra]

I love it Steve.
I've missed seeing your work.  Thanks for posting this!   

[Steve]

That piece is great. A very terrific example of intricate Lamination. One question, to help me understand the process better, is the copper higher or lower than the silver?

The silver is the top layer. That is silver soldered to the copper sheet and then soldered on the silver backing........It is a 3 layer construction..............

[olgguy]

That means the top silver layer is a fantastic piercing job! Really great! How thick is the top silver, In the picture it looks almost lower than the copper.

[Steve]

That means the top silver layer is a fantastic piercing job! Really great! How thick is the top silver, In the picture it looks almost lower than the copper.

The top layer of silver is 20g............This is the gauge that I use for the majority of my over-lay construction.  However,  It's a brain fart on my part for this item......... ......  The 20g is too thick to get the polish I wanted on the underlying copper.  I didn't want to oxidize the copper to get the 'depth', I wanted to use heat to alter the color.  In the next generation I'll probably use either 24g or maybe even 26g to get the polish I wanted.

The broach isn't flat.  I've domed the body outward, the wings inward and the tail inward to flat to get some depth to the piece.

Thanks for the comment on the piercing work........that's my style........this one took 3 1/2 hours to cut out.

Here is my  1st attempt at using heat to alter the copper color...........



Not satisfied.  So I'll clean it up and try again...............

[olgguy]

Three and a half hours to pierce is really good, I have lost a lot of strength in my hands over the years and have gone to an electric jewelers scroll saw. If I remember correctly, Liver of Sulfur fumes Will give variable shades of color Brown to black on the copper. Don't recall what it will due to the silver or the Brass. But as the silver is raised it will come off easy due to the fact the coating it produces is a metallic sulphide film, not an oxide that forms with heating. My moto "Always practice on scrap first".

[Jhon P]

If you don't mind take some pictures as you build it so I can see the process

[Kaljaia]

Stunning work, I too am in awe of the intricacy of the cutout.

[Steve]

..........If I remember correctly, Liver of Sulfur fumes Will give variable shades of color Brown to black on the copper. Don't recall what it will due to the silver or the Brass. But as the silver is raised it will come off easy due to the fact the coating it produces is a metallic sulphide film, not an oxide that forms with heating. My moto "Always practice on scrap first".

I don't want to chemically oxidize the copper. What I want is to get the purples, blues, oranges etc when slightly heating the copper.  This will represent the 'flames' of the Phoenix better.

If you don't mind take some pictures as you build it so I can see the process

This is a simple overlay process:  Cut out the top layer (Phoenix), silver solder to the copper sheet, cut out along the outside edge, silver solder to the silver backing, again, cut out along the outside edge, then silver solder the broach findings (pivot and clasp) and add the pin.  The tricky part is not getting any flux bubbles between the copper and the silver backing because of the larger size of the broach.