I think I am going to like this pitch. I had some casting wax that I had experimented with as a chasing pitch, a la David Huang, but I didn’t like it. It was not sticky enough to hold in a vessel and was too soft. So this morning I heated up some pine rosin, added…
This is me working at my bench in my studio. It is messy and probably not as organized as it should be. My jeweler’s bench was found at a thrift store. It is cluttered with halfway done projects and stuff I’ve collected over the years. One day, I will clean it up and make spaces…
While this has nothing to do with metalwork it has everything to do with life. My friend Jen started a blog recently about her journey over the last two years having a son with cancer. Her stories are so poignant; her writing exceptional. If you know anyone who has gone through this journey or have…
An in-between step that most metalsmiths skip over in their tutorials and descriptions is cleaning. Cleaning a piece (before or after soldering, during chasing and repousse to remove burnt pitch, before raising or planishing, etc) is pretty important. A lot of people use a “pickle” solution (usually some brand like Sparex, or a homemade recipe)…
The technique of Chasing and Repoussé dates from antiquity and was used throughout many cultures renowned for their metalwork, though it may have originated in the middle east. One set of tools is used for both processes, which is why they are typically referred to as one technique. Chasing refers to the working of the…