09-03-2005, 02:42 AM
Hi,
going by the original question, if you are into fancier plates, this is how I did some for Erik Lechl: I mounted a piece of brass sheet metal on pitch, chased it using various punches and a chasing hammer. Soderd on a bottom made from that a rubberform and cast that in brass. The brassmodel I soderd onto a thick brass rod which was used as my stamping punch. After that it is taking sheet metal a bit largerer than your actual beltplate laying that on a lead slab, putting on your brass punch and stamping it with a sledgehammer. Usually one strike is enought to form the plates nicely. As sheet metal I was using 0,4mm brass sheet metal. The chasing bit takes some knowledge of goldsmithes techniques, but is otherweise not hard. Only that during the chasing you are working from the backside of the plate.
Martin
going by the original question, if you are into fancier plates, this is how I did some for Erik Lechl: I mounted a piece of brass sheet metal on pitch, chased it using various punches and a chasing hammer. Soderd on a bottom made from that a rubberform and cast that in brass. The brassmodel I soderd onto a thick brass rod which was used as my stamping punch. After that it is taking sheet metal a bit largerer than your actual beltplate laying that on a lead slab, putting on your brass punch and stamping it with a sledgehammer. Usually one strike is enought to form the plates nicely. As sheet metal I was using 0,4mm brass sheet metal. The chasing bit takes some knowledge of goldsmithes techniques, but is otherweise not hard. Only that during the chasing you are working from the backside of the plate.
Martin
