Copper Bracelets in Progress

Assortment of bracelets and tools

Above is a selection of bracelets made to date, and of some of the tools needed to make them. Once the outline is cut out, the copper form needs to be fixed to a lead block with broad-headed nails to hold it in place while you work. The lead block provides support to the metal, and allows it to move only where the punch is placed. When the copper form is removed after chasing, the lead has taken the form of the design and needs to be flattened with a heavy hammer before being used again.

Bird bracelet fixed onto lead block, in 'sketching' phase

 This is the second of the 'Bird' bracelets, fixed in place on the lead block. Once attached, outlines can be drawn with a felt-tip pen and then hammered in with the appropriate punches.

Bird bracelet sketched out

Punches can be entire forms (such as the flower motifs above), but more often they're lines or curves from which you build the outline you require. 

Bird bracelet

After the outlines have been punched, the ground is added with a texture punch. The deeper this is the better it looks, so I usually go over it a few times. The most difficult aspect of this stage is getting the textured ground even, as the punch is quite small and needs to be hit reasonably hard.

Sea Bird bracelet, with wave motifs

I decided to try a change in shape and motif, to see what's possible with the tools I have. The partial curves lend themselves nicely to waves and spirals, so I'm planning some more exploration along these lines while sticking with the bird/animal forms.

Fish bracelet, with wave motifs

For the second design in the 'wave' series, I wanted to introduce a fish/sea monster design, and had been thinking of the kinds of forms which appear in Australian Aboriginal art, and those from Chinese drawings. These fish are very loosely based on a combination of these styles.