Above images courtesy of Bladegallery.com
I’m working on an experiment based on the Frog Skeleton key tag I engraved not long ago. Clockwise
, rough cut titanium mini-dogtag, my filing setup (Jorgensen woodworking clamp), the tag ready for engraving, and in the vise under the microscope.
Clockwise, engraving the lines, removing the material inside the lines, inlaying 24 karat gold in the toes, removing excess gold, and inlaid in the leg bones.
Inlaying more gold…
Clockwise: inlaying wire in the backbone and skull, using a punch to imbed and flatten the gold, using a scraper to remove the excess, burnished and steel wooled. When all of the gold is inlaid, I’ll stone it flat and flush, and carve away the background…
Finishing up the 24 karat gold inlays: preparing the arm cavities, pounding in the gold, scraping and burnishing the gold smooth.
Stoning with 600 grit to flatten the gold flush with the surface, then 1200 grit, then steel wool, followed by tiny cuts to true up the outlines. Now I’m ready to begin removing the background…
Halfway through background removal…whew!
Left to right, removing the background, background completely gone, and about half the stippling finished (lower half). Tomorrow, finish the stippling and detail the gold frog, and we’re finished!
Here’s the Gold Frog Skeleton Pendant (catchy name, that…) all finished. Mini 2/3rds sized dogtag in Grade 2 titanium, with 24 karat gold inlay. Elegance for a man, or bold yet elegant statement for a lady!
And the glamour shot!
Thanks for looking, and all of your support.
Tom Sterling
http://www.facebook.com/TomSterlingHandEngraving#
http://instagram.com/tom_sterling_hand_engraving