{"id":842,"date":"2012-01-22T00:24:42","date_gmt":"2012-01-22T00:24:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=842"},"modified":"2012-01-22T00:24:42","modified_gmt":"2012-01-22T00:24:42","slug":"burl-noggin-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=842","title":{"rendered":"Burl Noggin part 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

When last we saw our hero, he was getting ready to begin engraving.<\/p>\n

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\n<\/a>Above, I’ve stuck the copper disk on a small block of walnut with pitch (Northwest Pitchworks, in Bellingham WA). \u00a0Here, it is clamped in my engraver’s vise. \u00a0I also transferred my design – in this case, I covered the surface of the copper with Sharpie brand opaque white marker, and transferred my Northwest Native American-style frog design. \u00a0I printed the design on my HP laser printer (flipped to be a mirror image), placed the paper with the toner face down on the metal, and then placed a paper towel LIGHTLY dampened with lacquer thinner (could also be acetone) on top of the paper pattern. \u00a0This dissolves the toner, some of which will transfer onto the metal.
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\n<\/a>Here you can see some of the lines engraved into the design.
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\n<\/a>We’ve been snowed in for a couple of days. \u00a0Snow is something we see pretty seldom here in the Pacific Northwest, and when it happens pretty much everything is paralyzed. \u00a0This is the view out of my studio as I’m engraving. \u00a0It’s really pretty, especially since I’m nice and warm and snug…
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\n<\/a>And here is the disk with all the lines engraved.
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\n<\/a>And with the lines inked in just to see what it’s going to look like.
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\n<\/a>I’m ready to dome the copper, using my dapping block set, above. \u00a0I’ve engraved the lines on the flat disk\u00a0before doming because it’s much easier to engrave on a flat surface than a curved one.
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\n<\/a>Here is the disk installed in the dappping block. \u00a0Don’t forget to put the design side DOWN. \u00a0Don’t ask me how I know this… \u00a0Since my dapping block is an inexpensive Harbor Freight set and doesn’t have the largest sized of dapping punches, I made one out of hardwood.
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\n<\/a>And here is the frog all domed up. \u00a0I punched it several times, starting in the largest hole, and then working my way down to the size I wanted to finish up with.
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\n<\/a>Here’s the dome on the antler crown – I guessed the size just right. \u00a0Now I have to return the antler crown to the lathe, and bore a pocket to set the base of the dome into. \u00a0I also sanded the base of the dome flush and flat with a disk sanding plate.
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\n<\/a>Here’s the pocket bored into the antler, and a hollow carved beneath to remove some of the weight from the button. \u00a0Now to epoxy the dome into place.
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\nHere’s my gluing setup. \u00a0The thing you see sitting on top of the dome is a little jeweler’s soldering trick. \u00a0It’s just a block of wood, with a thick bent copper wire with tapered tip. \u00a0By placing a small block of lead on top of this contraption, you can place a weight to hold down a piece of metal to be soldered onto another. \u00a0This keeps the soldering area clear for heating with a torch but holds everything in place. \u00a0Works pretty well for gluing as well. \u00a0I’m finished until this is cured tomorrow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When last we saw our hero, he was getting ready to begin engraving. Above, I’ve stuck the copper disk on a small block of walnut with pitch (Northwest Pitchworks, in Bellingham WA). \u00a0Here, it is clamped in my engraver’s vise. … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[23],"tags":[9,24,3,7],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6qLAy-dA","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5204,"url":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=5204","url_meta":{"origin":842,"position":0},"title":"Skull Cache Pocket Fidget Toy and Pocket Fetish Tutorial","date":"May 29, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Starting a tellurium copper pocket fidget toy and fetish. Quarter inch thick tellurium copper - this stuff machines, engraves and carves really well! None of the gummy\/smeary problems ordinary copper has. Marking out and cutting the blank to size. I'll use the exact dimensions to computer model the design for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Carving"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Skull_Cache_Pocket_Fetish_Tutorial_6.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2273,"url":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=2273","url_meta":{"origin":842,"position":1},"title":"Press-Forming Adventures Part 5","date":"July 20, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Today I'm working on making a pendant from the little silver hummingbird skull I press formed during our last visit. \u00a0I'm engraving a piece of Grade 2 titanium for the back of the pendant. \u00a0I'm hoping the gray color of the titanium will coordinate nicely with the bright silver color\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Carving"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Hummingbird_Skull_Press_Form_17.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5625,"url":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=5625","url_meta":{"origin":842,"position":2},"title":"Copper Crab Pocket Fetish Tutorial","date":"May 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Beginning a tellurium copper pocket fetish with the previous crab theme. However, I first have to cut the design on the back side, because if I cut the front side first, I\u2019ll never get the piece square and flat in the vise. Got to think ahead with CNC, \u2018cause the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Carving"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/TomSterling_Copper_Crab_Pocket_Fetish_23-1024x769.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2292,"url":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=2292","url_meta":{"origin":842,"position":3},"title":"Press-Forming Adventures Part 6","date":"July 30, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Above are all of the hummingbird and owl press forming works I've been working on...an interesting ride, I must say. Above is the completed silver hummingbird skull and titanium pendant, with leather neck cord. Available soon at\u00a0BladeGallery.com Below are images of a Hummingbird Medicine Pouch. \u00a0This one is for the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Carving"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Hummingbird_Skull_Press_Form_35.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4799,"url":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=4799","url_meta":{"origin":842,"position":4},"title":"Millit Knives Pony NW Salmon Tutorial","date":"October 23, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Here I\u2019m starting a commission on a lovely little Millit Pony knife with copper scales. A sculpted salmon theme in NW Native American-style. Above, you can see the block I\u2019ll use for holding the copper scales, covered in dark grey Thermolock\u2122 plastic. You can also see the design transferred to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Engraved Knife"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Shishiaibori_Engraving_Process.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5736,"url":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=5736","url_meta":{"origin":842,"position":5},"title":"Nightmare Frog Pocket Fetish Tutorial","date":"June 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"CNC milling the \u201cNightmare Frog Pocket Fetish\u201d in tellurium copper. I fought with computer modeling this monster all weekend! Here\u2019s what the CNC was milling beneath the coolant bath. The \u201cNightmare Frog Pocket Fetish\u201d in tellurium copper. This side needs gold eyes and some screws. After that, something needs to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Carving"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/TomSterling_Steampunk_Frog_Pocket_Fetish_3-1024x785.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/842"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=842"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/842\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":879,"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/842\/revisions\/879"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}