Planishing is the process of smoothing or flattening of metal.   And with raising or sinking of holloware or other hollow forms - and that can include some jewelry; a traditional silversmith will use a highly polished hammer.   The hammer can be flat, with softened edges for working on synclastic curved pieces thus preventing the edges from "dinging" the surface. On flat work, usually the hammer face has a slight dome to it thus keeping the edges, again, from dinging the surface.

If the time and patience is taken, a very shiny and smooth surface can be obtained even before proceeding to polishing.

I already have a few planishing hammers but during my workshop at Nechamkin Silver Studios, I was shown a light weight hammer and told how to make one.  If you watch the little movie I made you can see it briefly.

As with all the other tasks I came home with, making one was on the list. I bought the metal and a week ago I spent time in the garage with the shop elf drilling a center hole for the handle mounting.  The next day, while I was at work, the shop elf was very excited and decided to mount the handle - BEFORE I had finished the faces.  Yes, I know I could have knocked out the wedge and removed the handle except for the fact that the shop elf, in his eagerness also epoxied the handle in. Oh well.

Today I went into the garage and with hand files, sanding belts, several grades of sand paper and finally the polishing wheels I shaped the faces. One face is flat with rounded edges and the other face is ever so slightly rounded. 

And while the shop elf was drilling I was shaping a cheapie nylon hammer from Harbor Freight so it could be a small raising hammer. Hey, for 12 bucks, why not??!!!

So here are the process. Remember, you can click any image to open a larger version and then use the arrows to move to the next.

Last week I cut my first wood stake. That stake is for the upper half of the tumbler and I did that stake first as it was the easiest to do.  

Yes, I have a steel T-stake that would also work but this was an exercise in cutting a wood stake. 

Today I cut the second wood stake for the lower half of the tumbler - also it should be noted that when I raise another tumbler, this second stake will actually be used first but the reason it was made second was so I could get a feel for working with the wood. 

This stake is a bit more complex because the diameter of the tumbler and thus the wood, increases as the the height of the tumbler increases from the base.  At the base it is 2" in diameter and it is 3.25" at 2" in height. The diameter then stays constant at 3.25" for another 1" of height (thus the other stake).

I also cut this stake on the other end of the wood so I have two stakes but only once piece of wood.

So, shall we get to the pictures???  And at the bottom there's 4 pictures. Two of the original stake that Liza made and two of mine.

I just got an invite to Ello.
So if you are on Ello, you can find me via this link TheAdventurousSilversmith 

Thus I say "Ello, Ello" 

When I went to Nechamkin Silver Studio's back in September and learned to raise a tumbler, I started the raising on a wood stake and then changed over to a steel stake. Since then I have gathering my tools and equipment and making a technical drawing so I could make a wood stake such that I could raise another tumbler in my studio.   

Today I started that project. 

I went to the wood working store in San Diego and bought a 2" x 2" x 12" spindle blank (Osage Orange wood, as they did not have maple) that would allow me to cut a stake at each end.  One end would be for the lower half of the tumbler and have a compound (synclastic) curve since the diameter of tumbler increases with distance from the base. The second stake would be for the upper half of the tumbler and would be a constant diameter. 

I started with the second stake since it would be easier to make. 

Into the garage I went with my drawing, templates for the various diameters and my block of wood. Out came the files. Into the vice went to the block of wood and using my templates, I drew marks on the wood for the radius and the distance from the end to indicated where to stop filing. So the project began. 

Much sawdust was created. 

Then about 2 hours later after checking with the templates and the actual tumbler and switching from rasps to coarse files to fine files and fine sand paper. The first wood stake I have ever made was done. 

Once I raise a tumbler on this, I will then get steel stakes made. 

So? ................

What do you think of my new log and redesigned website??

Why the change?

Well, I have always wanted a nice logo and since I was paid for an upcoming article in Art Jewelry Magazine, I thought I could take that money and fund the logo design.  

I found a design firm (The Firehouse Collective)  in the area and we discussed my requirements: logo, colors for website and business card and that I could do the website redesign myself. We came to an agreement on price that was within my budget and voila about 3 weeks later I had everything in my inbox. Yes, we only met once to do the final selection of colors. 

And today less than one week later after staying up late and working on this through lunch I we also have a new website.

I still have a few things left to do

• Get the business cards made
• Get a touchmark/stamp made for putting on metal
• Fixing some images here on the website and a few other geeky items

I hope you like it as much as I do