Yes, it has been a while since I posted but I have been very busy trying to get back on track with projects and the always messy studio. 

This week and this post is about completing the first of three book cover projects - the covers having a chased and repoussed (sp?) panel.  

​Back in May I made a book cover prototype with a ginkgo leaf on it.  In July, I bought some more "pocket" books and started to work up the templates to cut the leather for 4 different sizes/types. I then cut more leather, sewed them and made sure the books fit in the covers.  Along the way, since then I received a request for 3 covers and I worked up the designs for them but since things got crazy with the day job and then the trip to Nechamkin Silver Studios, a couple of private classes I was asked to give and not a lot of progress was being made on the book covers.

I was able to finish the first panel about 3 weeks ago and so I set aside this weekend (Thanksgiving) to finish the first book.  First I had to trim up the panel and drill the holes for the rivets. I did a bit more polishing to clean up the clean up. Next up was to cut the leather and dye it and let it dry. Yesterday I was able to rivet the panel to the front of the book, stamp my makers mark on the leather, sew the end flaps and fit the book.  1 down, 2 more to go. 

Last week I took another trip to Nechamkin Silver Studio for the next lesson(s) on the Teapot Project.   

This week I learned many things.   1) cleaning the solder joint inside and out, 2) fix any pin holes, gaps, and under cuts,  3) heavy planish the seam, 4) truing the tube, and 5) planning the next step which is raising the top and bottom.

We started off with how to properly clean the excess solder off the solder joint which is lots of filing and gentle sanding but not taking off the silver; just the solder.   Once that was done we could evaluate the seam to determine what gaps and pin holes had to be fixed and why. Then we moved onto heavy planishing of the seam to get a consistent wall thickness.  All of this consumed 3 days. On the the 4th day and my last with Liza, this week, we trued up the seam and then we could get to work refining the design. We had to take measurements from the sketches and the tube to determine where to start the raising at each end and from there we made our templates. From the templates I can cut/carve wood stake models which I will then have cast.  Then the other design elements had to be considered - spout shape and size the handle shape and where to place both, the lid shape and how to fit the lid to the pot and the bottom rim or feet?  

One must not forget an important part of tea pots - how does it pour? Many a teapot do not pour correctly because the spout is too short or too long which can cause the tea to spill out the lid or placed to high on the pot wall such that the last bit of tea can't be poured.  And the pot handle - can you get the lid off and on easily? Does the pot have a vent hole to facilitate the tea flow?? 

I now have lots of homework to do before I return next year:
1) make 1 if not 2 more tubes, in brass,  so we can use them for practice raising. This means they have to be soldered and cleaned to the point where we ended, this week
2) make a stake for truing the tube(s) because when you heavy planish, the tube is no longer round.
3) get the raising stakes made - so I have to cut the wood and get them cast. Finding a casting house will be fun!
4) study teapot design and make some choices for the spout, handle, lid and lid finial, and the bottom - feet or rim?

Here are lots of pictures ...