pewtersmith needed

[LeifJ]

I was refered to this thread by Maille Collum, who has bought many things from my pewter company, Canterbury Pewter. (Website off-line at the moment - sorry) In particular, we have leveraged a number of our peices as kilt pins, and I recreated beautiful St Andrews kilt plate. Also I use our Canterbury Cross cufflinks with my Prince Charlie...

I am curious, what is the motivation for the dandelion? That drives somewhat the reasoning and style for the piece.

I agree with others on metal choices, but most cases any variant metals would be a custom cast. Also, I prefer the softer tone of pewter, but does tend to conflict with the high gloss of most jacket buttons.

Let me know what you are looking for and if Tyger's designs doesn't meet it, I am happy to consider it.

Thanks
Leif Johnston
Dir of Operations
Canterbury Pewter

[LeifJ]

I was thinking more about the dandelion and the layout of either a kilt pin, or other adornment...

The dandelion, without color, is somewhat hard to distinguish. As a yellow flower, it could be a daisy or any multipetalled flower. I presume the puff ball form would not be the preference of the group either.

Interestingly though, the variety of dandelion shapes available at the time my make it a very noticable and interesting form. A Pre-puff, the cone shaped white top next to a round flower perhaps with a strand of the leaf, might make and interesting but complicated layout.

Anyway, the thoughts behind that are the feedback I was looking for.

Thanks
Leif

[Mael Coluim]

I can certainly attest to the fine work that Leif does in his Canterbury Pewter shop. I posted a thread on his conversion of his Celtic Crosses pendants to kilts pins. Here's the thread. And his is my review of the St. Patrick kilt where you can see the kilt pin in service.

Glad to have you on the forum, Leif! How about an introduction on the Newbie forum.

[piperdbh]

I was thinking more about the dandelion and the layout of either a kilt pin, or other adornment...

The dandelion, without color, is somewhat hard to distinguish. As a yellow flower, it could be a daisy or any multipetalled flower. I presume the puff ball form would not be the preference of the group either.

Interestingly though, the variety of dandelion shapes available at the time my make it a very noticable and interesting form. A Pre-puff, the cone shaped white top next to a round flower perhaps with a strand of the leaf, might make and interesting but complicated layout.

Anyway, the thoughts behind that are the feedback I was looking for.

Thanks
Leif

Leif,
Welcome to the Rabble! It's always nice to add another artist to the fold.
The XMTS plant badge is the dandelion, which a few folks have obtained in the silk form and made cap badges out of. I had originally pictured a dandelion in full bloom without leaves, cast in pewter and suspended from a bit of the XMTS tartan cut to ribbon size to be worn like a service medal. I also thought that same bloom would work well as a kilt pin, but since reading your idea of a bloom and bud combined with a leaf, I'm thinking that would be a striking pin, especially if the bloom and bud were brass and the rest of the plant were silver-colored, but not necessarily silver. If done the way you suggest, the open bloom would need to be no bigger than 1" across, which would also be a good size for the pendant. Some of our members might want these to wear as earrings or hang them from their Christmas trees.
Please let me know how else I can help explore this idea, and other members feel free to jump in, too.

[tyger]

Here is the Tyger Forge Dandelion belt buckle. It is brass on copper with glass, 3.5 inches diameter. Suitable for anybody, especially those who belong to the Order of The Dandelion. I have made a women's shawl pin that is similar: all brass, and of a thinner gauge so that it weighs less.

[LeifJ]

Very striking and nicely done! How did you get the glass to adhere to the brass? pins or epoxy?

It reminds me of a targe I saw in Edinburgh a couple years ago. Now if you make one about 1.5ft across with a handle, you'd be set.

I like the brass and copper combo.

Leif

[LeifJ]

Glad to have you on the forum, Leif! How about an introduction on the Newbie forum.

My apologies on the post to all - I was responding to the topic vs paying attention to the rules!

Leif

[tyger]

Thanks, LeifJ. The glass is bezel set, using a strip of low red brass, the same way one would bezel set a stone. In fact, I have some stones from Scotland that can be set instead of glass, if anyone is interested. Jasper, marble, agate, and epidote in several different colors.

Yes, 1.5 foot diameter can be done. Would have to have a hefty deposit on that one!

[LeifJ]

On your idea piper, I have made small peices with a square/rectangular hole that takes a ribbon for use as a bookmark. In that context we could tie it in like a medal, or do a push pin/tie tack back, or a post earring - all those (except the ribbon) are simply different findings for the back. Traditional pin finding could work as well for a kilt pin and extra control.

I have never tried to bond brass to pewter. I have some thin brass that I could try to place in the mold with a repouse style perhpas, but wouldn't get much detail. Brass being copper based casts high temp ~1700 deg, where pewter being largely tin melts in the 400 deg range. Another difference is that pewter is usually spin cast to develop density and about 400 rpm. that would also complicate mold matching. Not that any of the traditional techniques have to be used, but... My usual process is to make a master and from that make a rubber spin cast mold of a single peice. Where there true production runs, I would then make a multi peice mold so 1 spin would output 8 peices for example.

Color combo based on metal is a bit complicated and more expensive...

Another option suggested by Tyger is the notion of a silver base. To silver, gold accents can be added. An option with silver is the precious metal clay, a clay like silver and organic binder that can be shaped 3d and then fired. The result is pure silver but slightly porous. This base can take a gold accent with a very durable binding...

Let's talk more on design bases and maybe a sketch or two. I have to run out now, but will try to draw an idea or 2 tomorrow.

Leif

[LeifJ]

Ok a new perspective.

I worked a bit on a copper repouse to see if I could make that work, but there are just too many tool marks to make a good 3d. I worked on a 2in clay model and didn't like the results, but that is what I would do for a straight 3d rendition of the bloom. Tool markings for central cone and petal depth is right.

But that makes me think that the thought of a campaign medal with an incised picture is the easiest first step. The incised area turns black when oxidized and the non incised gets a polish step.

I have embedded a sketch of what that might look like - I did it oval and think round is fine, but looking for proportion and concept feedback.

Leif