Lesson 6: Forming with Mandrels
Both before and after soldering you can use the mandrels and forming tools to create shape to your pieces.
- Before soldering you want to create the general shape.
- Any areas to be soldered should meet as perfectly as possible. This will require work with the file to make sure of this. They should fit tightly together- no light peeking through!
- Ring bands shouldn’t be completely round- they should be flat on the top so that the ends of the metal meet completely.
- Solder the ring with hard.
- File the excess solder off. This makes sure the solder doesn’t get pounded into the surface of the ring.
- Slide ring onto mandrel. Make sure that mandrel is in vise or resting against the stump or bench. The mandrel should be moving when you are hammering on it!
- Form ring on mandrel, first with rawhide mallet, then with goldsmith’s hammer.
- The rawhide (or wood/plastic) mallets push the metal against the mandrel. The metal hammers will thin the metal out slightly with each blow (leaving the hammered look) and conforms the metal to exactly the shape of the mandrel.
- File away hammer marks.
- Sand to 600 grit. Then polish if desired.
- Make sure not to distort the profile of the ring with your sanding or filing!!
- Remember: you can always take more metal off. You can’t put it back on!
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