Wire and Bead Tutorials. Beaded Dangle or Pendant. Part 1

Wire and Bead Tutorials.
Beaded Dangle or Pendant. Figure 1.

This is Part 1 of my blog post series of Wire and Bead Tutorials. In this post I will be showing a simple way to make a Beaded Dangle or Pendant using Head Pins and various Beads.

All of the following techniques and supplies are historically used and date back to at least the end of the first millenium BC (BCE) and continue well through the Byzantine Empire. I have found many extant examples from various times and places of the Roman Republic, the Roman Empire, and the Byzantine Empire. Over the coming months I will continue to look for extant pieces from other Mediterranean and European civilizations.

A modern Head Pin is a long wire with one end terminating in a flattened, round 'head' that is simiar to a nail's or some styles of rivets. They can be purchased at many bead suppliers or craft stores and come in a variety of gauges, lengths, and metals either precious or not.

1. Pass the Head Pin's 'end' (1b) through the Decorative Bead (1a) so its 'head' is flush against the bead's opposite opening* (1c).

2. Take 1 or more small Embellishment Bead (2a) and slide them onto the Head Pin (2 & 2b).

3. Bend the remaining length of the Head Pin about 90 degrees (3a) so that the Beads are secured in place and that there isn't room enough for them to slide back and forth. Use Round Needle Nose Pliers (3) to form a loop by bending the wire around it (4a). 

4. Use Wire Cutters (4) to shorten the Head Pin (4a), so it forms a closed, round loop (4b). Use a Pair of Flat Needle Nose Pliers (4c) to manipulate the loop so that it is centered and closed properly so there isn't any gap left. A gap could get spread wider through wear and tear to possible lose the Dangle.

5.  Pass the Dangle's loop (4b) either through the opening of the hook or brooch pin, or one end of a chain, cord or wire so it is secured.

Wire and Bead Tutorials.
Beaded Dangle or Pendant. Figure 2.

* Please Note: If the Decorative Bead's bottom opening is wider than the Head Pin's 'head', then you can do any of the following historically used options:

A. First slide on a small bead, like a Seed Bead, that is wider than the Decorative Bead's opening. This smaller bead will stop the larger bead from falling off.

B. First slide on a spangle which will act like a Bead Cap. A spangle is a small, flat metal disk with a drilled hole at it's center, it is what sequince is made up of and it is used in decorative Embroidery.

C. First slide on a small Bead Cap with a hole small enough that the 'head' prevents it from sliding off the Head Pin. Bead Caps are usually curved like the Bead and look molded against it. 

D. Use or make a Head Pin with a wider 'head' or that has a balled up end with a wider diameter than the width of the Decorative Bead's hole.

E. Make a single or double Loop that's larger than the Decorative Bead's opening. Use the same techniques shown in this photo-tutorial.

F. If you are using round wire instead of a Head Pin, and the Bead has a small opening, you can simply bend the wire back onto itself (180 degrees) using a Pair of Flat Needle Nose Pliers (4c). This will form a closed 'U' shape that should be wider than the Decorative Bead's bottom opening.

Part 2 of this Blog post series will show how to make 1 style of Birka Grave Find, Bead Hangers. It is a decorative way to suspend 1 or more beads on a beaded necklace or chain. There are a variety of styles and I will be showing 1 of the 2 most found methods. This style of Viking Age Bead Hanger was predominately found in Birka Grave Finds.

Late Anglo-Saxon Disk-Brooches. Part 6. (Enamelling Tools)

Goldsmithing and Enameling Tools: Iron Hoods / Muffles and Trays.

This is Part 6 of my series of blog posts related to my Late Anglo-Saxon Enamel Disk-Brooch project on the historical tools used in Goldsmithing and Enamelling from approximately the 2nd-century BCE until the middle of the 2nd-millennium CE.

Figures A to J.

I was inspired by the hood/muffle sets that two fellow Enamelers each fabricated and based on Theophilus' description from, 'On Diverse Arts'. A couple of years ago I saw the set made by THL Alys Treeby, my Apprentice Belt-Sister, she's had multiple successful enamel firings on a Blacksmith's charcoal heated forge. Recently Sir Ælfwyn Langanwuda sent me photographs of the set she fabricated. This past weekend she was able to use it with great success on her period bead kiln that she's repurposed, previously she used a blacksmith's forge as a heat source. Both of their hoods are appropriately 3-inches in diameter.

In May of this year, Doug Colin Guyton fabricated for me a perforated, domed hood/muffle and tray (see Figure M.) based on my research of Theophilus' Treatise, ‘On Diverse Arts’. Both the domed extant and reproduction pieces have handles though shaped differently. Theophilus' description is of a flat tray similar to a pizza paddle, and the domed Georgian extant tray is concave, similar to a frying pan.

Figures K and L.

Over the next year I plan to experiment with my muffle set using a charcoal forge to solder, enamel and fuse. I hope to fabricate another domed muffle/hood as well as conical shaped ones, based on the extant finds of the “Iron hood, Vani, second half of the 2nd century B.C.”.

The hood/muffle and its tray are used on a charcoal forge (see Figures B and O) or with a furnace, both are smaller than what Blacksmiths use(d). They are placed on top of heated charcoal and other heated pieces of charcoal are piled a couple of inches high around the hood. Since the holes in the hood/muffle were punched from the interior outwards, the sharp edges of the cut and stretched metal point outwards, much like a cheese grater, and help reduce how much ash and particles can enter. The charcoal quickly heats the metal and interior space. Once the needed temperature range and time have been reached then the charcoal can be carefully brushed away from the sides and the entire hood/muffle and tray can be removed from the forge or furnace. 

"A copy of the Colchian cloisonné hood was made and tested, which showed that the Colchian “hood" is a goldsmith's tool – an iron muffle. If placed underneath a pile of burning coals as described by Theophilus, high temperatures are achieved inside the muffle and a highly skilled jeweler can perform work on glass, gold or silver." (Ermile Maghradze, Nature, June 2014)

I am researching the writings of three other historical figures in hopes of finding more information on the tools and techniques of pre-Renaissance soldering, fusing, and enameling techniques. I will continue to write blog posts of my experiments and findings over the coming year.

Figures M to P.

Figure A. 

Ermile Maghradze fabricating a Gold Cloisonné enameled medallion based on an extant find. 

Figure B. 

One style of “Colchian hood” being used for Georgian style enameling on a charcoal forge. The one shown above is a reproduction based on an extant find (see Figure K and L). 

Figure C. 

Ermile Maghradze placing Gold cloisons on the back plate. 

Figure D. 

The perforated, domed hood looks like Theophilus’ description in his Treatise, ‘On Diverse Arts’, though this extant Georgian base is concave, similar to a frying pan, instead of flat like a pizza paddle, as in his description. 

Figures E & F. 

“Iron hood, Vani, second half of the 2nd century B.C.”, a conical style of perforated muffle / hood and its base, displayed in the Georgian National Museum. 

Figures G to J. 

A variety of Georgian Cloisonné enameled pieces.

Figure K.

The various tools used for fabricating Georgian enameled pieces, several are extant finds (both hoods), others are modern recreations based on finds and research. 

This conical hood is very similar to the “Iron hood, Vani, second half of the 2nd century B.C.” from page 57 of the article. 

The perforated, domed hood looks like Theophilus’ description in his Treatise, ‘On Diverse Arts’, though this Georgian base is concave, similar to a frying pan, instead of flat as in his description.

Figure L.

"One very important archaeological discovery in Western Georgia was a perforated, cone-shaped iron “hood” and a tray discovered in 1966 in the remains of a city near Vani in the historical region of Colchis. We made a link between this artifact and a type of “hood” used to mount enamel, which had been described by Theophilus. In the chapter of the treatise that explains firing gold plate with mounted enamel, Theophilus describes a “hood” with a tray that a smith has to use to complete the firing. It is apparently very important that Theophilus is describing one of the types of muffles (a clay or iron box inserted into a furnace in order to fire an article) that was widespread in the medieval goldsmith workshops."

- from, Ermile Maghradze (2014) 'The Discovery of the “Colchian hood”, a tool that shaped the art of Medieval Cloisonné Enamel Technology', Museum. Georgian National Museum, N1, June 2014, 54-57.

Figure M.

This perforated, domed hood was fabricated by Doug Colin Guyton based on my research of Theophilus’ description from his Treatise, ‘On Diverse Arts’. 

The base of the domed Georgian extant set is concave, similar to a frying pan, instead of flat like a pizza paddle, as the version that Theophilus was familiar with.

Figures O and P. 

The conical hood is similar to the “Iron hood, Vani, second half of the 2nd century B.C.” from page 57 of the article in Nature. Its base does not have a handle like the domed hood.

Figure P.

The perforated, domed hood looks like Theophilus’ description in his Treatise, ‘On Diverse Arts’, though this Georgian base is concave, similar to a frying pan, instead of flat as above in our Theophilus reproduction.

Figures A thru J, N, O, and several quotes are from: 

Ermile Maghradze (2014) 'The Discovery of the “Colchian hood”, a tool that shaped the art of Medieval Cloisonné Enamel Technology', Museum. Georgian National Museum, N1, June, 54-57.

Figure M.

Photograph by Gaeira Aggadottir.

Figures K, L, and P.  

These images are from the Georgian National Museum’s website.

Riveting or...drill, hammer, repeat. Part 6

Escutcheon Pins, Rivets,
and the Nail Set Tool

This is Part 6 of my series of blog posts about Riveting with a Nail Set tool. Please see Part 2 of my blog post series for general information and additional tips as well as Part 4 for how to use an Escutcheon pin or domed wire as your rivet.

Part 1 was about my two days of experimentation and practice with riveting; I worked on three different methods of using annealed, solid Brass Escutcheon pins as well as learning to use a Nail Set tool instead of a ball peen or riveting hammer as I was use to.

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Escutcheon Pins, Rivets, and the Nail Set Tool

- Riveting with an Escutcheon Pin or with Wire you've domed an 'End' to form a Rivet Head.

- Parts of a Rivet: Head, Pin, End.  A cut piece of Wire has two Ends.

- Before Setting the Rivet: Cut the End to length and sand it flat. Place the Nail Set Tool, the Riveter, over the End, hammer it until well domed.

- During hammering the Head gets flattened against the anvil.

- After Setting: Lift the 'Riveter' for a finished Head.

Etching...Uncovering the Hidden Image. Part 1

The Stages of Chemically
Etching Copper Alloys

This is Part 1 in my series of blog posts on how to chemically Etch Copper Alloys using Toner Transfer Paper (TTP) or Press-n-Peel Blue (PnP, or PnP Blue) sheets as the main Resist. 

There are several metalsmithing techniques to remove surface metal as a form of decoration. The two techniques that often come to mind for me are Etching, a chemical method, and Engraving, a physical method. Both are very old techniques, by comparison Etching methods have changed a great deal compared to Engraving ones. I will not be covering Etching's history in this blog post, but the current methods I practice.

I have been etching mainly Copper Alloys for about 3-4 years, given a few lecture classes at Pennsic, and I've etched several Fine Silver rings which were fun to do. Although the Etchant, the Etching solution that removes the unwanted surface metal, is different for Copper Alloys, compared to Fine or Sterling Silver, everything else is the same in the procedure I follow. I will cover the similarities and differences in a future blog post.

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The Stages for Chemically Etching Copper Alloys

1. Toner Transfer Paper (TTP) / PnP Blue sheet.

The 'Light Grey' in the image represents the backing material and the 'Blue' is the coated side to be printed on. PnP Blue's backed material is Mylar, a Polyester, it's clear and transparent, which is coated with several layers of release agents so it looks blue. The backing material for TTP is paper with several layers of release agents that look semi-glossy and slightly tinged blue-green. The coated side for both are the sides the graphic images need to be printed on. 

The coated side, represented in Blue in the image, binds the HP B&W Laser Printer's Toner to the sheet and helps during the Heat Transfer process. The Toner is a plastic, not an ink, so it can be transferred onto the metal with heat and pressure / weight.

The Toner used for Brother B&W Laser Printers require a much higher temperature to Heat Transfer the Toner onto the metal. Experiment and see what that is if you already have a Brother brand printer.

2. TTP / PnP Blue with horizontally flipped graphics printed.

The 'Dark Grey' in the image represents the graphic images printed with Toner which acts as the Resist, which blokes the Etchant from corroding the metal. Many/most HP Laser B&W Printers use toner cartridges which use a plastic formula and not an ink. Some of their cartridges have environmentally friendly, 'Green' material, that does NOT act as a Resist and is not useful for etching.

The best images for a cleanly etched design is B&W and NOT Grey Scale. The sharper and smoother the images' edges are the cleaner your etch, so a higher number of Dots Per Inch (DPI) is suggested, at least 300 DPI. Experiment to see the various texture options available to you based on the image used as well as it's DPI, take notes.

The Toner's coverage over the sheet is NOT 100%, due to the method that the Laser Printer covers the paper in Toner and heat treats is to bind to the surface. There are micro sized spaces between the Toner, particles / 'drops', that could allow some Etching solution to get past and create pin holes / pits on the surface of the metal instead of a perfectly smooth surface that was properly protected. Some printer software allow the user to control the percentage of Toner coverage of the paper. If you are able to switch then use the highest coverage available, though this does not guaranty perfect coverage or protection.

3. TTP / PnP Blue during Heat Transfer of Resist onto the Metal.

The 'Yellow' in the image is the flat metal sheet that will be etched, for example, Copper Alloys etched by Ferric Chloride, and Silver Alloys etched by Ferric Nitrate. 

HP B&W Laser Printers' Toner, since it's a plastic and not an ink, can be Heat Transferred onto the metal between 280F to 295F [138C to 146C]. Simply applying heat will not be enough for the Toner to bond to the metal, it also needs pressure / weight and sometimes burnishing the paper against the metal. If the pressure / weight is high enough, during heating, then burnishing might not be needed. If pressure / weight is enough then burnishing the paper is necessary. 

When using a flat heat source that is below the metal and TTP / PnP Blue, for example: an electric cooking grill (sold for making breakfast / brunch usually), large cast iron frying pan, etc. 

I use a rectangular piece of parchment paper, which is sold in rolls and used in baking, as a slip cover / folder during Heat Transferring the resist onto the metal. Cut a piece of parchment paper at least 2 inches wider and longer than the sandwiched TTP / PnP Blue and metal sheet. Once cut fold it in half, place the 'sandwich' in it so that the length of it is firmly wedged against the fold, this keeps everything lined up while you are applying pressure of burnishing the surface.

You can use the back of a metal spoon to apply pressure while burnishing to aid in better transferring the image. Hold the spoon with your thumb in its concave area and while pressing downwards with as much force as you can, burnish / rub the surface in every direction and over 100% of the surface of the metal sheet. Continue the Heat Transfer for approximately 90 to 150 seconds (+ / -), the amount of time will vary depending on the temperature, pressure, etc. used.

Once the time is up carefully remove the bonded 'sandwich' and smoothly slide it into a container of cold water. The backing material of the PnP Blue should slide off within a few seconds on its own. The paper backing of the TTP will take a bit longer and requires to be smoothly slid off by hand. If you see a fine surface coating left over from the release agents, slowly wipe it away with a wet finger, rinse it.

Allow the rinsed metal to air dry completely before taking the next step.

4. Metal with Resist is safe from Etchant, Dark Grey & Orange.

The 'Dark Grey' in the image represents the Resist that is bonded to the surface of the metal. The 'Purple' represents additional resist that can be added: nail polish, tape, etc.. It needs to be applied on the ALL surfaces that you do NOT want to be Etched.

PnP Blue: The emulsion layer on the PnP Blue stays attached / binds with the toner,  even after heat transferring them onto the metal. 

TTP: The emulsion on the paper backing enables the toner to not bond to the papers' surface and more easily slide of during heat transfer.

Please note an unwanted hole in the Resist at the bottom right corner of #4's cross section, it wasn't properly protected with Resist, nail polish (Purple), it is the second type of Resist that was applied. It was coated on every area that shouldn't be etched and it doesn't effect the artwork of the TTP / PnP Blue.

5. Piece in Etching Solution; areas unprotected by Resist will be etched away, the metal being removed is Orange.

The 'Orange' in the image represents the metal that will be chemically etched away, removed, by the Etchant.

Etching Solution = Etchant = Ferric Chloride

When etching Copper Alloys you can use Ferric Chloride, and for Silver Alloys you can use Ferric Nitrate as an Etchant. Both corrosive salts are mild compared to many of the other salts or acids that you can choose to use. Ferric Chloride has been used for many years in the electronics industry and by hobbyists to etched circuit boards, etc.

In the bottom-right corner we see in Orange the tiny area of metal that will be Etched, but should have been properly protected with the second Resist. This unprotected spot will leave a hole or line in the surface of the metal.

6. Etching complete & Etchant neutralized; Resist on surface.

Ferric Chloride is an Etchant for Copper Alloys, and Ferric Nitrate is an Etchant for Silver Alloys, both corrosive salts are neutralized with a Baking Soda solution. If anything that comes into contact with the Etchant, a corrosive salt, and is not completely neutralized, then whatever Etchant remains on it will continue to 'eat' away material. 

To neutralize the Etchant make a solution of tepid/cool water, slowly add Baking Soda while stirring until it will no longer dissolve (disappear). Powder will start to fall to the bottom of your container, super saturation, this is a good way to be sure that you are using enough Baking Soda. When the Etchant comes into contact with the neutralizing solution you will know that it is working when frothy bubbled start to form. Once those bubbles stop forming, similar to when popcorn pops slower and slower until it stops, all the Etchant on the surface has been neutralized. While wearing latex or neoprene??? gloves you can gently rub the surface to expose more surface area then return into the Baking Soda solution. Remove the piece then place it into a fresh batch of Baking Soda solution, this 'clean' solution will get into any areas that weren't neutralized earlier. Remove and rinse in a container of tepid water and leave to air dry.

The hole at the bottom-right corner is more visible after the piece was Etched. 

When I remove my pieces from the Etchant:

1. Before putting anything into the solution of Baking Soda, stir it to be sure it's mixed in enough since it quickly separates. 
2. Pat everything dry with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible from the piece and floater.
3. Submerge everything into the Baking Soda solution. You'll know it is working when frothy bubbled start to form, keep the piece in the solution until the bubbles stop forming.
4. Remove the metal from the first container of neutralizing solution and put it into a fresh container filled with neutralizing Baking Soda solution. Once the bubbles stop forming remove the piece and rinse it well under tepid water. Pat dry and leave everything to air dry.
5. If you used any tape you should remove it now, continue letting it dry.
6. Acetone, nail polish remover, will remove the TTP / PnP Blue, nail polish, and some of the tape residue. 
7. Use some dish soap to wash the piece and rinse it well under tepid water. Pat dry and leave it to air dry before continuing.

7. Etched Piece once the Resist is removed.

Now it is ready for you to work with it, you can: saw, pierce, file, sand, drill, solder, polish, etc. to complete the piece.

Safety Precautions:

Always keep a container with fresh Baking Soda solution nearby as well as an open box of Baking Soda when dealing with Etchant. Wear safety glasses, gloves, clothing that covers as much skin as possible, and close toe shoes. Keep hair tied up and out of your way. Work in a well ventilated room if you cannot work outside. Having a stove top fan on while working under it is good as well. Cover all your work surfaces with newspaper or plastic. The Etchants can stain everything it comes into contact and possibly corrode.


TO GO TO PART 2

Riveting or...drill, hammer, repeat. Part 5

Making a Rivet from Wire 
with a Dome 'Front' and a Flush 'Back'

This is Part 5 of my series of blog posts about Riveting with a Nail Set tool. Please see Part 2 of my blog post series for general information and additional tips as well as Part 4 for how to use an Escutcheon pin or domed wire as your rivet.

Part 1 was about my two days of experimentation and practice with riveting; I worked on three different methods of using annealed, solid Brass Escutcheon pins as well as learning to use a Nail Set tool instead of a ball peen or riveting hammer as I was use to.

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Way 3) Making a Rivet from Wire with a Dome 'Front' and a Flush 'Back'

1. Drill, debur, and insert the wire as shown.

Drill the holes that will hold the body of the rivet: 

Use drill bits that are the exact same diameter as the wire, a good fit gives better results. 

DO NOT counter sink either end of the drilled hole for this style of rivet.

Debur the openings of the drilled hole:

There are several ways of deburring, which leaves cleaner results:

• sand the surface smooth to remove the sharp, raised metal
• gently press a Round Bur, that is wider than the drilled hole, against the lip and twist a few times just enough to remove the excess metal bits
• use slightly larger Drill Bit the same way you would a Round Bur
• Be careful since the uneven edges could make either tool bounce out and scratch the surface. 

The wire must be annealed and 'Dead Soft': 

Hammering the metal into shape is easier the softer the metal is and requires fewer hammer strikes.

2. The finished 'Back' end touches the anvil, flush to the surface.

The rivet end that's resting against the anvil must be flush with the surface of the piece, usually it ends up as the 'Back' of the piece.

3. Cut the 'Front' end of the rivet to length and sand it flat. 

Cut the wire end that's at the 'Front' with a pair of flush wire cutting pliers. Use a sanding disk to remove any points so that the wire is flat, parallel with the surface of the piece.

4. Place the Nail Set tool, hammer it to form a dome.

The 'Front' end of the rivet gets domed by the Nail Set tool:

Nail Sets usually come in sets of three and each has a concave dome at the bottom with a different diameter and depth. It is better if the hole is not counter sunk. Chose the one from the set that best suits the diameter of the wire so that the concave half-sphere of the Nail Set tool is entirely filled to form a smooth dome. 

Place the concave dome of the Nail Set tool over the stub of the wire that's at the 'Front'. Rest the 'Back' of the piece flush against the anvil. Hammer several times in all 8 directions in opposite pairs, for example: north, south, then east, west, then NE, SW, and then SE, NW. This will spread the force of the hammer blows so that the wire end evenly reforms and fills the concave Nail Set and forms a dome.  

The flush end becomes a friction fit plug:

The end of the rivet that's resting against the anvil at the 'Back' must be flush with the surface of the piece. While hammering from the 'Front', the flattened end will get pushed against the anvil and expand to fill the drilled hole. This creates a strong rivet end, much like a stuck plug. The flush side is usually placed at the 'Back' of the piece since there's a smaller chance that the front of the piece can get damaged while pressed against the anvil.


Riveting: Using a Nail Set Tool and Escutcheon Pins

Riveting: Using a Nail Set Tool and Escutcheon Pins

You can see several examples of rivet styles #3 and #4 in the photographs of my experimentation, from the graphic at the top of blog post Part 3.

Riveting or...drill, hammer, repeat. Part 4

Riveting with an Escutcheon Pin, or with a Wire you've domed the 'Back'

This is Part 4 of my series of blog posts about Riveting with a Nail Set tool. Please see Part 2 of my blog post series for general information and additional tips.

Part 1 was about my two days of experimentation and practice with riveting; I worked on three different methods of using annealed, solid Brass Escutcheon pins as well as learning to use a Nail Set tool instead of a ball peen or riveting hammer as I was use to. 

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Riveting with an Escutcheon Pin, or with a Wire you've domed the 'Back'

There are a variety of riveting kits and specialty riveting anvils that you can either purchase online or in a store. These tools help to turn one or even both ends of the rivet wire into a dome. 

You can also create your own dome making tool if the metal of your anvil is 'soft' enough to 'drill' into. A Round Bur will create a concave half-sphere on the surface of the anvil. Start by making a dimple with a scribe and drilling a very shallow pilot hole with a drill bit. This hole stabilized the Round Bur so you can remove enough metal to create the concave half-sphere that will hold and shape the rivet's dome. It can be used to made one end into a dome similar to an Escutcheon pin's or prevent an already domed rivet head from getting flattened while hammering the opposite end.

The advantage of using a solid Brass Escutcheon Pin are: 

• it already comes with a pre-made domed head on one end which saves time from making it oneself
• it's perfectly formed
• it's a consistent size
• a solid Brass pin can be annealed to make it easier to shape
• even if it is scratched or damaged it will retain its color since it is not brass plated over steel

1. Drill, debur, and insert the Escutcheon pin or domed wire as shown.

Drill the holes that will hold the body of the rivet: 

Use drill bits that are the exact same diameter as the pin's shaft or wire, a good fit gives better results. Both ends of the open hole do not need to be counter sunk, but the side that the Escutcheon pin's dome rests should definitely not be counter sunk. The opposite end can be counter sunk which will make the rivet sturdier, but will require a longer rivet to fill the extra open area.

Debur the openings of the drilled hole:

There are several ways of deburring, which leaves cleaner results:

• sand the surface smooth to remove the sharp, raised metal
• gently press a Round Bur, that is wider than the drilled hole, against the lip and twist a few times just enough to remove the excess metal bits
• use slightly larger Drill Bit the same way you would a Round Bur
• Be careful since the uneven edges could make either tool bounce out and scratch the surface. 

The Escutcheon pin or wire must be annealed and 'Dead Soft': 

Hammering the metal into shape is easier the softer the metal is and requires fewer hammer strikes. 

2. The Domed ‘Back’ end touches the anvil, it will get flattened.
Push the 'Back' down against the flat anvil so the dome sits flush against the bottom surface as shown, to create a tighter fit.

3. Cut the ‘Front’ end to length and sand it flat. 
Cut the 'Front' end of the wire with a pair of flush wire cutting pliers. Use a sanding disk to remove any points so that the wire is flat as shown.

4. Place the Nail Set tool and hammer it.
Place the concave dome of the Nail Set tool over the stub of the wire and rest the dome of the rivet onto the anvil. Hammer several times in all 8 directions in opposite pairs, for example: north, south, then east, west, then NE, SW, and then SE, NW. This will spread the force of the hammer blows so the wire end is evenly reformed and fills the concave area forming a dome.  

The 'Front' end of the rivet gets domed by the Nail Set tool:

Nail Sets usually come in sets of three and each tool has a concave dome at the bottom with a different diameter and depth. It is easier if the hole is not counter sunk. Chose the one tool from the set that best suits the diameter of the wire so as the dome forms it entirely fills the space to form a smooth dome. You might need to experiment with what length of wire you need to leave by making a couple as tests. Do note down the length needed for that diameter (gauge) of wire so next time you save yourself from needing to make a test rivet.

The pre-domed end gets slightly flattened:

The dome resting against the anvil gets progressively flattened while hammering from the front. This flattened side is usually placed at the 'Back' of the piece for a couple of reasons: the flattened domes aren't necessarily all evenly flat and there's a smaller chance that the front of the piece can get damaged while pressed against the anvil.



Riveting: Using a Nail Set Tool and Escutcheon Pins

Riveting: Using a Nail Set Tool and Escutcheon Pins

You can see several examples of rivet styles #3 and #4 in the photographs of my experimentation, from the graphic at the top of blog post Part 3.

Riveting or...drill, hammer, repeat. Part 3

Drilling Holes for
 Various Rivet Styles

This is Part 3 of my series of blog posts about the different types of drilled holes and Rivet styles. Please see Part 2 of my blog post series for general information and additional tips. 

Part 1 was about my two days of experimentation and practice with riveting; I worked on three different methods of using annealed, solid Brass Escutcheon pins as well as learning to use a Nail Set tool instead of a ball peen or riveting hammer as I was use to. 

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Drilling Holes for Various Rivet Styles:

#1-4 Just drilled

#5-7 Drilled & Counter Sunk

The Burs were removed & the Cross Sections are shown.

#1 This cross section example shows a drilled hole that's been deburred. 
This is probably the most common drilled hole for rivets.

#3 'Front' domes are made with a Nail Set tool.
'Back' end is an Escutcheon Pin with it's dome or Wire that was pre-domed.

#4 'Front' domes are made with a Nail Set tool.

'Back' end is Flush and works as a 'plug' since the end of the wire was compressed during the hammering when it couldn't move because the anvil blocked it. There's a lot of friction between the interior walls of the drilled hole and the jammed in metal from the wire.

#2's 'Front' is only to show how #4's 'Back' end looks like.

#5 This cross section example shows a drilled hole that's been counter-sunk at the 'Front' end, as well as deburred. 

#6 'Front' end was counter-sunk and the end of the rivet is Flush to the surface of the piece.  
'Back' end is an Escutcheon Pin with it's dome or Wire that was pre-domed.

#7 'Front' and 'Back' ends were counter-sunk and both ends of the rivet are Flush to the surface of the piece. 
This is a common style of rivet. To make a stronger rivet soldering both ends before filing and sanding away the excess metal from the hammering. Very little solder is needed.

Drill the holes that will hold the body of the rivet: 

Use drill bits that are the exact same diameter as the pin's shaft or wire, a good fit gives better results. If you need to make a wide hole it's often best to first make a Pilot Hole by first drilling through with a narrower drill bit. Trying to remove too much metal at once can cause issues for larger drill bits.

Debur the openings of the drilled hole:

There are several ways of deburring, which leaves cleaner results:

• sand the surface smooth to remove the sharp, raised metal
• gently press a Round Bur, that is wider than the drilled hole, against the lip and twist a few times just enough to remove the excess metal bits
• use slightly larger Drill Bit the same way you would a Round Bur
• Be careful since the uneven edges could make either tool bounce out and scratch the surface.

Riveting: Using a Nail Set Tool and Escutcheon Pins

Riveting: Using a Nail Set Tool 
and Escutcheon Pins

You can see several examples of rivet styles #3 and #4 in the photographs of my experimentation, from the graphic at the top of this blog post.