Wire Draw Bench

The latest weekend project, a draw bench similar to the one pictured on the lower right on the top of this page.  I am making it so that it comes completely apart so it will be 'easier' to transport to Pennisc this year.

I think I will make some more draw plates before I go, maybe for different shaped wires (square, triangular)? Have to see how much time I have left before I go.

Beaded Wire

A couple of people have been asking me to make some pieces similar to those from the Staffordshire Hoard, so I decided while I had nothing to do at work for a while (rare occurrence!!) that I would try and make a simple beading file as described by Theophilus.  After a few attempts I was able to make consistent .5 mm  beads.  Making the tool larger and with a handle(s) would make the work a lot easier on the fingers!  This was done by rolling the wire on a hardwood surface and forming each bead individually.  I found that it was best to do this in 2 or 3 stages, annealing the wire in between.  Trying to go to far in one go just would cut the wire.  I used sterling wire for this, I imagine fine silver and high karat gold would be easier to do this with. The beads ended up with a distinctive line around the center of each one as described by some experimental archaeologists who tried to replicate the techniques of creating similar pieces, I think they were trying to differentiate beaded wires made by this technique and those made using an organarium.(....I have the articles somewhere, or links to them if anyone wants me search of them)

Maybe this weekend I will make some better tools and try to get the beads down to around .2 mm like some of the stuff I have been looking at :)  Still have to make a better organarium someday.

Ringlemere/Rillaton Cup

I started a new project a while ago, a cup in the style of the Ringlemere gold cup.  It started as a simple raising demonstration at Pennsic last year during the metalworking day in the A+S area, just a simple copper cup.  Never finished it, threw it in a box and forgot about it for a couple of months.  When I pulled it out later  the shape reminded me of the Ringlemere cup that I had just been looking at online.  So I thought it would be fun.
I created a new page for the Ringlemere Cup where I will post some pictures of my progress.

A computer generated image of what the cup would like like un-crushed, from the British Museum's web site.  

Precision and Splendor: Clocks and Watches at The Frick Collection

Just found out about this exhibit that I will try and make it to if at all possible!

The Frick collection

An exhibition of clocks and watches from 1500 to 1830!

Thanks to the Linkspages at larsdatter.com for this info!

Illuminations: The Private Lives of Medieval Kings

Illuminations: The Private Lives of Medieval Kings

A show on the history of illuminated manuscripts on you tube.

This has nothing to do really with what I am doing, but I just finished watching it and it was very entertaining/informative/educational etc.

I was entertained and informed.
(looks like a great winter project when its too cold at the barn!!!)

Pennsic 41

My clock made it through Pennsic! Through rain, hail, lightning, wind, dust, rust, mud etc!  It was a big hit! So much fun bringing something not many people have seen or even knew about before! Now I feel like I have to out-do myself for next year....no ideas....

**Edit 8-26-12 Thanks to Cateline la broderesse of the East Kingdom for another pic at the A+S display

Mutton and Mead

Had a lot of fun at the Mutton and Mead Ren Fair last weekend, got to talk with lots of people about my clock and do some demos of repousse, file cutting, and raising!

here is a link to lots more pics of the event

Mutton and Mead Medieval Festival

handmade files

I made a few more files today, and remembered to take pictures of cutting the teeth.  The chisel I use is made from mild steel with a high carbon steel edge welded on.  Cut the teeth on the edge of the file first so you can hold it in a vise without ruining the teeth.

The file is placed on a lead block and held down with some rope looped over my feet.  The lead block keeps the teeth that you already have cut on the other side from getting ruined.

The only 'trick' to it is being consistent.  Holding the chisel at the same angle, hitting the hammer same way every time....you strike, then drag the chisel back to rest against the raised edge of the last tooth you made and strike again... wash, rinse, repeat...

Coating the file blank with a little oil seems to help.

Here is a link to a YouTube video that someone posted File Cutting.

You can see that I wasn't being very consistent on this file, I kept stopping to take some pictures.  Its hard to get back into the rhythm of it if you stop in the middle, best to do it all at once.

Here they are all coated with pig fat, wrapped in leather, and encased in the clay horse poo mixture! hooray. I will let them dry overnight and into the fire in the morning.

The Almanus Manuscrpit

Why why why didn't I know about this book??  I just added it to the medieval clocks page, thank you Robert MacPherson for pointing it out to me!

Wait for it....!!!!

Verge and Foliot Clock

The striking mechanism is done, the bell rings twice an hour now.  Just need some finials and a few finishing touches and then to decide what to do next! 

A cautionary tale....

Never, NEVER leave chasers pitch in your car!!!!  Its easy to forget how hot your car can get when the sun shines on it all...day....long.  I should have taken a picture, most of the pitch had run out of the bell and into a tool box enveloping a couple of my gravers, a hammer, file, etc. just like encasing bugs in amber.  I felt like an archaeologist chipping my tools out of it.   What a mess! at least it didn't make it out onto the car seat itself!

clock bell chasing/engraving

Started engraving on the bell today, the pitch worked well so I could hold it and rotate in a vise. The text is part of a line from the Roman poet Virgil "Sed fugit interea fugit irreparabile tempus" which basically means 'meanwhile it flees: time flees irretrievably'  

Verge and Foliot Clock bell

The frame for the bell is built, the bell is just kind of hanging there.

I want to try to engrave/chase something on the bell, so I filled it with pitch.  It is a weird shape to deal with, as I want to work on the edge.  So another experiment to see if I can hold onto it....

Verge and Foliot Clock Bell

After a 2 (or 3?) week break, I started making the bell.  Its just laying on top at the moment, there will be an arched frame-work that holds it up.

Still have to decide on how to finish the sun for the face. 

Verge and Foliot clock face....so far

Just have to clean it up a bit, and I will probably plate it gold.  It would be fun to try mercury gilding but.... don't think I really want to play with mercury!

Piece for clock face....maybe....

Teaching myself repousse again (been a long time) to make a piece for the clock face...if it turns out the way I want it to.

Verge and Foliot clock has a face

Attached the face to the clock, a few more pictures added to the clock 2 page.

Another movie of the Verge and Foliot clock

Once again sorry for the shaky cam, using my cell phone to record this!

Added a Gallery page

I added a gallery page of unsorted pictures of older projects that I will get around to writing about at some point.  They include making a draw plate, wire making, an organarium, casting rings, crucibles, tool making, my jewelry bench in progress, spurs, armor, and other stuff