Howdy Folks,

Been away for a few days and looks like I won't be near my shop for a few weeks. I had to get a real job to support my hobby. I am in El Paso TX on a consultant job. I am really missing my shop and working. I was wondering if there is anyone on this fine forum that is from the El Paso area that would like to visit and swap lies and the like.

Here are some photos of things that I completed before I left Amarillo. Some were already engraved prior to advice and critiques from you fellers so there is still some of the mistakes I was making but I think that they are improving.

_________________
The best thing for the inside of a man is the outside of a horse.

Looks good as usual,I would like to learn your how to cut the silver and copper to fit together like you do.

Thank you chad for the kind comments.

Matching two metals with a seamless looking seam is fairly simple. I usually use 2 different ga. metal (20 ga Copper and 22 ga Silver). This gives me a little lip, for lack of a better word, to use if I need to add a little silver to the joint. It works most nearly as well with metal of the same thickness though. Below is a step by step explanation of the process.

1. Cut copper/silver into 3" squares
2. Rough up one side of the squares with scotch brite
3. Wipe off both pieces to remove what little dust you will cause by step 2
4. Apply super glue to the rough side of one of the squares. I apply it fairly liberally.
5. Line up 2 sides of the remaining square with the rough side to be applied to the super glued side of the first square. It is imperative that you work fairly fast and have all of your materials at hand.
6. Put the 2 squares together and clamp. I use 3 or 4 spring clamps.

I usually let this dry for from 2 to 8 hours.

Now that we have a piece of copper and silver sandwiched together it is time to lay out our design. I either draw on the metal (generally the copper side) or print my pattern from my computer and glue that on with model glue or rubber cement. Model glue made for metals and woods works the best for me. With my pattern affixed to the metals I choose the smallest jewelers saw blade I can get by with (mostly a 4/0 or 5/0) and cut the pattern out. Be sure you keep the saw as close to plumb as you can when sawing as any angle will adversely affect the cutline on the bottom piece and it won't fit as it should.

In the instance of this Cross buckle, I cut the lower vertical member 1st then set it aside and cut out the upper horizontal and vertical member in one piece. I was only wanting a 2 piece cross.

Now we have the upper and lower pieces in copper and silver cut out. I soak the pieces in Acetone for a few hours and then separate the pieces. I wind up with 2 uppers and 2 lowers - one each of copper and silver.

Voila I now have my 2 color cross with a cut line that is exactly the same as it was cut from the same piece of metal.

I generally solder the 2 pieces to the buckle blank before doming. This gives me a good flat surface to solder to. I get the fit that I want, solder it, dome the buckle, check the cut line and make any minute corrections necessary. Then I pop the metal off of the domed blank, put it aside and finish the buffing etc. that needs to be done. When I get this all done, I remount the metal, check my suture line and am ready for final buffing etc.

Whew that may not make a lot of sense. When I get back to Amarillo I will take some pictures to go along with this wordy explanation.

D.C.

_________________
The best thing for the inside of a man is the outside of a horse.

It makes perfect sense,but id like to see the pictures anyway. THANKS. Chad