Keum-boo is carried out very close to the end of fabrication. Only processes that should be attempted after it is applied are stone setting and oxidisation.
Keum-boo is carried out very close to the end of fabrication. Only processes that should be attempted after it is applied are stone setting and oxidisation.
Keum-boo is carried out very close to the end of fabrication. Only processes that should be attempted after it is applied are stone setting and oxidisation.
Keum-boo is carried out very close to the end of fabrication. Only processes that should be attempted after it is applied are stone setting and oxidisation.
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KEUM-BOO Health & Safety: The edges of the hot plate are extremely hot and remain so after
it is switched off. You must wear protective gloves to cover your hands and forearms. You must wear a protective apron to protect your knees. Do not lean over the hotplate. Preparation: Layer up fine silver on a sheet of Sterling Silver by annealing to 650C , quench, then Pickling, then quench. Do this six times. Scrub the metal with Pumice Paste and a toothbrush after second anneal. The surface of depletion-gilded sterling remains white when heated. Handle the piece by the edges after the brushing to keep the surface clean. Order: Keum-Boo is carried out very close to the end of fabrication. The only processes that should be attempted after it is applied are stone setting and oxidisation. Do not use an electric polishing motor over the Keum Boo as it is really thin. You can pickle it very gently if necessary. Actual process: Carefully press the end of a cocktail stick onto the plate from time to time. You have reached the correct temperature when the wood starts to smoke very slightly. Apply spit or a dab of tap water to area where the Cutch will be applied, or onto the back of the cutch (if this is easier for you). Apply cutch very carefully (try to press down gently using a steel burnisher). Steady the piece with one hand using insulated tweezers. Gently rock the metal burnisher back and forth to spot tack the Cutch in place. Imogen
Waitt
(October,
2009)
If you are applying more than one piece of Cutch, go around and spot tack all sections. Then go back to the first one and begin to burnish them one at a time. As a beginner apply only one piece at a time until you are more competent. Burnish with a metal burnisher when the sterling silver sheet becomes tacky. As you burnish the two metals together, you will see the Gold become brighter, smooth and bonded. Periodically cool the burnisher, dipping it in water. This will prevent the gold from sticking to the burnisher. Starting in the center of each gold shape. Use light, even pressure and burnish in a circular motion. Work from the center toward the edges to avoid trapping air bubbles between the gold foil and the silver. Give special attention to each edge to be sure it is tacked down. Do not quench. Allow to cool naturally. Then, when the piece has cooled down use the Agate burnisher to smooth. If small bubbles appear you can burnish them down flat with a fingernail or Agate burnisher and they should disappear (obviously once the piece has cooled down.) If the bubbles are large, prick their centre with a pin and reheat the metal and burnish again. Move the air out towards the edges or through the hole you have created. The surface of the piece may be hand polished further with a soft jeweller's cloth. The best way to preserve the gold layer is to plan your design so that you place the gold in recesses and areas of less wear. The Theory: Above a certain temperature oxygen can pass through thin, very pure Gold. When thin enough, oxygen passes through the Gold towards the DepletionGilded Sterling Silver. The pressure from burnishing produces oxygen-free conditions in contact with the silver below it - allowing pressure welding to occur. Supplier: 1 cutch leaf in 23.5 ct gold from Habberley Meadows, 5 Saxon Way, Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham. B375AT. Telephone: 0121 7700103. Email: gold@habberleymeadows.co.uk Imogen
Waitt
(October,
2009)
