Cuff

Progression

I have completed the third vertical of the set and centred the wholes so I can now proceed to producing the table rim and the more decorative, oak leaf components.

 

 

 

 

Engraving

I have begun the engraving of the floral “buddleia” motif on the Shibuichi Cuff.

 

The work is held in a traditional Pitch bowl allowing it to be freely rotated in all directions.

 

The engraving has been done in using Japanese style “Iron- brush” chisels. I made these chisels some time ago and it was nice to use them again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Care

Much of our equipment is older than my Grandfather and has been in constant use since it’s manufacture sometime in the foggy past.

Our hammers have been held by people we’ve never known and our machines have travelled from the industrial age to modernity and noticed nothing.

They are my inheritance which I consider valuable as silver and I love them as oldest friends.

They are all hand made by men long dead for jobs that nearly died with them.  

One tool that I remember having prominence in our old forge was my father’s leg-vice.  This was reluctantly placed in a corner and half-forgotten a few years back as the decades had worn the thread making it impossible to tighten past one inch.

This week I took the time to repair the tool by adding new faces to the vice allowing the new “closed” to still have bite on the thread.

 

The new bits were fabricated from brass and mild steel and will be fixed to the old vice sensitively, allowing them to be removed if need be. It would be simpler to arc weld them on, but it would also be a shame.

Shibuichi Cuff Continued

 

How we began

 

After discussion with the client, I produced a paper template and cut off the excess from the rolled out material.

 

The template was drawn out with a permanent marker and then cut out by hand with a piercing saw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two lugs were left on the piece to aid in gripping it when mounted on pitch for the engraving. These will be cut off later.

 

 

 

 

Once the form was pierced out, the sheet was polished with abrasives to 1200 grit, and the botanic design was drawn in preparation for engraving.