pappy
Elite Cafe Member
I was wondering what kind of texture or you used on your background matting punches, or do most people prefer a stippled background, and are you using a sharp or slightly rounded point on your stippling tools?
Background Matting Punches
- Thread starter pappy
- Start date
Brian Marshall
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
We make these and lots of other types of punches, stamps, and repousse tools in several of the workshops I teach. For matting punches use a very fine metal checkering file - made for metal, not wood. Got it about 25 years ago from Brownells, I think?
These files cut a row of evenly spaced lines. Prep your ANNEALED blank punch face flat, and taper to the shape of the end profile you need, rectangular, triangular, round, etc. Very slightly round off sharp corners. I prefer square stock, but round drill rod will work too. File the pattern you like on the "working end" - a straight crosshatch or diamond crosshatch. Harden, temper, and go to work...
There are at least a half dozen other methods if you don't want to spend the money for the checkering file. Keep in mind that you always start with ANNEALED tool steel. NOT cold or hot rolled mild steel like key stock. You can't harden that. (Well, you can, but then you get into case hardening and more complications... much easier to simply start with the correct blank stock.)
USE EYE PROTECTION!
1. You can try filing the lines individually, with a triangle or watchmakers screw file. My first matting punches were made this way almost 40 years ago and some are still around today.
2. You can engrave the crosshatch with a 90 degree "V" graver.
3. If you have access to machine tools with the right shapes of cutters, you can get the same precise results as with the checkering file.
4. You can make and harden a die with a pattern you like and then drive the face of the punch into that.
5. You can drive the face of the punch into an old file, changing direction to get your preferred pattern - using either a copper/brass hammer or a benchtop press.
6. You can drive the face of the punch into coarse emery paper, rough stone, an old diamond lap - whatever you have lying around that will give you the texture you are after.
I usually test the pattern of the punch on a piece of clay, soft pewter or lead before hardening and tempering. Saves time if you decide to rework it. Still being soft, you can just file it off flat again, "erasing" your errors.
Don't forget to harden and temper when finished! There's a ton of information out there on the web about hardening & tempering and choosing the right steel for a blank. Simplest/cheapest for a beginner would probably be water hardening drill rod...
As for stippling punches - both sharp points and rounded points are useful - test 'em on a piece of scrap to see what looks best for the particular application. Easy to sharpen chucked up in a rotary tool and dragged across a stone or lap while spinning. Slowly!
Brian P. Marshall
Stockton Jewelry Arts School
Stockton, CA USA
209-477-0550
instructor@jewelryartschool.com
These files cut a row of evenly spaced lines. Prep your ANNEALED blank punch face flat, and taper to the shape of the end profile you need, rectangular, triangular, round, etc. Very slightly round off sharp corners. I prefer square stock, but round drill rod will work too. File the pattern you like on the "working end" - a straight crosshatch or diamond crosshatch. Harden, temper, and go to work...
There are at least a half dozen other methods if you don't want to spend the money for the checkering file. Keep in mind that you always start with ANNEALED tool steel. NOT cold or hot rolled mild steel like key stock. You can't harden that. (Well, you can, but then you get into case hardening and more complications... much easier to simply start with the correct blank stock.)
USE EYE PROTECTION!
1. You can try filing the lines individually, with a triangle or watchmakers screw file. My first matting punches were made this way almost 40 years ago and some are still around today.
2. You can engrave the crosshatch with a 90 degree "V" graver.
3. If you have access to machine tools with the right shapes of cutters, you can get the same precise results as with the checkering file.
4. You can make and harden a die with a pattern you like and then drive the face of the punch into that.
5. You can drive the face of the punch into an old file, changing direction to get your preferred pattern - using either a copper/brass hammer or a benchtop press.
6. You can drive the face of the punch into coarse emery paper, rough stone, an old diamond lap - whatever you have lying around that will give you the texture you are after.
I usually test the pattern of the punch on a piece of clay, soft pewter or lead before hardening and tempering. Saves time if you decide to rework it. Still being soft, you can just file it off flat again, "erasing" your errors.
Don't forget to harden and temper when finished! There's a ton of information out there on the web about hardening & tempering and choosing the right steel for a blank. Simplest/cheapest for a beginner would probably be water hardening drill rod...
As for stippling punches - both sharp points and rounded points are useful - test 'em on a piece of scrap to see what looks best for the particular application. Easy to sharpen chucked up in a rotary tool and dragged across a stone or lap while spinning. Slowly!
Brian P. Marshall
Stockton Jewelry Arts School
Stockton, CA USA
209-477-0550
instructor@jewelryartschool.com
Last edited:
Dave London
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Punches
Pappy
Brian covered 99% of the methods , my 1% input is to grind down dental bits and insert then in 3/32 brass square stock( thanks John B) silver solder in place. If you look under a loupe or microscope at the end the dental bits have cutting edges on them.
Pappy
Brian covered 99% of the methods , my 1% input is to grind down dental bits and insert then in 3/32 brass square stock( thanks John B) silver solder in place. If you look under a loupe or microscope at the end the dental bits have cutting edges on them.
Tira
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Thanks Brian & Dave! I moved your "tips" to the "Tips" section. If anyone else has additional ideas I'll add them to the archives after they are posted here.
Brian Marshall
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Dave, I have never had much luck keeping the carbide with an intact head from shattering when stippling on steel. Also got a batch - probably imports - that had steel shanks and just carbide cutting tips. Subjected to silver solder temps, the shank would bend. Worked better with StayBrite. I still use 'em on high karat gold and other soft metals, but no more on steel.
Grinding off the head to a taper works fairly well, better'n using the whole ball bur as a texture tool. Seems to survive the impact straight up and down better...
Here's another coupla ways to make a matting tool:
7. Use a fine separating disc or slitting saw in your rotary tool to cut the grooves - but don't even think about doing it without eye protection! Separating discs are extremely fragile.
8. Use a Mizzy Wheel (Dunno if they even still make these?) or other coarse rotating stone wheel to texture the face of the tool. Enamelists use these punches a lot. The major surfaces under transparent colored enamels are often textured with Mizzy type stones - but the hard to reach areas are matted with a punch. Because the same stone is used for making the matting tool - it matches perfectly.
Brian P. Marshall
Stockton Jewelry Arts School
Stockton, CA USA
209-477-0550
instructor@jewelryartschool.com
Grinding off the head to a taper works fairly well, better'n using the whole ball bur as a texture tool. Seems to survive the impact straight up and down better...
Here's another coupla ways to make a matting tool:
7. Use a fine separating disc or slitting saw in your rotary tool to cut the grooves - but don't even think about doing it without eye protection! Separating discs are extremely fragile.
8. Use a Mizzy Wheel (Dunno if they even still make these?) or other coarse rotating stone wheel to texture the face of the tool. Enamelists use these punches a lot. The major surfaces under transparent colored enamels are often textured with Mizzy type stones - but the hard to reach areas are matted with a punch. Because the same stone is used for making the matting tool - it matches perfectly.
Brian P. Marshall
Stockton Jewelry Arts School
Stockton, CA USA
209-477-0550
instructor@jewelryartschool.com
pappy
Elite Cafe Member
Making Matting Punches
Thanks a lot Brian and Dave!!
You guys gave me a lot of new ideas. I have a bunch of metal checkering files that I haven't used in a long time. Some of the files have really fine teeth that should work very well for this purpose.
Again, thanks a lot guys, you gave me some very good ideas to try!
Thanks a lot Brian and Dave!!
You guys gave me a lot of new ideas. I have a bunch of metal checkering files that I haven't used in a long time. Some of the files have really fine teeth that should work very well for this purpose.
Again, thanks a lot guys, you gave me some very good ideas to try!
bronc
Elite Cafe Member
You can get Mizzy wheels from Indian Jewelers Supply.
Stewart
Stewart
Dave London
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Brian
You are correct low temp stay bright, not silver solder
You are correct low temp stay bright, not silver solder
About all I ever use for stippling is 1/8" carbide round stock sharpened to a needle point.
PS_Bond
Elite Cafe Member
One thing I was shown when making matting punches was to make the face teardrop shaped, so that it can get into corners as well as covering open areas.
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