Chasing for metal is a technological process used for the manufacture of relief images, inscriptions, and various souvenir products. It is one of the types of fine arts and crafts. Each handmade item is exclusive.
Craft or art
Artistic processing of metal by the method of stamping has been known since ancient times. Masters of the Middle Ages perfectly mastered the art of “knocking out” images on a thin sheet of soft metal, and they passed down their ability to create drawings with the help of a hammer and a special drummer called “chisel” from generation to generation.
Currently, relief artistic images, as before, are hand-made, so each work is unique. The material used is different, but it must be flexible and give in to stretching. Sheet metals are best suited for embossing: brass, aluminum and copper.
Technical conditions
Chasing for metal is done on the so-called substrate, which is placed under the workpiece. The substrate must be flexible and not cushion under the impact of the hammer. Masters usually use a cross- section of a hardwood tree - it can be birch chock, oak comel or linden log. For embossing on especially thin metal sheets, felt, a thick rubber plate or a bag of thick tarpaulin filled with river sand is used. The latter method is used if the area of the source material is more than a square half meter. For smaller products, professional embossers prefer a lead plate, which allows you to achieve the finest strokes and lines in the image.
Kinds
Chasing (photos are presented in the article) can be in two versions: volumetric, with a fairly high relief, and flat, in which the relief indicators are insignificant. Each species has its advantages. The relief image is more effective from the point of view of the plot aesthetics, since there is a rapprochement with the 3D format, and this is considered a positive factor. But on the other hand, flat stamping for metal can be made in a laced version, which is an indisputable sign of an artistic style.
Notch
Lace ornament in metal requires high craftsmanship and is done through punching. The blank is cut in two stages. First, sharply sharpened embossments outline the contours and lines along which the punching pattern will go, then immediately the material is cut through directly.
Once the product has been cleaned and deburred, firing is performed to level the material. This technological operation requires special care, since thin openwork partitions can melt.
A subspecies of flat stamping is the contour method, which resembles low relief engraving. Contour chasing can be convex or concave, depending on the plot of the picture. As a rule, such objects are used to decorate interiors, but they are also interesting as independent decorative ones.
Embossed chasing
Volumetric products are more complex in terms of technology and, in addition, carry a constant threat of deformation. Nevertheless, embossed metal chasing is considered the most aesthetic and artistic. During excavations in southern European regions, archaeologists have repeatedly found the finest gold and silver items made by the relief embossing method. And although the ancient masters owned casting technology, they preferred more elegant ways to create jewelry.
DIY metal chasing
For starters, you can try chasing on kitchen utensils. It could be a can of coffee or tea. How to mint at home? Better to start with a concave variety, that is, the pattern will be directed inward. To do this, it is necessary to firmly fix the material, in this case, a coffee metal can, and outline the drawing with a pencil. The theme can be any.
Then you need to make a tool for minting. At home, a normal construction nail with a length of 100-150 millimeters, for which the sharp end should be grinded, is suitable for work. When the tip of the nail takes a rounded shape, it can already be called kaffernik - this is the main tool of the chaser. It remains to find a hammer weighing two hundred grams, and you can begin to work. Light strokes need to draw the contours of the picture, and then knock out the points. Do-it-yourself metal chasing at home is a creative process that can be the beginning of a long-term passion. In this case, you need to be prepared for the fact that you need a set of tools and special material.
Coin drawings
The initial step in the process of creating a product is to apply a picture to the workpiece. Artistic processing of metal is associated with the presence of such raw materials as metal plates made of tin or sheet of copper, brass and aluminum. On each of them it is necessary to apply a drawing, according to which the coinage will be made. The subject of images is selected in advance, and then special sketches are prepared on them. Then the drawings are transferred by direct copying to the surface of the metal workpiece. After that, the surface is covered with a thin layer of varnish, which protects the contours from abrasion.
Forms
The technology of coinage for metal is used in the manufacture of coins. This automatic process is under state control and is designed to meet the country's needs in monetary units. The most complicated mechanisms non-stop stamping metal coins of various denominations. Each denomination has its own form for coinage, which is an interchangeable, universal design. Technicians change these shapes as needed in a matter of minutes, and the coin-making process continues.
Instruments
For work, the master chaser needs a set of special tools and devices. Professionals with many years of experience have a whole instrumental base, numbering tens and hundreds of different devices. Novice chasers get by with a few tools.
For the manufacture of a simple product, a set of four- or eight-sided forged coinage is required:
- kanfarnik - embossed in the form of a thick needle with a rounded end;
- consumable - a straight, flat or radius-shaped tool in the form of a screwdriver;
- cross-section - sharpened embossing in the form of a chisel, designed for blind or through cutting of material;
- shredders are a variety of flat-shaped tools for glazing - leveling the base.
Full-fledged work also requires fixtures, various clamps, clamps, a vice and loads. Do not do without wooden hammers (mallet).
Materials
- Red copper is the most preferred metal for minting, possessing ductility. It easily takes a given shape, is able to withstand the high relief of the product. After polishing, it does not darken for a long time.
- Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Less ductile in comparison with copper, but has good data for mechanical processing, accompanying coinage: stamping, cutting, rolling and other operations. It is well polished and retains shine for a long time. When oxidized, it acquires a beautiful greenish color.
- Aluminum - metal is hard enough, but easily minted. In the form of a foil allows a hood. It does not need firing, as it does not deform during processing. Easy to polish, retains a noble matte shade for a long time.
- Stainless steel - used for especially large products, is minted only on special machines. Manual processing is not possible because steel has high strength and toughness.
- Nickel is not suitable for minting in its pure form, but in the alloy with copper it is a convenient and reliable material for the manufacture of articles with a high level of aesthetics. The most popular alloys are cupronickel and nickel silver. They are highly polished and do not require cleaning.
- Roofing iron - the material is used only for the manufacture of simple products. The consistency of the metal is fragile, prone to cracking.
Artistic products made by the method of coinage are in demand in many areas of public life. They decorate halls and offices. Especially valuable pieces are in museums and art galleries.