The stiffer the pitch is, the sharper the detail you can get, because it doesnt distribute the force of the punch as much as softer pitch does. After the spherical form was created, it was filled with pitch and the rows of ridges were added using chasing and repousse tools. For another pitch free approach to chasing and repousse, kim st. Chasing, repousse, and snarling full circle creations. Believing i had the necessary tools intellectually to just do some intricate repousse and chasing work i was sadly mistaken. Pitch bowls and alternatives for jewelers ganoksin. The top end of the chasing tool is struck with a chasing hammer while the work is held normally in a pitch bowl. Here i show you how to do repousse the easy way without pitch, torches and. Below is an image showing how pitch appears direct from the manufacturer. Disclaimerrelease of liability use at your own risk.
It arrives in various sized chunks, and is like peanut brittle in its consistency. Eastern repousse and chasing tools set of 8 by victoria. Red pitch for chasing and repousse is generally made from a red brick dust, linseed oil or tallow. I hope to make a batch for repousse soon as i really enjoyed the process when i was in school. That approach being, low to moderately high relief outlined first from the front and subsequently embossed with repousse then final chased and modeled on the front.
Montgomery places the copper over a material referred to as chasers pitch. Pitch it to you chasingrepousse pitch a division of a. Behind them is a bowling ball, cut, but without any pitch on it yet. For preliminary bumping of the gross forms, i use a softer pitch, and then switch to a stiffer consistency for detail work or chasing from the front. Merle white, posted on march 3, 2017 april 22, 2019. You will feel confident using pitch, learn its qualities and uses and how to remove it from metal. Sc studios llc chasing and repousse tools tacoma wa. In this weeks edition of tutorial tuesday i describe what i like to use to hold large chasing and repousse pieces in pitch. Chasing and repousse tools without pitch, but this may not be possible if you are doing complex or detailed. Preparing pitch bowl jewelry discussion ganoksin orchid.
It is also possible to do simple chasing and repousse on a sand bag, which is exactly what it. Use of snarling irons for repousse of closed hollow forms as well as filling and emptying pitch from a vessel will be discussed. I received nechamkin chasing tools and a pitch pot wred german pitch for my birthday last month. Full text of chasing and repousse internet archive. In this weeks edition of tutorial tuesday i overview the properties, uses and different grades of pitch used in chasing and repousse available at. Modern repousse pitch is made of a mixture of things including pine resin or asphalt tar, waxes and fillers like fine clay and sand. All chasers pitches have different qualities and are used for different applications and metals. Repousse and chasing both require that the metal be well anchored on a reasonably resistant surface for working. The general range of chasing styles these tools are best suited for fall within the realm of western style jewelry and silver chasing. With the use of punches and hammers, a wide range of items from delicate jewellery, such as earrings, to pieces of monumental sculpture can be adorned using these techniques.
In metalwork it is the pliable backing that supports thin plate for repousse. The artisan is simply hammering the metal down into pitch the create a low relief design. This segment will deal with some of the tools used for the pitch method of repousse, often referred to as high relief chasing. This allows an all pitch, non cracking consistency without the. Chasing and repousse are methods of embellishing metal objects that have been in use for millennia.
Trade jewelers today use chasing and repousse rarely. Chasing and repousse is carried out on various surfaces using steel punches to strike and. Repousse tools for the pitch method bighorn forges. This particular pitch is best used warm to touch with the use of a heat gun, plumbers torch or hair dryer for maxium adhesion while working, particularly. The tools are purposefully shorter than other brands because shorter tools are far easier to control without skipping or skating. High relief chasing and repoussecopper and metal fabrications. The pitch i use is one i mix myself a pine rosin base that softens with low heat. Art jewelers and craft jewelers use it more often, and pioneered by valentin yotkov and others, there is a resurgence of interest at this time.
Technically repousse is working from the back and chasing is. Posts about black chasing pitch written by kathleen krucoff. She shows how to do it all without pitch, using only a hammer, a dapping punch, and a vise. What to use when chasing and repousse ing larger pieces. Functions and limitations of most chasing tools will be covered. Here is another example of chasing without the repousse. When i teach repousse, i give students the less expensive option of using the horrid, sticky, american black pitch the stuffs like road tar. My question is, since repousse pitch is so blasted. By the end of the course you will have completed a chased flat piece 10 x 10cm, made onethree chasingrepousse tools and chased a small copper bowl using various chasing and repousse techniques.
Chasing was the english word for the process but it has come to have more to do with the texture of the surface than the shape of the metal. The traditional way to work metal when chasing it is to place it on softened pitch, which provides support for the metal with a little give. Eastern repousse and chasing tools move your metal wherever your ideas take you. Most pitch was used for caulking boats and ships was made from tree sap, pine resin or pine tar. Jeans video, air chasing with a vise, shows her process for air chasing to create dimensional metalwork. Pitch bowls and alternatives for jewelers by charles lewtonbrain there is a bit of a ground swell of interest at the moment in the studio jewelry scene for chasing and repousse information credit to californian marcia lewis, valentin yotkov of nyc among many others. Chasing, chased work, or embossing refer to a similar technique, in which the piece is hammered on the front side, sinking the metal. This ancient technique, which has been used extensively throughout the. I am a working repousse metal chasing artist and i make and use this pitch myself. Read below on the following safety notes for jewelers on the common techniques pitch, chasing and repousse written by charles lewtonbrain.
Pitch bowls and alternatives for jewelers ganoksin jewelry. Pitch is a tarlike substance often made from bitumen or pine resin. Making chasing and repousee tools from old steel tools. Repousse or repoussage refer to a metalworking technique in which a malleable metal is shaped by hammering from the reverse side to create a design in low relief. In both cases a material called jewelers pitch does the job. The process of chasing repousse takes a lot of time due to the repetition of a number of timeconsuming stages. When handling molten pitch, wearing eye protection and a long sleeve shirt are an absolute must. Hold them at the neck, between the thumb and first 2 fingers. Safety notes for jewelers on pitch, chasing and repousse. I have tried chasing and repousse in the past, but only at a friends house. Varieties include german red pitch or california red pitch and is available in soft, medium, and hard. Buy the finest quality hand made chasing and repousse tools.
Her pitch is just about perfect as shipped, and will save you many hours of effort and probably inferior results. The first step is the preparation of the metal by annealing. Artist, sculptor, metalsmith repousse, sculpture, and. The pitch i made was a very hard cutlers resin, and not for repousse purposes, but i believe by lowering the dust and raising the wax ratios the pitch would be softer.
Pitch it to you chasingrepousse pitch a division of a copper rose metal art assumes no responsibility for the inherent risks and possible injuries associated with the use of this medium chasers pitch as described above. Tar is also very dangerous and all safety precautions must. It is is less toxic than black pitch and delivers better results. I cant think of another metalsmithing technique that creates such an impressive effect, using techniques that are thousands of years old. Wear goggles or safety glasses when chasing in pitch to protect your eyes from pieces of pitch that sometimes chip off during work. Chasing and repousse the simple way jewelry making daily. Chasing and repousse are used to create dimensional works of art, most. We use the term chase and some of the same tools when we chase a weld on a sculpture to match the texture of the cast parts on both sides of the weld. The book provides clean and practical instruction that will be of use to both beginners and. By this time she has perfected the art, and has been mixing batches of wonderfully usable chasers pitch in three hardness grades for quite some time. Students will be able to try working with a variety of antique handmade chasing tools. This process is typically repeated many times during the creation of a.