Description
Register at: Silvera Jewelry School
Learn three ways of die forming that will allow you to reproduce your designs quickly and accurately. With the use of a hydraulic press you will be able to easily shape and cut metal to your specifications.
Silhouette dies allow you to make rounded relief forms in metal. You will be sawing out a shape in a sheet of cast acrylic and pressing metal into the resulting cavity. Turning the die over and pressing from the opposite side will result in a mirror image. The addition of molding in thermal reactive plastic quickly creates dimension and variation in your relief form.
Carving contour, or non-conforming, dies in thick cast acrylic allows for complexity and detail. You will carve reverse relief shapes with specialized burs and a flex shaft then press metal into the die to duplicate your carving. Both methods of forming can be further enhanced with chasing and repoussé.
Self-registering, one piece blanking dies give you the ability to quickly cut out the shapes you conceive. Whether you are working with die formed pieces or flat sheet that is used for another process, you will be amazed at how easily you can go from original idea to duplicated shape as you make and use your own dies during class.
