The Heart bowl

In which our hero (thats me that is!) finds out why bowls are generally round... I cut out a heart shape from that copper sheet i acquired, oh its so shiny! Red hot, i didn't dunk it in water, but feeling like i needed a rest, i left it to cool all by it's self, the theory being it causes less lumpy surface oxidation...well, and i get to drink more tea.

Big 'ammer does it work on the sand bag and tree stump, and it is indeed still smooth, though the shine is from vinegar and wire wool, it is smoother than normal. Notice the crease at the top, which is unavoidable. Normally a bowl is hammered round and round. But this isn't round so i had to work out a way of hammering in spirals to get the shape.

I hammered it all over on the anvil/rail line to dimple it all over. At the moment i find the effect very pleasing, but its noisy and hard work, so i might well go off the effect!

Notice how hammering stretches it and the induced stress makes it curl up like an old crisp, i can almost hear it scream. Playing the torch on it you can see it relax and ease back to soft.

Here i'm half way through rolling the edge. Stiffens it all up a lot. Doing the top bit was hard work too.... bowls should be round!


I have been looking at old time tattoos for ages. I like their old folksy drawing. So I drew a couple of blue birds on in the tattoo style and did the old hammer dance front and back....

Shallow again, and i've painted on some blackening solution i usually use for pewter. It goes sort of dark purple. Scrubbed up with wire wool, polished with Renaissance wax...

oh yes i thought the bottom bit looked to empty so i bashed in a heart...

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