The art of working metal into goblets and large vessel forms has come a long way since the days of the metalsmith using only hammers, stakes and anvils. This did not happen all in one leap. The rolling mill had to be developed, and the mechanical hammer and spinning lathe had to play intermediary roles. These ideas, practices, and tooling are now accessible to the studio jeweler/metalsmith by simplifying the process and scaling down the dies. All this is accomplished in a small fraction of the time it would take to create a vessel by any other technique. You will learn how to use a simple, low-cost press to deep-draw the metal with a series of draw plates and punches. Vessels from 12” in diameter down to ring sizes can be made with quickly interchangeable plates. This presentation will use slides and video to demonstrate the process step by step, and several pieces of work will be displayed.

Author: G. Phil Poirier