That is a great idea. What about flowers found in a book, how can I make a pattern from a picture? Maybe I just have to visualize what it looks like flat.
Thanks for your help.

Thanks,
Copperjoe

Can't never could do Nothing!

Wow...great flowers and the bit with the hot chisel makes me wish I were a blacksmith instead of a copper and silver smith.

marilyn

Hey CopperJoe,
I agree with Giuseppe 100%.
I've made countless flowers and plant forms in metal.
Co-opting the latest digital cutting technologies(laser cutting,water jet ,and plasma cutting) helps a great deal.
I always start with the real thing. Do your homework,it's VERY important. Dissecting the real thing is the best to make patterns I've found.
There are many ways to digitize an image. I've even found good photos on a Google search sometimes and with photoshop removed backgrounds etc so the subject is isolated.I can send this digital image to my guy that does my waterjet cutting for instance,and he can give me several different sizes as blanks.Like the Lilly Gate I made in bronze and stainless,I can then forge or cold form the blanks into different realistic postures...
http://ou8nrtist2.deviantart.com/art/Lily-Gate-78984055
http://ou8nrtist2.deviantart.com/art/Lily-Gate-detail-78984485

Stephen Fitz-Gerald
I have made flower and plant shapes many different ways in various metals over the years and the new technologies have helped immeasurably to offer new and quicker ways to produce and innovate. One of my favorite methods currently is to digitize whatever pattern is to be used,and I agree with Guiseppe that there is nothing better than dissecting the real thing. Laser cutting or water jet cutting of the digitized image (depending on the metal)allows many size options at the touch of a button during production.I generally have three sizes cut, then forge or cold form the blanks to give alternative but realistic postures for the flowering heads.
This image detail is of my "lilly Gate"which is in bronze and stainless.Bronze for the stalks and the leaves,polished stainless for the flowering heads.
http://ou8nrtist2.deviantart.com/art/Lily-Gate-detail-78984485
The client requested I design and build a gate, "that the cat could walk through ,but would keep the airdale in".
http://ou8nrtist2.deviantart.com/art/Lily-Gate-78984055

That is a beautiful gate! Where can I get my patterns made at, I have been cutting all mine by hand. I also need a place to get blank round copper disc of different sizes and gages or a way to cut them quickly, not by hand shears. I can't seem to find anything that will work without putting a hole in the center of the disc. Does anyone know of anything?

Thanks,
Copperjoe

Can't never could do Nothing!

Stephen Fitz-Gerald
Copperjoe,
You need to find a fabricating facility with an industrial punch machine. You could take them your sheet of copper and have them punch a bunch of discs for you.
Many of my life size figurative works,are made from various punched scrap. This one titled "Repose"was made entirely from industrial stainless steel waste from a washing machine manufacturer.
http://ou8nrtist2.deviantart.com/art/Repose-39903437
and a detail shot of her face:
http://ou8nrtist2.deviantart.com/art/Repose-detail-40993864

I had thought of that but thought that they would not do such a small order for me. Maybe I will check into it, never hurts to ask.

The first link is broken, but the detail link worked and that is incredible!! You are so talented.

Thanks for your help.

Thanks,
Copperjoe

Can't never could do Nothing!

Check out sites or places that sell copper enameling supplies. They should have copper disks of various sizes.

marilyn

Marilyn, thanks for the info. After putting that into the search box I came up with many more leads, wording is everything.

Thanks,
Copperjoe

Can't never could do Nothing!

A throatless shear will cut a round disc out of square blank stock. With a little practice, they will be close to perfect. If you have a belt sander, a little edge dressing and you'll swear they were bought round. No hole in the center. You can purchase a throatless shear at Harbor Freight for $99.00 or you can go first class for about $500.00. Buy your copper in a large sheet for economy and cut it into square blanks to accomidate whatever size circles you want. You will be surprised at how quickly you can produce cut round stock by the stacks.

I had this same situation trying to cut round stock out of 16ga steel for candle holder drip pans. Got the idea from a metal working genius in Arizona.

Well, I have been wanting a throatless shear for a while now and since my birthday was yesterday and I got a little birthday money, now may be the time to purchase it. Does anyone know if the harbor freight shears work well or not?

Thanks,
Copperjoe

Can't never could do Nothing!

Copperjoe,

I have the HF Shear and no complaints. Works great for me and the job I purchased it for. Not having ever used the true Beaverly Shear, I obviously can't make a comparison. Here is a link to an excellant review by Cutter that I hope you can open.

http://www.cutterod.com/cutter_zone/SFT_Sequel/HFShear.htm

The Snowman

That's an excellent idea! Why didn't I think of that. I had a artificial calla lily that I was modeling my fountain from and made a pattern from scratch. It didn't even occur to me to take the dang thing apart!! Sometimes you need to refer back to the KISS method. Thanks for your help!

Thanks,
Copperjoe

Can't never could do Nothing!

Joe, I have an HF beverly knock off shear. Once you adjust the play out of it they work great. I have abused the heck out of mine and still on the first set of blades.

I am not to sure about making small circles with it, I can maybe do an 8" without too much trouble. Still get a little bit of sharp edges to sand off but better than doing by hand.

www Metalrecipes -- heat and beat to the desired shape, repeat as necessary.
warren

Thanks Warren,

I found a rotary shear from Northern Tools for $159, it looks like it would do what I need it to do. Thanks for the info though.

Chris,

What I use is a sharpened piece of steel with a little bend on the end of it so that the vein curves from the inside out. Just make your center line with the straight piece of steel and then put the curved piece next to the center vein and lightly tap it with a hammer.
Hope this helps.

Thanks,
Copperjoe

Can't never could do Nothing!

stoneypointforge.com has alot of flower patterns

Some of the tips I`ve used and seen are to take apart silk flowers and use them as patterns as they are pretty much all die cut and designed to work that way.You find a silk you like and just dis-assemble it.
For cutting a lot of repeat pieces from the same pattern just scan the pattern,glue it to a piece of material with a hole in the center and then stack up other pieces till you have one stack that contains the number of pieces you need (or more,they`re easily stored).I use 1/4 plywood for a base and to also let me bury the head of the bolt holding the stack together.Cut the stack on either a scroll saw or a band saw and then grind or file the edges before taking the stack apart.For "sticky" metals like aluminum and others that like to coat the blade I put wax on both side of the blade to help cut easier thru curves and keep the metal from sticking.Wax or chalk also helps when filing or sanding the edges too.Wax makes sanding discs and belts cut faster,stay cleaner and last longer.

For those looking to make discs you can tack the material to a scrap board and then use either a hole saw or a circle cutter in a drill press to cut the discs.Be sure to clamp the board and material down before you cut.
If the material you`re cutting is non-ferrous,soft and thin enough you can also put those old worn out hole saws to use by grinding the teeth off and then grinding a bevel on the outside to turn them into punches.I use a big dead blow mallet to drive my home made punches and use a softwood stump as a backer.You want to be cutting into the end grain while punching.You can knock out(pun intended)a surprising amount of discs in next to no time using this method.
End grain softwood also makes a great backer for things like punching veins and other details in flowers and leaves.

In theory there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice there is.

Thanks, those are some great tips, can't wait to get back to the shop to look for some hole saws.

Thanks,
Copperjoe

Can't never could do Nothing!