Some fractures can be beautiful

©2018 Barry Smith - Silver-plated vessels with fracture

It is quite some time since I have made bowls that require a lot raising hammering work on a steel stake. I want to make a series of pods as I only have one set left in my cabinet. The pods vessels are a bit challenging given that you need to push the metal pretty hard to go beyond the simple bowl shape. So in a way working on a bowl that went beyond the simple form was an opportunity for me to regain my skills.

I also wanted to test the metal in silver-plated placemats to see if it will be suitable for the pods. The process started with taking the backs off the placemats and cutting off the turned over edges. The end result was a 180mm circle of metal.

©2018 Barry Smith - Edges cut from the placemats

I sunk one of the flat circles to create a rough but lovely shallow bowl.

©2018 Barry Smith - Simple rough bowl

Then the bowl was marked up to guide my hammer strokes on the stake.

©2018 Barry Smith - Wooden hammer used for sinking and steel hammer for raising

I found that the early rounds of hammering shrunk the bowl by about 10m per round; but after that each round achieved a shrinkage of about 5mm. The final diameter of the bowl was 120mm.

©2018 Barry Smith - Raising underway - but metal split.

©2018 Barry Smith - Love the shape of this vessel - 120mm in diameter

But the heavy hammering took its toll - a split developed on the edge of the metal about halfway through the process and increased in size with subsequent rounds of hammering.

©2018 Barry Smith - Metal fracture

©2018 Barry Smith - Vessel with hammer marks and fracture

I think the split has a certain allure; but I'm debating as to whether I will rivet it or just live it as it is.