Petal Forming on a Wood Block

by Judy Larson

We love sharing tips from our friend, Judy Larson. Judy always has creative, easy to follow tips that are perfect for everyone from the beginner to advanced. Today we share a tip about creating a beautifully shaped petal using a hammer and a wood block.

Instructions

Judy says:

Forming and shaping metal flowers to give them dimension is fun, particularly when you do not have to spend a lot of money on expensive shaping tools to do it. A good hammer and a piece of wood works just fine!

Note: You can use Pre-cut metal shapes for the flower or you can create your own using one of Judy's templates.

I always have a lot of scrap lumber left over from my woodworking projects so I have made a number of tools using small leftover pieces.

A scrap of 2×2 pine makes a perfect petal forming tool. If you are not a woodworker, your local lumberyard will have bins full of scraps they will probably give you. If you find a pallet that is being thrown away, you will have more wood to cut up than you know what to do with-probably enough to last you a lifetime!

Judy Larson's Petal Forming on a Wood Block - , Metalwork, Dapping, Dapping Jewelry, Sawing, Saw, Wire Saw, Texturing, Design, Textured petal flower

Instructions:

1. Cut a short piece of wood, just big enough to easily handle. Since pine is so soft, a hammer easily compresses rounded indentations on the ends.

Judy Larson's Petal Forming on a Wood Block - , Metalwork, Dapping, Dapping Jewelry, Sawing, Saw, Wire Saw, Texturing, Design, Using TruStrike Hammer to form wood

Judy Larson's Petal Forming on a Wood Block - , Metalwork, Dapping, Dapping Jewelry, Sawing, Saw, Wire Saw, Texturing, Design, Formed wood

Judy Larson's Petal Forming on a Wood Block - , Metalwork, Dapping, Dapping Jewelry, Sawing, Saw, Wire Saw, Texturing, Design, Multiple formed channels in wood

2. I find that I can easily hold my flower shape while also holding my block, which is about 2.25" long. If you have trouble doing this, cut it a bit longer and clamp it to your work surface or in your vise.

3. Hammer the center of the petal edge into the indentation.

4. To curve the outer corners of the petal, hammer them around the corner of the wood block. Continue shaping the petals until you are happy with the shape. Hint: You may need to anneal your piece several times during the shaping as hammering and texturing work hardens the metal.

Judy Larson's Petal Forming on a Wood Block - , Metalwork, Dapping, Dapping Jewelry, Sawing, Saw, Wire Saw, Texturing, Design, Finished textured petal metal flower

Use and Re-Use:
Trying to make something using only scrap materials can be a lot of fun. This necklace was totally made from things that were thrown away.

The large flower, made from copper flashing used on a re-roofing project, was shaped on a scrap wood block.

I used brass shell casings which were cut to make the flower center and the smaller flower.

The centers of the flowers are fish eardrums encased in resin left over from a bar top project. ( **yes, that really says fish eardrums - see the definition below** )

And the wire was electrical wire stripped from a house that was being torn down.

Judy Larson's Petal Forming on a Wood Block - , Metalwork, Dapping, Dapping Jewelry, Sawing, Saw, Wire Saw, Texturing, Design, Petal flower necklace

***An Otolith , also called a "fish eardrum" is a stone like concretion in the inner ear of some vertebrates, as the whale" Lake Erie. Otoliths are from the ear bones of the sheeps head fish. These ivory white bones wash up on the shores of Lake Erie where they are collected by beach combers (like me) for various reasons. Lucky stones are so named because they are thought to bring good luck to fishermen.

Materials

Metal Sheet

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Metal blanks

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18GA COPPER 6 PETAL FLOWER, 7/8"- PK/6

MET-130.25

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $6.80
Gold Club Price: $5.10

Add to Bag

Brass 8-Petal Flower, 24 Gauge, 15/16 Inch, Pack of 6

MET-440.10

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $2.97
Gold Club Price: $2.23

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SILVER FILLED 24GA- 1" 8 PETAL FLOWER- PK/2

MET-740.10

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $8.10
Gold Club Price: $6.08

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Nickel Silver 6-Petal Flower, 24 Gauge, 7/8 Inch, Pack of 6

MET-640.15

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $4.80
Gold Club Price: $3.60

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Wire

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Beads

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Tools

7 Piece Mini TruStrike Hammer Set with Stand

HAM-520.70

HAM-520.70
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $140.54
Gold Club Price: $105.40

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Pro Shear

SHR-544.00

SHR-544.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $12.95
Gold Club Price: $9.71

Out of Stock

C.H.P Milano Italian Flush Cutter, 5 1/2 Inches

PLR-487.00

PLR-487.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $16.97
Gold Club Price: $12.73

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Category: Metalwork
Technique(s): Dapping, Sawing, Texturing, Design

Reviews

Judy Larson

My philosophy has always been "I will never live long enough to learn everything I want to learn, go everywhere I want to go and see everything I want to see!" So, what I make and how I create it is always changing and evolving. I was born shortly after WWII to parents who grew up during the Depression. They always had a "we can do it, we can make it" attitude which rubbed off on my two younger brothers and me. My brothers are amazing and can make and do ANYTHING! When I was a little girl, my mother gave me an old carved cigar box, which I cherish, filled with pop beads, wooden beads and yarn for stringing. That was the beginning of my jewelry making journey.

On a visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a young woman, I was fortunate enough to help a Native American silversmith sand cast my first silver bracelet and bezel set a large turquoise nugget on top. I was in love, hook, line and sinker! While working full time and having a family here in northern Minnesota, my artistic endeavors slowed down but never stopped. I am an artist, scrapbooker, seamstress, woodworker and jewelry artisan. Now that I am retired, I am able to indulge in all my hobbies. However, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all, but I try!

I have been teaching community education beginner and intermediate jewelry making classes since my retirement. Many of my students have been bitten so hard by the jewelry making bug that they say I have turned them into monsters-they just can't get enough. Making jewelry, seeing something take shape from small bits and pieces, is so rewarding that I hope it brings out the "monster" in you, too!