Part 4. The positive benefits of creativity; my day at the workbench: shaping a fused silver cylinder; repeated annealing & hammering

[Poppy_the_cat]

Once annealed with a gas torch, to an orange/red glow, and then quenched in water, the prepared fused silver sheet is placed face down upon a soft yielding surface. Starting the shaping curve with a steel mandrel, and a cow-hide hammer. Starting off the curve gently is important- too fast, too quickly and the metal could crack. Repeated annealing allows the slow and gradual process to be successful.