Tool Making For The Art Of Repousse and Chasing & Tool Making With Fire – An Ancient Trick
Repousse is a technique in metal work whereby it is shaped and ornamented by hammering from the reverse side. Chasing is another technique which is the opposite to repoussage and the two forms are used together to create jewellery and other items of metal work. Chasing and the technique of repousse put together are known as embossing. Within this process many different types of tools are required and as a result tool making. The tool making of these specific tools needs to be very accurate and precise to ensure the tools are perfect for the techniques.
When it comes to tool making tools for repoussage and chasing the most important is the bench grinder. Other tools can often be substituted for another tool but not the grinder. The bench grinder is a form of sanding tool. These tool making devices have a rest to support the work with both hands, this allows accurate shaping of the tools. There are many steps involved in the tool making of these tools, the last step being the buffing which polishes the tools. Some use a cotton buff on the grinder and buff the tools that way. Other tools required in the tool making process are a Dremel or Freedom which uses very fine paper for a different effect and finish. It is mandatory that safety glasses be worn at all times when tool making to protect the eyes from sand and chippings. Ordinary sized tools can be made by the above procedures but some tools are quite small and so a magnifying glass may be required to ensure accuracy. Tool making such small pieces means the magnifying glass requires protection as well from the sand and shavings, replaceable polycarbonate should be placed over the magnifying glass and changed appropriately. This will protect the glass from becoming damaged or broken in any way from the tool making process.
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For years tool makers and archeologists have tried to replicate the tools from the Stone Age such as arrow heads but have failed because they were missing a key part to the process. Kyle Brown who spends a lot of his time tool making has recently discovered what that missing process is and its fire. Pyrotechnology, the controlled use of fire, was thought to have only been around for 25,000 years but with this latest discovering in tool making it means that it was actually used 72,000 years ago or even 164,000.
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It was in 2006 that Brown, from Cape Town South Africa, began his quest to find out how ancient tool makers created their tools. He set out hunting for stone outcrops that had the same silcrete so he could try and replicate the tool making process from the Stone Ages. There were many tests conducted and every time the tool making failed because either the stone didn’t flake properly or they weren’t as thick as the ancient tools etc. The failure rate of trying to re-create these tools was very high and it was only out of desperation that Brown tried using fire in the mix. Brown buried the tools in sand, built a fire on top of it where the temperature rose to around 300 degrees, left it for eight hours and then cooked them for another 8 hours. After the process was completed Brown dug up the stones and the stone flaked away easily and what was left was a glossy sheen that was an exact match to the tools from the Stone Age.
Browns recent discovery was posted in a recent publication of the magazine Science. Brown has always been fascinated with tool making and in his early years he began collecting volcanic glass and tried to mimic the arrowheads in their region. Years later Brown has made a huge difference into our knowledge of the tool making skills of the Stone Age.
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Source: ArticlesBase.com