Pewter Bracelet and Trees

This week on Show Me How, Gloria Bastos is joined by Yvonne Botha of Mimmic Gallery and Studio. She shows us the versatile uses of pewter. She will teach us various techniques such as using stencils to create lovely and intricate designs, cutting pewter, engraving, adding patina and polish to give pewter its tone and so much more!  We also visit her studio where she tells us about her passion and she also shows us her pewter collection.

Pewter Bracelet
By Yvonne Botha
Mimmic Gallery and Studio
Tel: 0116159280

Requirements

  • Pewter and a design of your choice
  • Blank plastic bangle
  • Small ball tool, Ballpoint pen, scissors and masking tape
  • Felt, Fiber cloth, Polish and Polish cloth
  • Paper Towel, Pewter Cleaner, Patina and Small glass bowl

Instructions

  • Step 1: Secure the design onto the pewter using some masking tape. Trace the design, pressing firmly on a hard surface using a blue ballpoint pen. Remove the design once completely traced.
  • Step 2: Using the small ball tool to push out, trace along the lines you want raised from the back of the pewter, on a soft piece of felt.
  • Step 3: Neaten on either side of the raised areas from the front of the pewter on a hard surface using a paper stub. Define each side of the raised lines with a small ball tool. Work one element of the design at a time.
  • Step 4: Once you have finished all the raising, neatening and engraving, clean the pewter well with some paper towel and cleaner.
  • Step 5: Pour a small amount of patina into a small glass bowl and dip a piece of fiber into the patina making sure there is sufficient patina but not too much.  Rub over the entire piece of pewter in random circular movements. Make sure the entire piece is well covered and has turned dark. Let the patina work for about a minute or so.
  • Step 6: Add polish to a polishing cloth and begin to polish your pewter pressing harder and rubbing longer over areas you would like lighter. Buff the pewter with a clean polish cloth to shine.
  • Step 7: Using a sharp small pair of scissors cut out along the outline of the design or cut along the outside shape of the design for a different effect.
  • Step 8: It is always advisable to seal your pewter with a clear lacquer spray. Use clear contact adhesive, to glue the pewter onto the bangle. Your bangle is now ready to wear.

Pewter Trees
By Yvonne Botha
Mimmic Gallery and Studio
Tel: 0116159280

Requirements

  • Pewter Sheet
  • Tree Stencil
  • Paper Stubs
  • Ball tool
  • Felt
  • Pewter consumables – batting fibre, Brasso Metal Polish
  • Polish cloth
  • Clear lacquer spray

Instructions

  • Step 1: To begin, measure and cut the pewter slightly bigger than the tree stencil. Secure the stencil to the piece of pewter using masking tape on the edges of the stencil.
  • Step 2: To trace the design use the stencil face up. On a hard surface, trace the entire stencil with a small ball tool. Use sufficient pressure to insure the design is visible from the other side of the pewter.
  • Step 3: You now want to get the detail and that initial raised area. Keeping the stencil in place turn the pewter over so that the stencil is now face down and you can see where you have traced the tree design. Use a paper stub on a hard surface; press the pewter along the outside lines of the tree design. The pewter will press into to stencil, taking on the shape of the tree.
  • Step 4: Once you have completed the whole design take a ball tool or Teflon tool and define the lines along the tree design, pushing against the stencil to sharpen and define your work. You can now remove the stencil.
  • Step 5: To add depth and texture to your tree, push along the trunk and branches with a paper stub from the back of the pewter on a soft piece of felt. Flatten and neaten the outside edges of the trees from the front again on a hard surface, defining as needed with a small ball tool along the lines of your tree. Work one trunk or branch at a time to keep your design under control. Use the sharp edge of your paper stub to add bark texture to the trunk.
  • Step 6: Once your tree is sufficiently raised and defined fill the back concave areas with wax.
  • Step 7: At this point you can engrave a quote or name onto the pewter. To engrave: secure the printed saying onto the pewter with masking tape, using a fine ball point pen, trace the saying or quote. Remove the paper and deepen the engraving by retracing it with a small ball tool. Use a couple of pieces of paper underneath the pewter to allow the extra depth.
  • Step 8: To prepare your pewter for the patina, clean the pewter thoroughly with cleaner. Add a small amount of Patina to a small bowl. Have a couple of pieces of fiber ready for the patina process.
  • Step 9: Dip a small piece of fiber into the patina and rub the excess off on the side of the bowl. Rub the patina in a circular motion over your pewter in a random way. Should the patina stop taking effect before you have added patina to the whole piece, take a new piece of fiber and repeat the process starting from where you left off.
  • Step 10: Give the patina a minute or so to take effect. The longer you leave the patina the darker your pewter will become.
  • Step 11: Add polish to a polishing cloth. Lightly polish over the entire piece of pewter; this will stop the chemical reaction. With firmer pressure begin to polish the areas you want lighter the longer you polish the lighter the pewter will become. Buff the pewter with a clean polish cloth to see the result. If you want your pewter lighter add more polish and repeat the process.
  • Step 12: Once complete, seal with a clear lacquer spray and mount in a frame of your choice.

Take a closer look

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