Nahum Hersom Repoussé
By Jerry Henderson
Copyright© 2006 3rd printing
spiral bound layflat
Papercover
This book is another that the title suggests something that it's not,even with the cover picture. But it really should have a better title or at least a sub title of Hammers, stakes,handles, formers oh my!
The book is wonderful in it coverage of the blacksmiths art of hammer and stake shaping of sheet metal into leaves and flowers and other add on decorations.
If the person has any interest or anvil time this is a book, you must get! It is filled with more photo's then text. And what text there is. Is clear concise and to the point of the photo subject. Since it was based on and made up from one of Mr. Hersom's classes. It is right on the money.
It starts with the wooden former block/stump, with the type and style and sizes of the depressions that should be in the blocks. In addition to the types of wood he uses, how he laminates some blocks and the glue and tools he uses to make the shapes. and how to get a smooth surface in the depression with out a lot of work.
Moving on to making the forming stakes for short run jobs from wood he gets from pallets, and then at a later time making the stakes from steel. He then shows the stake shape that he uses most often.
Moving on to hammers, he gives a master course in his 8 basic hammer head designs, with pictures of the top looking down and looking from the side of the head.
The next one page in the book my be worth the total cost for a lot of smiths. It deals with handles for the hammers, with the wood he gets from hardwood pallets. He passes a formula he got from his master and includes drawings and a chart for hammer sizes. He also shows his patterns and forming jig for hammer heads. He talks about reworking ball peen hammers, and making Bouging hammers, form materials other than metal.
Jumping into making lining stakes,offset stakes,planishing,saddle tools cup stakes. He then goes into building a veining tool, which from the ones I have seen is the basis for most of them whether they give him credit or just rip his design off.
He finishes up the tools with lead block work, bench anvil, fish tail punch,hold clamps, drill bits and pliers and shears. Then a Filing jig, files and vise work. Along with using a shorter file than most would choose to grab.
The second section is about techniques, from annealing to hammer training with pictures illustrating the proper way.
Then he moves on to leaf exercises, 2 types and then two sizes of ball husks or could be applied to flower petals. Rosettes, water leaf patten and layout for scroll work,Acanthus leaf exercise. All have patterns and step by step photo's with text instructions.
I have to say that if you have any interest in metal shaping arts,smithing or jewelry work. The information in this book is a must.
and should be in every metal workers library. Each section is worth the price of the book combined they truly are a masters level course in tooling and manipulation of metal no matter what you choose to call it!
Item# BK92
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