Back in the Grove 4

Hello once more, today I intend to do the last in this series on the "Celtic Cuff".

The adjacent picture shows the stippling that highlights the knot work as is the case with the lettering in the Book of Kells, the Lindisfarne and MacRegol Gospels. It is also seen on the lettering around the edge of the Ardagh Chalice in the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin. Although very time consuming it does make the knotwork stand out.

In the last picture you can see how the knot work has been planned to go around the hinge at the bottom of the cuff and continues all the way around. The design is a constant reminder that ones Path through Life consists of ups and down and eventually end up at the beginning and starts all over again. Finally the catch that you see in the upper part of the picture, has a built in safety catch. It is a double click catch that opens up by pressing the little bar.

This is the last of the pictures and it shows the open cuff as well as the catch with the CE mark on the bottom. I trust that this was of interest to some of you, and thank you for you time.

Now I need to get going on my new venture at the Granville Island Market, in Vancouver. My opening date will be April 11th over the weekend. TTYAL (talk to you all later) RD

Back in the Grove 3

Phew, a busy cople of days. Anyway let me get back to the Celtic Cuff. You'll have to forgive me for using "Roman" numerals. God knows what I was thinking about.

Steps # 3 & 4.Next you see the development

of the design and a moments distraction

causes a minor mistake, corrected with a

little white-out.

The design is transferred to the bracelet/cuff and you can

just see the faint lines scribed before the engraving starts.

The little yellow pointer show where I have cut and the burr stands up before the intersecting line removes it. The burrs

are a little more visible in the next picture and the that look

like shadows make it easier to see them.

Well as Bugs Bunny said " That's All Folks"

Check in again and see the end of the Celtic Cuff. Soon to be featured on my website www.celticempire.com

Back in the Groove II

Top O'the mornin to You.

Where did I leave off?

The next step in the bracelet/cuff. . All Celtic art starts in the head and materializes via paper patterns on a multitude of objects. Personally I try to find a functional purpose for all things to which I apply Celtic art. So the first step is to make a copy of the area to which I am to engrave my design. The first image here is a section of the 205x 10mm strip along with the tools involved.

The next step is to divide the strip into a grid and then the dots in each of the quadrants and a basket pattern is laid out in pencil before being done in ink. Here you can see the cuff opened with the catch that has the trademark on it. In the next picture you can see how it looks closed and a ruler and a new copper cent gives you an idea of the size. The measurements are 51x 60mm oval and 3mm thick, yet only weights 23 grams since it is hollow.

While you are doing that, I'll get ready with the next step.

Have a great Day.

RD

Back in the Grove

At the patient insistance of my "Blogging Mentor", I am trying again to convey some of the stuff I have been doing.

The sterling silver cuff that had me stumped, blogging, logging or posting, should now proceed a little more smoothly. This time I'm going to do it in wee bits and pieces.

I did start a lovely new cuff/bracelet. Unique in that like hand cuffs it opens and then closes around the wrist for a lovely smooth bracelet. I am about to describe what all is involved in the design as well as the engraving.

Please bear with me as we progress through the variouys stages of creating a unique Celtic Cuff.