July 2, 2002

I have finally reached a stopping point with the hammering. I could probably make a little more progress planishing, but I'm not sure if it would make that much difference. I began this evening by running an 80 grit flap sanding wheel over the entire piece. Trying to keep the sand lines running in the same direction with a handheld sander/polisher on such highs and lows and curves is difficult. I plan to move to a 120 grit flap wheel next and see where that takes me. I have yet to polish a piece so this part will be experimental to a point. I do have two buffing wheels set up, one for an emery compound and one for a white. My hammerwork will probably not look very good polished with a white compound, but I'm going to try for learning sake.

My next step this evening was to finish the rolls on the neck and the underarms. They are not really rolls, more like folds with a rounded edge. I should have practiced on some smaller pieces before I attempted them, but for a first attempt, I'm pleased.

Unless I'm missing something, I believe I'll just work on the polishing from here. All the holes are punched and straps made. They just need to be set once the finishing work is done.

to be continued...

If you have any questions or comments, please email me at: rjl@falcon1.net.

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