Dellana dots

RedFury

RedFury

Joined
Jun 17, 2015
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There is a beautiful folder on the For Sale side (sold) that has Dellana dots instead of a nail nick. I've been running my little brain around and around guessing at how those dots are applied. Seems they must be done late in the build because heat treat would melt them away . If they are soldered that would discolor the blade. Are they tiny little custom made screws that are installed after the blade is polished? Are they wire that goes through the blade and then peened round on both sides? However they are done, cleaning up around them on the final polish would also seem challenging.
I want to try the idea and appreciate any input.
 
I have a copy of David Daroms book custom folding knvies...and I am pretty sure there is some pictorials on how Dellana goes about the gold dots. Maybe you could pick up a copy...there is also many other fantastic WIP style photos too
 
I can't speak for Dellana, but look up granulation in a jewlery making book.
I'm suspect Stacy could tell you all about it since he is a jewlery maker.
Jim A
 
One way is domed pins going through the blade. This will show from the other side, so it only works when the other side has the dots, too.

To make one side only dots, blind holes are drilled part way through the blade. These holes are relieved with an inverted cone burr so the bottom is just a tad wider than the top of the hole. A round rod of gold is sized so it fits snug in the hole. Hammering the exposed end with a beading tool makes the bottom expand and swell to lock the gold in the blade. The top is shaped by the same tool into a smooth ball.
 
timos- said:
I have a copy of David Daroms book custom folding knvies...and I am pretty sure there is some pictorials on how Dellana goes about the gold dots. Maybe you could pick up a copy...there is also many other fantastic WIP style photos too
Click to expand...
I have that book. Don't know why the Dellana Dots didn't register before. Probably I was just too blown away by the overall impression of her work that I didn't get into the details.
 
I wiped up a mild steel blade of the correct thickness and created some Dellana Dots using a simple punch and die. I made this trial run using copper wire. It was actually easier than I expected. I ordered up a couple of tools (beading tools) from Rio Grande along with a few inches of gold wire. I actually like copper and like working with it but it does corrode and is not quite as malleable as gold so I will be ready for the next project.
 
If you didn't order your wire in fully annealed, oven anneal it before using it to make the dots. Wire comes in half-hard as the norm.
 
Thanks again Stacy. You are always good with the advice. I ordered dead soft. I did a little work in silver and gold some forty odd years ago so I've got the basics of annealing and work hardening as well as silver soldering. I took two semesters of Fine Metals in the art dept at University of Vermont back around 1969. Seem to have lost my touch on polishing tho. I used to take tripoli to a silver piece and buff out scratches in just a minute or two.
 
Now I flattened a piece of goat horn by clamping between two pieces of steel and heating to 270 in the oven for a few hours last night.
Nice and flat for scales this morning. Again that was Stacy advice from a thread closed in 2013. Years of wisdom shared. Thank you Stacy.
 
Hi RedFury,

Sorry that I'm just seeing this now but I wanted to answer your question and give you correct info on making 'Dellana Dots'.

I use 14k (or 18k) gold pins. I use Dead Soft but you could use up to Regular temper (and probably Hard - it would just more difficult to peen during riveting). I wouldn't use Full Hard. The thickness depends on the size holes you are drilling (or vice versa, of course). I typically use 16g. and 18g. - that's B&S guage. They are NOT domed. I melt one end of the wire into a ball. This is very simple and quick with a small hot flame. I then polish that round ball - this saves time and aggravation during clean up and finishing.

I prepare the blade by countersinking the holes in both sides of the blade before heat treating. The side that will accommodate the balled end of the wire is countersunk deeper than the back side that will be hammered/rivetted. After heat treating I finish, etch, blue and polish the blade. It is completely done to final finish before I rivet the 'Dellana Dots'.

Since I don't want to distort the ball shape during riveting, I cover those with 3 layers of masking tape before hammering from the back side. After riveting, I lightly buff and polish with hard felt wheels with my Foredom. Nothing usually needs to be done to the balled side on the front, but if it does, a light buffing with the Foredom will take care of it. I mask off around the dots/wire on both sides during this whole procedure so as not to affect the final finish on the rest of the blade.

Hope this helps! Have fun with this and if you have any more questions, just ask me. :)

Dellana
☆
 
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Dellana,
Thanks for coming here and giving your exact method. Hopefully you will visit again with some tips, or just great photos of your workmanship.
 
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RedFury RedFury did you very give this a try and work it out?
i just did my first crack at it, came out decent for a first try on a practice blade.
this is 1/16" silicon bronze rod.

D Dellana do you have a preferred height of the dots protruding out? .03? .025?

Q2m6W1G.jpg


thanks
Harbeer
 
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