Thanks for all the comments folks.
Marcus, I am a little old fashioned also, Its hard to beat yellow 24k gold.
I am not sure where to get more of those cigar cutters, but if you like, I will try to find one and send it over.
Tom, the gold is laid on the flat surface and is sculpted afterwards. And it is done in a fashion that could be described as mannerist, in that mannerism seeks to instill order, balance and decorum in its further pursuit of the neoclassic, wherein technique is subdued to emphasize subject.
And speaking of mannerism,you asked about the the Dome. It is the interior of St Peters Basilica in Rome.
The translation of the full latin text partly visible is:
"You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. ... I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven"
Thanks Ron, your work and encouragement have been inspiration to me through my career, and that goes for John B and Lee Also.
And thanks to Rex for his many hours of donated time spent furthering our Guild and its members.
Barry, it's just that I find it hard to get my head around the fact that you modeled 24k in the thickness of .004" or just a little thicker than 0.10 mm.
Fine engraving of this sort is fairly new to me; but I've worked gold for awhile.
Kevin P.
Yes Kevin its true, hehe.
.004 before I installed it.
I am sure of it as I have been working a new project in a similar style and I measure the gold when I roll a new piece of sheet to cut.
As I recall I first learned of this technique looking at old colts in the RL Wilson colt book, and at pics of Ken Hunt Work. I later purchased a Colt Percussion revolver that was engraved by Ken Hunt and studied it quite a bit. It was on the back cover of "Engraver" a few issues ago.
In 2004 After going on a Safari in South Africa, I visited Egypt to study the Damascene technique used on the Ali Hussien Mosque doors in Cairo.
It was a rather interesting place to study as it is the Mosque that houses the Madrassa that Ayman al-Zawahiri studied in, and is known to be " AL Quaeda Central" in Cairo. My guide did not want to take an american there, as he said no americans had set foot in the building since 911.
But I insisted, and he relented, but impressed upon me that if anyone asked me any questions to " tell them you are from France."
After studying the work in the Mosque, I visited Ken.
After I met Ken, he suggested I go study the technique in Japan, which I did.
The Japanese Masters I studied use material in the .001 range, but they just stipple it for shading, as it is too thin to do anything else with.
I have since studied the technique in Java, and further in Japan, but the basic idea is the same everywhere, thin, thin, thin.
" tell them you are from France."
Barry, I'll remember that, it could come in handy.
Now that I know we're talking .004" thickness; you're sending me back to my library to refresh myself on metallurgy and art. Damascene is one of those terms I thought I understood; now, I don't know if I do.
Your piece has provoked me to question a couple of things.
Kevin P.