Altering Your Dapping Block

by Judy Larson

Here's a way to make your dapping block an even more useful tool.

Instructions

Scrap lumber is a great tool resource for any jewelry maker.

I don't want to wreck my bench pin with drill holes when I have so much scrap 2"x2" pine from various projects that I can use.

The cut ends of short pieces are great for shaping metal.

Judy Larson's Altering Your Dapping Block - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Tools, scrap lumber for metal work

Judy Larson's Altering Your Dapping Block - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Tools, scrap wood for drilling

Judy Larson's Altering Your Dapping Block - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Tools, scrap wood for dapping

I had a "DUH" moment lately when making small bud flowers.

I usually dapped a small well in a piece of scrap pine to shape the petals.

Because pine is so soft and distorts easily, a new well was made for each flower so they would all have similarly shaped petals.

Since there is a lot of scrap hardwood in my garage wood shop, I brought in a couple pieces of scrap walnut.

Judy Larson's Altering Your Dapping Block - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Tools, dapping block for petals

Judy Larson's Altering Your Dapping Block - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Tools, hard wood for dapping

When I realized that one more piece would not fit in the box with my dapping tools, I wondered why I never thought to alter the wooden dapping block.

Judy Larson's Altering Your Dapping Block - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Tools, dapping blocks

I pulled the four largest ball burs from my stand and drilled a different size well into each corner of my maple wood dapping block.

Hammering a metal dap into the new wells helps smooth out any slight roughness left in the wood.

Hint: Wood dapping blocks are softer than metal, but still dense enough to dull your burs over time.

Run your bit through a lubricant like Cut Lube before use to extend the life of your burs even on softer materials.

Take your time.

Because hardwood can be slick, pressing too hard can cause the bur to slide across the surface.

Judy Larson's Altering Your Dapping Block - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Tools, use ball burs to make dapping depressions

Judy Larson's Altering Your Dapping Block - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Tools, dapping block

Judy Larson's Altering Your Dapping Block - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Tools, bur lube

Judy Larson's Altering Your Dapping Block - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Tools, cut lube

The tiny wells have now been used many times to make the ¼" long flower buds.

The wells are still the same shape and size.

Judy Larson's Altering Your Dapping Block - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Tools, using tiny wells

Judy Larson's Altering Your Dapping Block - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Tools, dapped metal petals

Don't have a wood dapping block or access to hardwood scrap?

You might already own hardwood tools that can be altered.

Avoid using oak or ash even though they're hardwoods, their uneven grain makes it hard to keep wells uniform over time.

You may have a hardwood draw plate used for Viking knit or smoothing handmade chain links.

If there's enough space, you can drill a few small impressions into it for dapping.

Judy Larson's Altering Your Dapping Block - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Tools, drawplate

Judy Larson's Altering Your Dapping Block - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Tools, Avoid using oak or ash

Many of us own a hardwood pliers stand.

The expanse of the flat back means more wells of different sizes can be made.

Judy Larson's Altering Your Dapping Block - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Tools, pliers stand

The flat back and sides of the Whaley swage block can be altered to your heart's content.

Judy Larson's Altering Your Dapping Block - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Tools, swage block

I love a rectangular flat dapping block because all the well sizes are visible and easy to compare to each other.

You don't have to look at the other faces of the cube to find the desired size well. The back side can be reserved for tiny wells.

You don't need wood daps to use the above wood dapping block if the textured side of the metal is placed facing down in the wells.

I like using nylon punches because they have lasted longer than wood ones that came with my block.

Nylon and wood punches are not small enough to dap the tiny flower petals, though. For that, the three smallest metal punches are better sizes.

Judy Larson's Altering Your Dapping Block - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Tools, dapping tools

Materials

Cut Lube

BUR-180.00

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $9.95
Gold Club Price: $7.46

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Tools

7 Round & Steel Block--Dapping Block

DAP-147.00

DAP-147.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $32.50
Gold Club Price: $24.38

Add to Bag

8 Punch Dapping Set

DAP-708.00

DAP-708.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $48.97
Gold Club Price: $36.73

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11 Piece Wood Dapping Set

DAP-160.00

DAP-160.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $64.97
Gold Club Price: $48.73

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Bur Set - 24 pc

BUR-400.00

BUR-400.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $64.95
Gold Club Price: $48.71

Add to Bag

Whaley Wood Swage Block

DAP-158.00

DAP-158.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $21.95
Gold Club Price: $16.46

Add to Bag

Plier Stand - 12 Hole

HOL-315.06

HOL-315.06
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $7.97
Gold Club Price: $5.98

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Rosewood Draw Plate for Vise

G28-7

G28-7
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $17.97
Gold Club Price: $13.48

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Rosewood Handheld Draw Plate

G28-8

G28-8
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $17.97
Gold Club Price: $13.48

Add to Bag

8 Piece Nylon Punch Set

DAP-748.00

DAP-748.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $19.97
Gold Club Price: $14.98

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Category: Tools
Technique(s): Tools

Reviews

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Judy Larson

My philosophy has always been "I will never live long enough to learn everything I want to learn, go everywhere I want to go and see everything I want to see!" So, what I make and how I create it is always changing and evolving. I was born shortly after WWII to parents who grew up during the Depression. They always had a "we can do it, we can make it" attitude which rubbed off on my two younger brothers and me. My brothers are amazing and can make and do ANYTHING! When I was a little girl, my mother gave me an old carved cigar box, which I cherish, filled with pop beads, wooden beads and yarn for stringing. That was the beginning of my jewelry making journey.

On a visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a young woman, I was fortunate enough to help a Native American silversmith sand cast my first silver bracelet and bezel set a large turquoise nugget on top. I was in love, hook, line and sinker! While working full time and having a family here in northern Minnesota, my artistic endeavors slowed down but never stopped. I am an artist, scrapbooker, seamstress, woodworker and jewelry artisan. Now that I am retired, I am able to indulge in all my hobbies. However, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all, but I try!

I have been teaching community education beginner and intermediate jewelry making classes since my retirement. Many of my students have been bitten so hard by the jewelry making bug that they say I have turned them into monsters-they just can't get enough. Making jewelry, seeing something take shape from small bits and pieces, is so rewarding that I hope it brings out the "monster" in you, too!