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 in each corner of my maple wood dapping block. Hammering a metal dap in the wells will smooth out the slight roughness of the wood well. Hint: Obviously the wood dapping block is softer than metal. Running the bit in a lubricating substance such as Cut Lube before use will help prolong the life of metal bits, even when using them on soft substances. Do not rush the process. Because the wood is hard, if the bur is pressed down on too hard, it will have a tendency to slide across the wood.

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 have hardwood tools that can be altered! Try not to use oak or ash. Even though considered hardwoods, there are hard and soft areas, making it difficult over time to keep the wells uniform in shape.

Maybe you own a hardwood draw plate used for Viking knit or to even out handmade chain links with large enough areas to drill a few small impressions.

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

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

No materials listed

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

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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

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Category: Tools
Technique(s): Tools

Reviews

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!