Hello everyone! New member excited to be here!

[SilverPunk]

 

Hello, ladies and gentlemen!

 

I am delighted to be joining this vibrant community as a new member. Allow me to introduce myself—my name is Matt, and I have been passionate about all things antique and collectible, including silver, throughout my entire life. In fact, I have dedicated the past three decades of my career to this fascinating field.

 

Over the last six months, I have stumbled upon various YouTube channels, including Backyard Bullion (which is how I discovered this forum). I have eagerly consumed as much content as possible on silver pouring and casting. As I spend nearly eight hours a day working on my computer, I often have these videos playing in the background, soaking up knowledge and inspiration.

 

The more I watched, the more impressed and intrigued I became. I felt an irresistible pull to try silver pouring for myself. It has been an absolute blast and a refreshing change of pace from my regular activities. While I make a living by selling antiques and collectibles online, engaging in something more hands-on and creative has been a much-welcomed diversion from my typical routine.

 

So, taking a leap of faith, I invested in a furnace, metal stamps, liver of sulphur, and fine silver grain. Last week, I finally took the plunge and attempted my first pourings. You can see the images below to get a glimpse of my initial creations. Given my background in antiques, I couldn't resist incorporating some related items. The first oval piece features a study of an early 19th-century Grand Tour intaglio seal with cherubs. The second piece is a study of a late 18th-century religious portrait bust. And, of course, I couldn't forget the obligatory silver bar, which drew inspiration from the remarkable work of Backyard Bullion and other talented members of the Silver Forum.

 

As you can tell, I still have a long way to go in honing my skills, but I would greatly appreciate any thoughts or comments you may have regarding my first pours. If any of you ever come across antique or collectible items you're unsure about, feel free to reach out to me. I'd be more than happy to lend a hand and point you in the right direction if I can.

 

I must express my sheer joy at discovering a forum brimming with people who share the same passion. It is truly a pleasure to be among such like-minded individuals.

 

Cheers and Happy Stacking!

 

Matt

 

 

 

[stefffana]

Hi, Matt, and welcome on forum!

Nice pieces!🤗

[SilverPunk]

thank you Stefffana! looking forward to learning more skills and pouring more very soon

[HonestMoneyGoldSilver]

Welcome Matt!

You draw better with molten silver than I do with a pencil 🏆

[daca]

Welcome aboard and enjoy the ride!

[SilverPunk]

1 hour ago, HonestMoneyGoldSilver said:

Welcome Matt!

You draw better with molten silver than I do with a pencil 🏆

many thanks! looking forward to sharing more once done, and once up and running maybe selling a few if peeps like them!

1 hour ago, daca said:

Welcome aboard and enjoy the ride!

Hello there and many thanks, strapped in and can't wait for it to start!

[monkey]

Hello and Welcome! 🎉

[SilverPunk]

2 hours ago, monkey said:

Hello and Welcome! 🎉

thank you so much! looking forward to posting more soon when i have something interesting to share.

[Fenlander1]

Hello Matt welcome to the TSF community.

Interesting background you have, your 1st pieces look good I look forward to seeing and maybe purchasing some of your future endeavours.

[SilverPunk]

45 minutes ago, Fenlander1 said:

Hello Matt welcome to the TSF community.

Interesting background you have, your 1st pieces look good I look forward to seeing and maybe purchasing some of your future endeavours.

Thank you for the kind words Fenlander1 , as soon as I get a bit better and the quality is higher I will get some listed here on the forum!

[monkey]

Glad to see someone’s first efforts pouring silver! They look good to my (untrained) eye. What are you using for moulds? have you used graphite moulds straight away?

Pouring silver has been at the back of my mind for a while. I would like to start in the near future.

[SilverPunk]

23 minutes ago, monkey said:

Glad to see someone’s first efforts pouring silver! They look good to my (untrained) eye. What are you using for moulds? have you used graphite moulds straight away?

 

Pouring silver has been at the back of my mind for a while. I would like to start in the near future.

 

Monkey, thank you for the message, the bar was done in a little graphite mould, i just copied what i had seen on youtube, very much trying to follow in backyard bullions footsteps, the oval plaque and portrait bust was both done using the delft clay sand stuff, i got a small bag off eBay, i put it in a small metal tub and made the impressions, was tricky to get a good impression, took longer doing that than the pour took, took me about 10 or 11 times pushing it into the sand until i was happy with the result but was worth it, i used original antique pieces dating around 150 - 200 years old to make the impressions so they are pretty much unique to me, i doubt you would find the same thing done as i have the original antique pieces they were taken from.

I have only just started last week but it is great fun, i just cant wait to do more, i would advise anyone to give it a try, i think its wonderful!

[bean182]

Welcome to TSF, and best of luck with your creations!