Process and Techniques
– Planishing is a metal surface finishing process.
– It involves hammering the metal surface with a planishing panel hammer or slapper file against a shaped surface called a planishing stake.
– The stake can be held in a vise or mounting hole in a blacksmith’s beak anvil.
– Hand-held metal tools known as dollies or anvils can also be used for planishing.
– The stake or dolly must match the desired work piece contour and come in various shapes.
– Planishing can also be done using an English wheel.
– Soft glancing blows are used to smooth the metal towards the curvature of the stake.
– Mistakes can be avoided with heavy rawhide or wood mallets, but they are less effective for large imperfections.
– Sheet metal can harden during planishing, and if that happens, it must be annealed to restore its malleability.
Tools
– Common tools used for planishing include panel beating hammers, slappers, and neck hammers.
– Heavy rawhide or hardwood hammers are often used.
– Snarling iron is another tool used in planishing.
– Planishing hammers are flat with rounded edges and polished to avoid marring the work.
– Pneumatic planishing hammers can strike hundreds of blows per minute.
Sheet Metal Characteristics
– Care must be taken to prevent sheet metal from hardening and becoming brittle during planishing.
– If sheet metal hardens, it must be annealed to restore its malleability.
Popular Culture Reference
– In an episode of Futurama, a character wields a bezeling planisher as a weapon.
– Fry warns others about the bezeling planisher.
– The character replies with enthusiasm about bezeling.
– The scene ends with Leela knocking the character down.
References
– McCreight, Tim. The Complete Metalsmith. Worcester, Massachusetts: Davis Publications, 1991.
– Price, Brian. Techniques of Medieval Armour Reproduction. Boulder, Colorado: Paladin Press, 2000.
– Payne, Arthur F. Art Metalwork with Inexpensive Equipment. Gustavs Library, 2003.
– Dettelmach, Gundobad von. Planishing.
– Yule, Paul. ‘A Harappan snarling iron from Chanhu daro.’ Antiquity 62 (234): 116–118, 1988.Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planishing
