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Description
I said I'd do it and I did (2 months after the fact): a tutorial made for Elytron 5.

Tools: Jeweler’s saw, needle files, small torch, charcoal block, various pliers, trivet, flex shaft machine, drill bits, polishing wheels, fine paintbrush

Materials: a sheet of 24 gauge copper; washed enamel powders in black, opaque blue, and transparent blue; silver dust, hard solder.

1. The design to be made is drawn onto the first layer of metal. Each cell is then pierced by a drill bit. In this picture I have already sawn out the top center cell.

2. Using the jeweler’s saw, pierce out the cells. This is done before cutting out the overall shape, as piercing is much easier with extra surrounding material to hold onto.

3. Once you have removed the cells, cut out the shape of the piece, and trace it onto the metal once more. Make any alterations that you might want to see on the backing (here I have added a tab to connect to the bail) and then cut that out as well.

4. Stack the two parts on top of one another and solder them together. The heat from the torch will anneal the piece for step 5.

5. Using a combination of pliers and, if you have mutant thumbs like me, your hands, form the piece into a sort of long half-domed shape, like a beetle’s wing cover.

6. First with files, and then with rubber polishing wheels, shape and smooth the surface. The piece should have almost a full polish before you apply the enamel; that way there is less polishing to do later and thus no chance of scratching or discoloring the enamel.

7. I start with a base coat of black enamel. My enamels are kept saturated with water so that they are paste-like in consistency. To fill the cells, apply little blobs with a brush, then add a bit more water so that the enamel spreads into all the corners of each cell. Place the piece on the trivet and let air-dry before applying the torch. Heating wet enamel makes it spurt all over the place.

8. Heat gently and evenly from underneath until the enamel melts down. Let the piece air-cool.

9. Repeat steps 7 and 8, adding opaque blue enamel to the top of each cell, then add silver dust to the bottoms of each cell. Heat as above except, of course, the silver will not melt; it will fuse into the enamel below it. Once the silver has been fused on and the piece has cooled, brush off any excess silver dust.

10. Add layers of transparent blue over the whole cells until the color is nice and strong.

11. Remove any stray bits of enamel on the outer surface, and polish the piece.

12. Add a simple copper bail and you’re done! I made this one by cutting a diamond-shape out of sheet copper, folding it over, and drilling a hole through it.

Description
I said I'd do it and I did (2 months after the fact): a tutorial made for Elytron 5.

Tools: Jeweler’s saw, needle files, small torch, charcoal block, various pliers, trivet, flex shaft machine, drill bits, polishing wheels, fine paintbrush

Materials: a sheet of 24 gauge copper; washed enamel powders in black, opaque blue, and transparent blue; silver dust, hard solder.

1. The design to be made is drawn onto the first layer of metal. Each cell is then pierced by a drill bit. In this picture I have already sawn out the top center cell.

2. Using the jeweler’s saw, pierce out the cells. This is done before cutting out the overall shape, as piercing is much easier with extra surrounding material to hold onto.

3. Once you have removed the cells, cut out the shape of the piece, and trace it onto the metal once more. Make any alterations that you might want to see on the backing (here I have added a tab to connect to the bail) and then cut that out as well.

4. Stack the two parts on top of one another and solder them together. The heat from the torch will anneal the piece for step 5.

5. Using a combination of pliers and, if you have mutant thumbs like me, your hands, form the piece into a sort of long half-domed shape, like a beetle’s wing cover.

6. First with files, and then with rubber polishing wheels, shape and smooth the surface. The piece should have almost a full polish before you apply the enamel; that way there is less polishing to do later and thus no chance of scratching or discoloring the enamel.

7. I start with a base coat of black enamel. My enamels are kept saturated with water so that they are paste-like in consistency. To fill the cells, apply little blobs with a brush, then add a bit more water so that the enamel spreads into all the corners of each cell. Place the piece on the trivet and let air-dry before applying the torch. Heating wet enamel makes it spurt all over the place.

8. Heat gently and evenly from underneath until the enamel melts down. Let the piece air-cool.

9. Repeat steps 7 and 8, adding opaque blue enamel to the top of each cell, then add silver dust to the bottoms of each cell. Heat as above except, of course, the silver will not melt; it will fuse into the enamel below it. Once the silver has been fused on and the piece has cooled, brush off any excess silver dust.

10. Add layers of transparent blue over the whole cells until the color is nice and strong.

11. Remove any stray bits of enamel on the outer surface, and polish the piece.

12. Add a simple copper bail and you’re done! I made this one by cutting a diamond-shape out of sheet copper, folding it over, and drilling a hole through it.