Carol-

I have acquired a press and want to expand my horizons using it.  I have used blanking dies and silhouette dies but want to try your wire die technique to get some texture.   I can't believe that beautiful leaf was shaped by taping wire to a piece of paper.  I would have thought the pressure would have made the wires shift.  

So to make a reversible soldered wire die you said you use brass wire and solder it.  Do you use a torch to solder or solder meaning like that of stained glass making.

In your Aqua Mars piece in the article do you have a pciture of what that die looks like?  I am trying to wrap my brain around wish part needs to be wired?  Is it the outline of the design then the reverse of the pressed piece is used?  On that piece is there a wire that borders the whole piece/design? 

I WISH i could take a class from you as i think these ideas would come together in my head if I could just see it in action.  thnx!!  Michelle

Is Susan Kingsley still around?  I can't seem to find any info on her on line. 

Hi Michelle,

The urethane pad clamps the wires between your metal and the acrylic spacer. The only reason I soldered the wires together is so that I could use the die multiple times and from either side. For one or two uses, taping or gluing wires to paper works just fine.

The same die was used for both "Red Mars" and "Aqua Mars". Being reversible, I was able to have two different versions, both "facing" the same direction. "Aqua Mars" has the pressed wires raised with enamel in the low areas (looks like cloisonne but is really champleve) and in "Red Mars", the enamel is in the low areas and the red color is heat patina.

I don't have any experience with low temp soldering... as used for stained glass... but am guessing that would work. I silver soldered the brass wires. Once I made all the "Mars" items I wanted, I soldered clutch pins on the back of the die and can wear it as is.

Yes, Susan is still around. She recently updated her book for the Hydraulic Press. Her address is on the book.