The different stages of forming a metal sheet into a tube to form the beads.
Bending the Argentium plate lengthwise with a grooved wooden block (to guide the bend), a plastic hammer (to shape without marring), and metal punches (to help create consistent curves).
To help keep the tube round, I use a round piece of wood as the Argentium plate nears closure.
Having been shaped into a tube, the Argentium plate is now ready for soldering at the seam.
The seam is soldered with a torch to securely join the edges.
Placing a round piece of wood in the tube prevents it from being flattened by the tongs. The tube is pulled through the drawplate to become perfectly round and have the correct cross-section.
After forming, a 15 cm-long Argentium sheet transforms into a 28 cm-long tube.
Drawing the tube through a hexagonal drawplate stretches it to 42 cm.
The beads are created by cutting the hexagonal tube into equal pieces at right angles using a miter vise.