Keum Boo Tutorial Making a Keum Boo Cuff

Steps in fusing gold to sterling silver to make a cuff using the Korean techniques know as Keum Boo. Using depletion gilding to bring up the fine silver.
Website: patcahillmetal...
Etsy: www.etsy.com/s...
Pintrest: / pcmetalworks
Instagram: / patcahillmetalworks
Facebook: / pat-cahill-metalworks-...

[@mimifisher2265]

Loved the video. Just one suggestion...a close up of the placing and fusing of the gold foil.

[@josiemitchell7483]

Really enjoyed this, thank you for going into such detail! The finished product is beautiful.

[@rosspadden4201]

Beautiful cuff mate. Nice work.

[@travismiller5548]

Just became a proud smith little torch user for glassblowing, but it's totally replaced all the electric soldering i used to do. I really dig that mini weed burner style tip you're using- thanks for the tutorial!

[@johngpreston1784]

Very nice work

[@Kit-thrift]

Great video

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

Thank you, I am getting a bit better at making videos hopefully

[@itaca5352]

Que buen video! Muchas gracias!

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

Gracias

[@mary-annkieckhaben5026]

Thank you for shering

[@mary-annkieckhaben5026]

Look beautiful thank you

[@Makermook]

I work almost exclusively with fine silver (I make my own sterling if I have to), so I'll skip the heating and pickling steps and give this a try!

[@strykerxl1976]

I know this is a few months old, but I had the same thinking. Would just using fine silver not produce the same results with less time?

[@LindaJSheaDesign]

Really well done tutorial. Thanks

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

You're very welcome!

[@Eclectic_RN]

Neat, thank you. Why does the repeated heating not create firescale? Or is it that firescale is being created, and then the copper etched away? How about using Argentium?

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

Good questions. Firescale is covered up by the repeated heating, pickling and brass brushing leaving a thin layer of fine silver. Yes you can use Argentium and actually get away with fewer heating pickling cycles.

[@kathywarye3742]

Thanks, Pat. Mine didn't come with anything. You can buy brass inserts. I just made a brass plate that I set on top and it seems to work well.

[@maaikehaneveld]

Thank you, very helpful video!

[@laurenyoungs]

Can you tumble it after it's finished?

[@mehmetkaraqus]

hi, wonderful it is nice tecnique i like it and i will try to do after cod19 :(

[@thedazzlingape2006]

and this only works with fair;y pure metals? because the more copper the more oxidation will prevent it from fusing?

[@gingi3886]

Thanks Pat for the wonderful video! How do you clean the bracelet when it starts to tarnish?

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

Because of the way this cuff is made i.e. bringing the fine silver to the surface it should tarnish very slowly, fine silver is quite resistant to tarnishing and the 24K gold will not tarnish. But if over time you need to bring back the matte surface finish you can use a dry scotchbrite pad and gently scrub it in the direction of the grain of the matte surface. Note: You don't what nor should you need to do this too often.

[@milouschmidt]

Thank you for a great video ❤ can I ise the bee hive kiln without the temperature regulator? How do I apply the gold foil on a cuff that is already big and convex? Thank you for your advice 😊

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

I don't know about use without the regulator you probably can but it would be best to contact the maker. Applying the gold foil on a finished cuff is tricky the whole surface needs to be at the proper temp and a small kiln like the beehive probably would not be able to do it.

[@jeromemendiasii1566]

Hey just wondering but could you use this same technique on say a white gold piece? Say you wanted to add a few gold accents onto the white gold.

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

I actually don't know the answer to this, sorry

[@husseingoidsmet1568]

Very good

[@kimlyons8550]

Great video Pat. I was wondering what you use to blacken, when you choose to do that?

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

Thank you Kim, I use liver of sulfur to oxidize the surface.

[@discolemonade8794]

Hi Pat! Just found your channel and loved this video. I've been wanting to keum boo for quite some time. Where did you purchase the gold keum boo foil? I've been reading that regular gold enameling foil or leaf is too thin ( 0.1 microns) and that keum boo foil should be at least 2.5 microns. Is this correct? Any tips would be appreciated. Many thanks :)

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

Yes gold leaf is too thin. You can get gold foil at Rio Grande or Contenti. I like the foil from Contenti over that offered by Rio Grande.

[@MissConnieFung]

Thank you for this beautiful video. I don’t quite catch the name of the equipment that looks like a hot plate. What is the name of this machine? And where can I buy it?

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

I use the Beehive Kiln, google it there are many places to purchase one.

[@bamero26]

Hi, how did you clean the gold before appliying keum boo? Thanks

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

The gold foil is clean when it arrives from the supplier. I try to not touch it with my fingers so it remains clean and I have never had any issues with it. So the answer is I don't clean the gold foil before using it.

[@jeannettesalazar6442]

How many times repeat the processes. Thanks 😊

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

5 to 6 times or until when you only see milkly white surface then just one more time for good luck.

[@paulwiggins183]

That synthetic wheel can make short work of 2.5 microns of gold... particularly in the hands of a beginner. You should advise caution.

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

I believe you just did : )

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

Although it is 13 microns thick, but you are still right.

[@dennymachettepizarro7933]

My only question is how do your treat the blank following your last heating for depletion gilding? Do you quench, pickle and brush???

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

I have tried in the last heating to just let it cool down without pickling or brushing but I saw no difference, so I now just go through the process of quench, pickle but I don't usually brush. Not sure why I omit the burnishing step with the brass brush, I feel but have no proof that it produces a finish with more surface area to give the gold more surfaces to fuse to the silver. I hope that makes some sense. But really if you have done the depletion gilding correctly then any method will work.

[@kathywarye3742]

Great video, thanks. What is the plate on your beehive made of? I don't recognize the material.

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

Hello Kathy thank you. As for the plate I really don't know it is just some steel that came with the beehive.

[@joyceeberner]

As always.. great video! Question: after bringing fine silver to top, is the silver still .925 ?

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

Yes it is still over 99% sterling silver but the surface has a fine laver of higher purity silver from the depletion of the copper to allow for the fusing of the gold.

[@kimberlymonaco5372]

why go to all the trouble of the depletion of the sterling silver ? wouldn't it be easier/better to just start with fine silver?

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

Hello Kimberly, Fine Silver is just too soft to be used for this type of cuff.

[@dordiwesterlund2528]

@@patcahillmetalworks322 Incorrect. It is just fine if you work harden it. All this depletion takes way too much time. By the time you made one, I could have made five.

[@judyjones3056]

Would love to know Guage of blank?

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

I am not sure what you are asking. This cuff was made from low dome wire, there is not really a gauge, I used a 12mm by 1.5mm, but you can use any sterling silver blank for the cuff just remember to bring up the fine silver. Best wishes, Pat

[@rondaleblanc2374]

Could I use a copper plate over my beehive kiln?

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

I believe so mine came with two lids made out of what I believe is steel. Kathy commented down below that she made a brass plate to sit on top. I don't know why the beehive kiln are not supplying plates anymore.

[@rondaleblanc2374]

Thanks so much! I appreciate your wonderful videos! I’ve had my beehive for ten years but never used it for this purpose. Already have the gold foil and want to make a plate rather than purchasing. I have copper that is much easier to work with than brass. I’m going to give it a try.

[@Mrgugan]

How long it will last bro

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

years and years

[@VloggerBubu]

How much temperature do you use ? When sticking the gold

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

About 700°F (375°C) you will know if you have the proper temp when the gold fold sticks to the silver using your burnishing tools.

[@VloggerBubu]

Pat Cahill MetalWorks thank you so much . Have to try it . I am new in making jewelry. I do cloisone enameling. Have to try glod on silver . Thank you 🙏🏻🌟

[@laurenyoungs]

Wouldn't it be easier just to buy fine silver?

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

It is just too soft for a cuff bracelet

[@laurenyoungs]

Well, that's good to know. What argentium? @@patcahillmetalworks322

[@nishanthaindrajith9664]

What is gold foil

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

Sheets of gold usually 24K that are approximately 0.013mm vs gold leaf which is 22K and approximately 0.13um

[@rp-wn5or]

It’s pronounced geum boo, like the ghost noise. I guess you can just google translate/pronunciation 금부 if you wanna hear it!

[@patcahillmetalworks322]

thank you I will have to work on my elocution

[@rp-wn5or]

@@patcahillmetalworks322 no worries, translating pronunciation is difficult to do so and even more difficult for the readers to pronounce something written in a language that isn’t the original!