Free 186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook:  
Get 2,000+ tool plans, full site access, and more.

User Tag List

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11

Thread: Lead-working, bossing/dressing sticks

  1. #1
    Supporting Member Philip Davies's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Reading, Berks, UK
    Posts
    868
    Thanks
    1,184
    Thanked 1,019 Times in 342 Posts

    Philip Davies's Tools

    Lead-working, bossing/dressing sticks

    These tools for shaping lead are called bossing sticks or dressers. six I have made from applewood salvaged from my brother-in-law's firewood stack. They have not been used. Also shown, is a commercially produced bossing stick, obtained secondhand, which is the one I use. It's a bit lightweight.Lead-working, bossing/dressing sticks-image.jpg

    186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook

  2. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Philip Davies For This Useful Post:

    Jon (Dec 8, 2015), kbalch (Dec 8, 2015), Paul Jones (Dec 10, 2015), PJs (Dec 9, 2015)

  3. #2
    Content Editor
    Supporting Member
    DIYer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    3,056
    Thanks
    772
    Thanked 1,850 Times in 1,652 Posts
    Thanks Philip! We've added your Bossing Sticks to our Woodworking category, as well as to your builder page: Philip Davies' Homemade Tools. Your receipt:


    2000 Tool Plans

  4. #3

    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Posts
    4
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
    Hallo Philip, English is not my mother language, so I dont understand purpose of your sticks. But they are very nice. :-) Please could you clear it to me?

    Thanks, Jan.

  5. #4
    kbalch's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Clermont, FL
    Posts
    5,034
    Thanks
    2,275
    Thanked 531 Times in 383 Posts
    Hi Jan,

    Thanks for asking that question. I didn't know anything about lead bossing sticks, either, so I found a couple of videos that demonstrate their use.

    The vids helped clear things up a bit for me! Hope they help you, too.

    Ken




  6. #5
    Supporting Member Philip Davies's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Reading, Berks, UK
    Posts
    868
    Thanks
    1,184
    Thanked 1,019 Times in 342 Posts

    Philip Davies's Tools
    Thank you, Jan. It is good of you to write.
    You hit the soft metal (lead) to form it and make shapes.

  7. #6
    Supporting Member Philip Davies's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Reading, Berks, UK
    Posts
    868
    Thanks
    1,184
    Thanked 1,019 Times in 342 Posts

    Philip Davies's Tools
    Thank you, Ken, for posting those videos

  8. #7
    Jon
    Jon is online now Jon has agreed the Seller's Terms of Service
    Administrator
    Supporting Member
    Jon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Colorado, USA
    Posts
    25,451
    Thanks
    7,928
    Thanked 38,621 Times in 11,284 Posts
    Interesting. I believe this is our first bossing sticks listing. I see them as similar to body dollies, but for lead.

  9. The Following User Says Thank You to Jon For This Useful Post:

    Philip Davies (Dec 11, 2015)

  10. #8

    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Posts
    4
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Philip Davies View Post
    Thank you, Jan. It is good of you to write.
    You hit the soft metal (lead) to form it and make shapes.
    Thanks Philip, all is now clear with using bossing sticks for forming lead, very interesting is for me too using lead sheets for roofing.

    Jan

  11. The Following User Says Thank You to Jan Greňo For This Useful Post:

    Philip Davies (Dec 11, 2015)

  12. #9

    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Posts
    4
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
    Hi Ken, thanks for videos, all is now clear.

    Jan

  13. #10

    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Posts
    1
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
    hi Phillip

    nice to see that someone is still making these type of tools ,the tools I use are all hand made and mostly antiques some well over a hundred years old .
    I have carved and turned several myself ,but mostly from box,hornbeam or lignum all are heavy and short grained timber and are getting harder to obtain . The dresser that I made for hollow rolling weighs around 1.0 kg and was curved using a 4.5inch grinder carvers wheel and finished with spoke shave and file . the main thing to remember about timber tools is to soak them in linseed oil at least once a year, the oil adds weigh and protects the tool during use . When using these type of tools it is the grain in the tool that grips and moves the lead in the correct direction and not the force of impact ,little and offend is the main trick in bossing . Plastic and rubber tools are fine for moving the lead and used correct leave fewer makes than timber ,but these are not for bossing in my option, plastic will just slip or bounce off at impact and rubber is not suitable to be made into anything other than mallets --I hope this helps in understanding the finer points of the bossing craft --regards

    carlos

  14. The Following User Says Thank You to carlosleadman For This Useful Post:

    Jon (Jan 11, 2016)

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •