Doming

The technique of doming (or dapping) is used to make spheres or hemispheres of metal. These are then made into items of jewelry. The metal is cut into a circle and annealed, pickled, and rinsed. The circle of metal is placed over an indent on the doming block, which is larger than the circle. A punch that is smaller than the indent is placed over the circle and hammered on the end. This presses the metal into the indent and forms a dome. The metal often needs to be re-annealed and punched with smaller punches in smaller indents until the desired shape is achieved. It is just right when the circle of metal fits perfectly within the indent, coming just to the top, and fits firmly on the punch. Both the block and the punches are generally made of tool steel, but can be made of wood or brass. Wood does not thin the metal or leave marks, but it also does not last as long. The doming block can be a cube (with indents on all 6 sides) or a sheet (with indents only on the top in rows).