The process of fold forming is a rather time intensive one- It involves repeatedly heating the metal up till it is glowing, quenching it in cold water, and then folding, hammering, or forming it. The metal has to be heated up regularly or else cracks can form. At the end, all the folds are hammered back out, still heating repeatedly. This leaves for a once again flat sheet, but now one with raised lines and areas. The process is controlled; however, the metal has a lot to do with the finished product. It is important that the smith knows her metal well, and becomes almost a collaboration between material and artist.
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