Jewelry Projects
ere proud to bring you 10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects, Volume 4 of the Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist. Mix metal with paper, fiber, ceramics, mechanical parts, resin, polymer even foodstuffs! to create jewelry that tells a personal story and is sure to inspire compliments! 10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects, Volume 4 of the Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, brings
you some of our favorite designs in this hot, hot, hot genre. Youll make earrings, pendants, pins, and a bracelet while learning to adapt a wide variety of materials to jewelry as you recycle found objects and interesting remnants. So pull out your stash of cool things that you havent been able to decide what to do with and lets put them into jewelry!
Editor-in-Chief
&
Managing Editor
10 Mixed Media
Metal & Paper or Fiber
Jewelry Projects
Felt Tassel & Silver Bracelet By Michele A. Friedman
Contents
Project by
Michele A. Friedman
Opening Photo: Hap Sakwa Project Photos: John Ames
have been designing and making jewelry since 1992. The focus was always metal. I had never incorporated any color in any material in my jewelry until I started exploring the possibility of using wool felt in my work. Whimsical and bright, the tassels were the first expression of my new direction. I knew I was on a very different path from the one I had been on when only working with mixed metals. Now, I combine metalsmithing skills with an alternative color choice: wool felt.
sawing
M a teri a l s
sweat soldering
too l s Flux
patina use
Liver-of-sulfur or other oxidizing agent Scotch Brite pad 220-grit sandpaper Pickle pot and pickle Torch with small or medium tip Soldering surface Soldering pick Soldering tweezers Oxidizing tweezers Copper sheet to act as heat sink if needed Tube cutting jig Saw frame
Hard and easy sheet solder Saw blades Scribe Straight edge Cutting surface Sharp scissors and rotary cutter Nippers Round, flat, and needle nose pliers Fine square/flat needle file
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Saw 9 sections of tubing, each approximately 3.5mm long. Sand outside of each section, leaving inside unsanded. Cut about 7 of mesh chain. Snip 10 sections of wire, each about 3/4 long. File one end flat on each. With rotary cutter, cut 3 1/8 wide x 1 1/4 long strips of felt for each tassel. Use straight
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edge and cutting surface for accuracy. Insert 23 paillons of easy sheet solder inside each section of tubing and heat until solder melts. Repeat for end caps. Pickle.
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{Photo 3} Use needle and flat nose pliers
to attach each eyepin to bracelet with medium jump rings. Place between tubing sections and end caps.
Tip
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{Photo 5} Make tassel by placing handmade eyepin through top of cone. Pierce and place felt strip on eyepin.
Pay careful attention to all parts of the piece and avoid overheating. Try using copper sheet to shield the piece and act as heat sink if needed.
Michele A. Friedman has been a self-employed metalsmith and jewelry designer since 1992. She has exhibited jewelry lines in art, design, and craft shows all over the country and is represented by galleries nationally. E-mail: mafdesign@hotmail.com Web: www.mafdesign.blogspot.com
PROJECT BY
Eleanore Macnish
Opening Photo: JIM LAWSON Project Photos: ELEANORE MACNISH
have had a love affair with the work of William Morris since attending an exhibit of it at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London many years ago. I remember just walking though it over and over. By the fourth or fifth walk-through, the security guards and I just nodded to one another hopefully they didnt think I was casing the joint! Many years later, I still love his designs and use prints of them in much of my work.
S K I L L S yo u n e e d
wirework
soldering
resin use
M ate r ia ls a n d To o ls yo u n e e d
M a teri a l s 30mm sterling silver bezel cup 14-gauge sterling wire: 6 length 14-gauge sterling wire jump ring hammered flat Sterling beaded wire: approx. 1 4
1
EZ solder Two part epoxy resin Popsicle stick and clean disposable plastic cup for mixing resin Paper towel TOOLS Hand tools: wire nippers, round nosed pliers, hammer, steel block Finishing tools: ammonia, water and liquid dish soap solution, soft bristled toothbrush, oxidizer or liver of sulfur, file or sandpaper
Soldering tools: flux, pickle, torch, nickel (5-cent piece) to use as soldering support, flex shaft cutting disk, chamois buffing wheel, polishing compound, level Optional tools: ring mandrel, circle template Resin tools: glass drinking cup, butane lighter S o u rces : Tools & Materials: Most of the tools and materials for this project will be available from well stocked jewelry supply vendors.
24 gauge bezel with a wall height of 2.30mm high: Rio Grande #950274, www.riogrande.com Resin: Rio Grande Colores Resin with Thin Hardener 1:1 ratio, www. riogrande.com. time it too k : 1 hour plus curing time is what it took me. I used a premade bezel both to cut down on time and to make it more accessible to beginners (Id say about 2 hours if you wanted to fabricate you own bezel).
6mm sterling bezel cup 6mm peridot cabochon Desired image (copied onto HP Glossy Photo Paper with HP ink jet ink other brands may also work) Glue stick or white craft glue
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file or sand the back of the bezel cup and wire bail to remove any oils or dirt. Flux.
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actual level and prepare the curing area before you pour the resin. With a glue stick or a thin layer of white glue, cover back of paper image and press into the bezel cup. Cover it with a paper towel and burnish with your fingertip to press out any bubbles. Covering the image with a paper towel prevents any moisture or oils from your fingers from smudging the image. Let it dry completely.batch. Mix glitter thoroughly into resin after each addition.
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{Photo 1} Shape the beaded sterling wire
into a circle that fits inside bezel so you can just drop the circle in. Solder the ends with EZ solder. Place it in the pickle.
easy option:
No Solder
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{Photo 8} Put a small amount of resin
(about size of a domed quarter) in the bezel. Pick up the pendant and swirl the resin around so that it touches all the inside edges of the bezel and completely covers the image. Replace the pendant on the curing surface and drop it in the beaded wire circle. Drop in the bezel-set peridot and position it where you want it to be. It is important to start with a small amount of resin because you will displace some resin by adding the beaded wire circle and the bezel set cab. You can always add more resin later initially, start with less than you think you will need. It is much easier than trying to clean up resin 2106152-SSBF-090521.pdf Processed by DG February 25, 2009 that oozes out the sides of the bezel!
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Using a butane lighter, lightly sweep the
flame over the surface of the resin to pop any bubbles. For this resin, there should be no bubbles; if there are bubbles, the lighter flame should take care of them.
You can buy premade bezels with pendant bails attached from most well-stocked craft stores and eliminate soldering altogether.
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Project by
Eleanore MacNish
Opening Photo: JIM LAWSON Project Photos: ELEANORE MACNISH
o make this pendant, you need to go on a scavenger hunt. Gather all sorts of earrings, vintage illustrations of cakes, and whatever you think might look good hanging from the bottom of your pendant. Good places to start hunting are a flea market or tag and yard sales. I gathered orphaned earrings, vintage jewelry, coins, tokens, and game pieces for my pendant.
fabrication
M a teri a l s Vintage pastry image Vintage rhinestone earring Vintage pearl drop 22-gauge sterling sheet 22-gauge sterling sheet: 2 12 x 12 for bail
bezel setting
soldering
Clear packing tape White craft glue T oo l s Layout tools: permanent marker, graph paper, tracing paper, spray adhesive, pencil Hand tools: saw frame, 2-0 saw blades, carbide tip scribe (or punch for dots), round nosed pliers, setting tools, hand shears, respirator mask, small hammer, container (larger than pendant and deeper than length of bail) filled with rice Soldering: torch and tips, third hand, solder (hard and extra EZ, low temp paste solder), flux Finishing tools: flex shaft, chamois buffing wheel, polishing compound Additional tools: drill bit for 16-gauge wire
Fine silver bezel wire deep enough to hold image and resin
1 5
{Photo 1} Lay out objects and play
around with composition.
2 6
3 7
My pendant is made up of 3 pieces of metal. I soldered the bezels onto the frontfacing silver sheet with EZ solder, and then soldered the bail and the back curlicue with low temperature paste solder.
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{Photo 6} Trace design for each metal
piece on a half sheet of tracing paper. Spray 22ga sterling sheet with adhesive, apply tracing paper drawing to adhesive, let dry.
{Photo 4} Fit bezels for rhinestone earring and cake illustration. Use pliers to conform bezel to outlines. Make bezels a bit larger than components.
{Photo 8} Solder bezels to front of cutout with easy. Pickle, rinse. On back of cutout, lightly flux bail and curlicue panel. Apply small amount of low temperature paste solder. Support piece as needed. Solder, pickle, rinse, dry.
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Using a marker, dot where you want a border. Punch dots using a carbide tip and small hammer. Remove marker with methyl alcohol or nail polish remover. Oxidize piece as desired. Polish with chamois buffing wheel and compound. Soak in ammonia solution and scrub with soft bristled toothbrush. Rinse and dry completely. Set earring in bezel.
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Soldering Setups
You will probably need to use solder supports to get everything to set up correctly. I use nickels and a third hand to support the different levels of my pieces before I solder.
ELEANORE MACNISH is a glass beadmaker and silversmith living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has been making glass beads for 9 years and doing silverwork for 1 12 years. Visit www. emacnish.com to see more of her work.
When you prepare paper for resin, it is very important to seal the paper including the edges! If you do not seal the paper the resin will turn the paper translucent. If you miss a couple of spots, the paper will act like a wick and pull resin into its fibers. Sometimes, I like the effect of a little bit of resin bleeding into the image because it adds to the aged look, however, if its important that the image be consistent, you must seal it completely!
Here, the left side of the sheet music was sealed and the right side was not sealed. It makes a gigantic difference!
When I seal paper for resin, I sandwich it between 2 pieces of clear packing tape, cut the image out of the tape and spread glue around the edges. If the image is too large to be covered by the tape, I brush both sides with white glue, let it dry, and then cut out the image and seal the edges with glue. It is neces- sary to seal any paper product vintage or contemporary.
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project by
Shoshana Farber
Opening Photo: Jim Lawson Project Photos: Shoshana Farber
y miniature frames can be incorporated into virtually any piece of jewelry, or made into personalized cufflinks. The double-sided frame will hold up to two photos or artwork which can be removed and replaced as desired. Pay close attention to the exact thickness of the required sheet this will result in a precise and snug fit.
Cufflink
design option
If making cufflinks, the back of the piece must remain solid. Finding components can be soldered directly onto the solid backs of the frames.
basic fabrication
Materials Sterling sheet; at least 16mm x 16mm, 0.9mm thick Sterling sheet; at least 20mm x 40mm, 0.7mm thick Scrap copper or brass sheet: at least 11.5mm x 30mm, exactly 0.9mm thick tools Soldering brick; torch; hard solder; flux; titanium soldering pick Jewelers saw; blades; wax Calipers
sweat soldering
Large metal file; small needle files Emery paper; flat thin wooden stick (such as a coffee stirrer) 1mm drill bit Fabric containing metallic fiber weave or steel mesh Rolling mill Sterling findings of your choice (jump rings, bail, cufflink components, chain) Polishing compounds: Greystar and rouge Soft bristle brush mandrels for Foredom; cotton buffs Computer; digital images; Adobe Photoshop or other imaging software Printer; sheet of photo paper 8 mil thick (not millimeters) Small sheet Mylar, at least 25mm x 25mm, 4 mil thick (0.1mm) Japanese or decorative papers or miniature drawings
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5
{Photo 2} Saw out center of threelegged square, being sure to cut along the inside of scribed line. File inside edges completely level and ensure corners are square. Saw along outside lines of square, cutting out three-legged shape from sheet. This will be inside layer of frame.
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Framing Tip
It may be easier to mark your lines along the inside of the frame by scribing them 1mm from the inner edges. If you like, trace the scribed lines with pen.
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{Photo 1} Square off corner of 0.9mm
thick silver sheet. Use calipers to mark off a parallel line exactly 2mm from one side of corner. Mark off lines exactly 14mm from both sides of corner. Finally, mark off lines exactly 16mm from both sides of corner. If you like, go over lines with a thin pen.
fabric of your choice. Ensure metallic thread runs horizontally or parallel to edge you are feeding through rolling mill. If using steel mesh, place wrapped piece between two small brass plates to protect rollers.
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Polish piece before attaching chain. Apply polishing compounds to textured metal with soft bristle brush so pattern doesnt wear away. Use cotton buffs for sides.
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{Photo 8} Sweat-solder another frame
and roller-print another square for other side of piece. File and sand outside edges. Position piece so window faces up.
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sand edges of both windows smooth and level. Cut a flat, 0.9mm thick copper or brass rectangular strip 30mm x 11.5mm. Insert strip into side groove of completed frame. If needed, use rolling mill to reduce thickness gradually until the strip slides in. With rawhide mallet, gently tap each side of frame and along protruding end of brass strip to ensure that inner grooves are aligned. Attach findings or jump rings of your choice. Inner frame layer will accommodate a drill hole up to 2mm centerpunch exactly 1mm from side of piece.
Using Adobe Photoshop, crop or alter selected high resolution images. Resize to 11mm x 11mm, or cut decorative paper squares or drawings to this size. Cut two 11mm x 11mm squares of Mylar. Sandwich photos between Mylar sheets. Slide image sandwich into frames side groove, being sure to push inserts straight to back of frame.
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Project by
ELEANORE MACNISH
Opening Photo: JIM LAWSON Project Photos: ELEANORE MACNISH
y friend Lucille wears four pieces of jewelry 90% of the time. The same pieces every day when youre standing behind her, you know its her just by looking at the clasp on her necklace. She loves those four pieces and they look fabulous on her so more power to her! However, having this kind of friend makes the whole giftgiving thing rather difficult when making jewelry is what you do. My solution? I made her a pendant and put it on a key ring to disguise its true nature. I also stamped a bunch of wrong information on the silver card purely by accident (if you knew me, youd know thats not uncommon), which I discovered when another friend was looking at the piece with a befuddled look on her face. The accident made the whole situation really funny. Shut up! You are not 50!!! the message says and shes not, because the gift was for her 53rd birthday. Id even been at her 50th birthday party and all of the ones after it! I did have the best of intentions, though and luckily, Lucille loves the piece, so I consider it a success.
fabrication
M A T E R I AL S Vintage ruler Vintage typewriter key (preferably with tabs on the back) 22-gauge sterling sheet Small scrap of 20-gauge sterling sheet Silver bezel wire tall enough to clear surface of ruler and typewriter key 14-gauge sterling dead soft wire; approximately 1 12 long 14-gauge sterling jump ring 22-gauge sterling sheet, 1 x 2 22-gauge sterling disk, 34
soldering
Solder Hard, EZ, and Extra EZ Flux Ammonia, water, and liquid soap solution Toothbrush Oxidizer or liver of sulfur TOOLS Carbide tip scribe Setting tools Hand shears for cutting bezel wire and gallery wire Chamois buffing wheel Polishing compound Third hand
Drill bit for 14-gauge sterling wire Vise; rawhide mallet or flat jawed pliers Drill bit to countersink hole for 14-gauge wire Small woodcarving chisel or razor blade mounted in a handle 2-0 saw blades Permanent marker Saw frame Rectangular joint-edge file Letter stamps for message tag Files and sandpaper for Torch smoothing metal before polishing Round nosed pliers
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{Photo 1} Cut length of ruler. With permanent marker, mark edges of ruler on 22ga sheet.
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{Photo 4} Place bent arrow on ruler and
slide along edge until you arrive at place you want arrow to point. With permanent marker, outline tab on back and mark where shaft lies on edge of ruler. Chisel out tab outline. Carve a little at a time and verify fit often by setting tab into niche. Tab should be flush with surface of ruler.
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Clean Corners
I use a vise and rawhide mallet to hammer the shaft of the arrow down for a clean corner, but you can also use flat jawed or conforming pliers.
Message Tag
Cut the tag out of 22ga sheet. Ensure it is a little bit smaller than the pendant. Use letter stamps for the message, annealing the metal prior to stamping it if necessary. Stamp on a steel block for the cleanest impression and to keep the tag flat.
Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
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{Photo 7} Solder ruler bezel to
cut out sheet with EZ solder.
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drilled holes much like making a countersink for a screw. Assemble piece by attaching 14ga jump ring to drilled hole in top of pendant (and message card if you made one). Solder jump ring with Extra EZ solder using a third hand to hold jump ring. File and smooth all silver cutouts and 14ga components, oxidize, rinse, and polish using chamois buff and compound. Rinse in ammonia/water/soap solution and scrub with soft toothbrush. Fit arrow into filed notch on ruler. Lay arrow and ruler into bezel; set. Lay letter, plastic lens, and steel
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rim of typewriter key into bezel. Verify letter is in proper position related to soldered wire on back of disk. Set key into bezel. Using round nosed pliers, bend 14ga wire on back of disk into a hairpin loop: curved loop on top where it hangs on the pendant, and straight from there on. Slide type key charm into hole at bottom of pendant.
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Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
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PROJECT BY
Julie Jerman-Melka
Opening Photo: JIM LAWSON Project Photos: JULIE JERMAN-MELKA
enjoy the challenge of working with found objects and incorporating them into a wearable piece of jewelry. If youre like me, you probably have fond memories of enjoying a special dinner with family or friends, using the good china, or maybe enjoying a cup of afternoon tea from vintage tea cups. Inevitably, a piece of china or one of the prized teacups accidentally breaks, and its painful to just throw the shards
S K I L L S yo u n e e d
soldering
into the trash. In this simple project, Ill show you how to recycle the broken shards and make a simple brooch, perhaps reminding you of one of those special times with friends and family. Instead of using a commercial finding for this piece, I decided to make my own pin mechanism. Its easy to execute and gives the piece a simple, handcrafted elegance with an extra personal touch.
M ate r ia ls a n d To o ls yo u n e e d
M a teri a l s Pottery shard 22-gauge sterling sheet: 2" x 1 1/2" 22-gauge brass sheet: 2" x 1 1/4" 28-gauge sterling bezel wire: 5mm height x 6" 20-gauge round sterling wire: 6" 18-gauge round nickel wire: 4" One 7mm half-drilled button pearl #65 Drill bit Hard and medium solder Texture to roller print (texture paper) 330 epoxy Liver of sulfur Ammonia T oo l s Soldering tools: torch, solder pick, Solderite pad 6" x 6", pickle pot with pickle, copper tongs, cross locking tweezers Hand tools: metal shears, wire cutter, saw frame, saw blades, beeswax or Bur Life, bench pin, 6" half round file, needle files, 2 1/2" bent steel burnisher Other tools: rolling mill, buffing machine, dust mask, safety eyewear, Sharpie, Fabulustre or buffing compound, 4" muslin buff, flex shaft
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1 5
{Photo 1} Select pottery shard.
2 6
3 7
The shard Ive chosen is 3/4" x 1 1/4", so all of my measurements are based on using a piece of pottery about this size.
{Photo 4} Make bezel for pottery shard using flat nose pliers. Solder bezel together using hard. Pickle bezel until clean. File any excess solder on seam. Rub bezel on sandpaper to clean bottom edge.
Tips on Supplies
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If you dont have a rolling mill, you can purchase embossed metal sheets from Metalliferous: www. metalliferous.com, 888-944-0909, or David H. Fell: www.dhfco.com, 800-822-1996. I prefer using Fabulustre buffing compound because it gives me a lustrous finish and I dont need to prefinish. It contains a cutting and a polishing compound in one bar. Texture paper is handmade paper and can be found at art supply stores. Look for paper that contains elements embedded in the paper, which will give your piece a more interesting texture.
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9 10 11 14
machine to desired polish. Clean off buffing compound using weak solution of sudsy ammonia mixed with water and a soft toothbrush. Rinse piece under warm water and dry with soft cloth. Dissolve a pea size piece of liver of sulfur in a cup of warm water.
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This is also a good time to stamp the back of the piece with a sterling stamp and your personal makers stamp if you have one.
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{Photo 10} Curl wire for pin stem with
round nose pliers twice to create tension for mechanism. End of pin should extend slightly beyond catch. Snip end if too long, then file, sand, and polish.
Setting Tips
n
Your pottery shard may have an irregular top surface, so you will have to file the bezel to the proper height in order to have a bezel that is visually pleasing. Place the pottery shard in the bezel and file the bezel to match the edge of the shard, making sure to have the bezel extend beyond the shard. I start with pushing the bezel over on the side of the corner first, and then proceed around the shard.
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Project by
Sprinkle Earrings
Sweet little treats make a speedy gift
Eleanore Macnish
Opening Photo: JIM LAWSON Project Photos: ELEANORE MACNISH
hile doing my resin research I embedded everything I could think of! At an estate sale, I spied some cake decorations in a cabinet and thought, Hey! I wonder if I could put those sprinkles in resin! Before I tried it, I didnt think it would work: I thought the resin would degrade the color coating on the candy, but I was wrong it worked beautifully! These earrings make great gifts. They take about 20 minutes to make and 15 minutes to cure. They are exceedingly happy, bright, and truly sweet. Youll need to work on a sunny day, at least if you use the same UV resin I did, as it needs to cure in the sun. If you choose traditional two-part epoxy resin, you can work on a cloudy day, too.
soldering
EZ solder Resin
basic fabrication
Ammonia, water, and liquid dish soap solution Oxidizer or liver of sulfur Tacky clay Pen
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1 4
wire. File ends smooth.
2 5 3
While youre twisting, make sure you keep the wire straight. Five or 6 rotations are usually sufficient.
Lightly sand back of bezel cups and wire to remove any oils or dirt.
If youre using two-part epoxy, follow the manufacturers instructions very carefully with regard to mixing or youll end up with a sticky mess that will never harden. I use a one-part epoxy UV resin that comes in a bottle and is ready to go.
{Photo 7} Apply resin. Wait a few seconds to see if air bubbles surface. When bubbles rise, wave flame of lighter close to resin surface to pop them.
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Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4
9
10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects
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Project by
ROBERT DANCIK
Project Photos: JIMLAWSON
aux Bone is a new material for artists that is easy to use, affordable, and nontoxic. In this project, I used Faux Bone with sterling silver, pearls, and a Chinese carnelian bead. Owing to its basic indestructibility, all riveting, drilling, stamping, electric etching, and hammering can be done without fear of chipping or cracking and without the use of heat or special treatment. This material can be left pure white, or pigment can be rubbed into stampings or scratchings and finished with a bit of shoe polish for a bonelike look and feel. Faux Bone invites experimentation and play its possibilities are as endless as your imagination.
fabrication
M A T E R I AL S Faux Bone
drilling
TOOLS
riveting
O ption a l Electric etcher Triangular scraper Checkering file
1
22-gauge sterling sheet approximately 1 x 2 1 2 (textured or not) 13-15 18-gauge round sterling silver wire Freshwater pearls (or other beads, pearls, stones, etc.) 6mm round bead (or similar) Acrylic paint or similar Brown (or other color) shoe polish Masking tape or similar Cyanoacrylate glue
8 drill bit
Countersink bit
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4
{Photo 1} Draw a 21/4 x 11/2 oval on sheet
of Faux Bone.
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down, and 3/8 to the right of the oval centerline with silver on the left.
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vise vertically with edge of oval facing up. Locate drill bit on edge, in line with guideline passing over bead hole. Drill slowly through edge into bead hole and across into other side of bead hole, keeping drill turning as you retract it.
To make a nice, sharp point on the pin stem, file a shallow V groove into one leg of the bench pin or into a block of wood. The groove should start perpendicular to the edge of the block and be as deep as the thickness of the wire, tapering away from the edge. The groove should taper to flush with the block surface about 1 in from the edge. If the flattened end of the finished pin stem wire is too wide to fit in its hole, file a bit from each edge of the flat end so that it can just be forced into the hole. It is very important to keep it flat to prevent it from spinning in the hole.
To use the groove, place the wire in it with the end almost at the shallow end of the groove. Using a medium file, position it over the wire and flush with the surface of the wood. File the end of the wire as you turn it taking off a bit of the end of the wire all the way around. Bring it to a point. When filed evenly, progress through the sanding grits to 600 and polish on a buff with compound, or by hand with a buffing stick to prevent the pin stem from snagging on the fibers of clothing.
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{Photo 7} Hold bead so hole is in line
with wire hole. Insert wire through side of oval, through bead, and into other side of hole. Measure trim amount for ball to seat in well, retract wire, and trim accordingly. Set bead and wire aside. Hammer texture into silver, if desired. Anneal if needed. Quench, pickle, and dry.
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Position strip on face of oval and secure with tape. Mark silver strip with locations of rivets. Remove strip and drill holes with #60 drill bit. Replace strip on face of oval. Tape into position.
Cut 8 lengths of 18ga wire, each 3/4 long. Ball one end of each wire with torch by holding each wire vertically at the top end in crosslock tweezers. Dip end to be balled into paste flux. Heat wire about 1/8 above bottom end with torch. Flame should be small and pulled away as soon as metal begins to ball up wire. Quench, pickle, and brass-brush wires. Set aside. Cut 18ga wire 2 long for pin stem. With hammer, flatten one end to about 1/4. File tapered point on other end. With round nosed pliers, grasp wire 1/4 above flattened end and wrap long end around pliers tip 1/4 turns. Wire should point at 90 angle to flattened end. Set aside. Cut 18ga wire to 3/4 for catch. With hammer, flatten one end to about 1/4. Grasp nonflattened end and twist to form a number 9 shape. Offset end of wire until it looks like beginning of a spiral.
Riveting tips
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Its important to plan the placement of the rivets to hold the silver strip and the pins to secure the pearls so that they dont intersect. Start by deciding were the rivets will go to hold the silver, keeping in mind that you will need at least 3 rivets one at each end and one in the middle. You may want to use more for design purposes, but 3 is the minimum.
When positioning the silver strip on the oval for riveting, it is important to drill only one hole at a time and insert the wires before drilling the next hole, because positioning the parts is nearly impossible unless the wires are inserted one at a time.
to 1/2 from each end to position pin stem and catch. Use #54 drill to drill hole at each mark. Holes should be 1/8- 3/32 deep. Insert flat end of pin stem into hole near top of piece, filing edges as needed for fit. Dip flat end into glue and insert into hole with pin stem lined up with centerline of the oval. Repeat for catch.
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Alternate Designs
The versatility and ease of using Faux Bone allows for many design possibilities
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{Photo 12} Position strip on oval by lining up rivet holes. Insert all wires into their holes; secure with tape. Trim protruding wire to about 1mm above surface on back of oval. Square end of wire with file. Rivet in place with round faced hammer. Rivet will fill countersunk well. Repeat with remaining rivet wires.
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sunk wells. Squeeze out a small bead of glue. Retract each wire, dip end into glue, and reinsert wire into oval. Using tip of craft knife blade or thin wire, place small amount of glue inside hole for bead wire. Insert wire through edge of oval, through bead, and into glue of inside hole. Tap balled end of wire to seat into well in edge of oval. Give piece final buffing.
Fabrication Tips
n
I usually cut a smaller piece of Faux Bone from the larger sheet for ease of handling. One way of creating an oval is to use a bracelet (usually about 212 in diameter) or something similar as a template to trace the two sides of the oval. Draw a line 214 long and place the bracelet atop the line; slide it until the inside edge of the bracelet intersects the ends of the line. Trace the inside curve of the bracelet and repeat for the other side of the oval. Any bead or other object can be inserted into the hole in the oval using the same wiring process. The only difference lies in the size of the hole and its location on the oval.
Depending on the curve of the oval, it may be easier to sand the outside edge of the silver strip after it is attached to the oval. The silver strip may be pickled and brass-brushed or oxidized in liver of sulfur prior to riveting it to the Faux Bone. The sandpaper used is for wet sanding all sanding should be done with lots of water. If the holes in the pearls or beads or whatever you are using are too small for 18ga wire, it may also be necessary to redrill them with a #60 drill bit. If so, hold the pearls in padded pliers, and use a lubricant such as Bur Life on the bit while drilling. To ensure that you dont drill too deeply, wrap a piece of tape at the proper distance from the end of the drill bit and drill just until the tape touches the surface.
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To protect the surface of the oval, you may want to cover it with masking tape to prevent scratches.
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There are an almost infinite number of surface treatments for the Faux Bone oval. The project piece is scratched with a scribe, etched with an electric etcher, stamped cold with metal stamps, and has parallel lines made with a checkering file. To affect a final polish on the surface, turn the 600-grit sandpaper over to the paper side and rub vigorously until it takes on a soft sheen. Fine hairline cracks and age lines are put in by drawing the sharp edge of a craft-knife blade over the surface with no pressure except for the weight of the knife. These will be further revealed when the piece is rubbed with a bit of brown shoe polish the last step in the finishing. Allow the polish to set for an hour or so and then rub vigorously with a soft cloth or buff it with a clean, unsewn muslin wheel on a flex shaft or polishing machine.
If small burrs are raised on the surface of the piece, you may wish to leave them, or sand with 600-grit sandpaper until smooth. To color the piece, rub with acrylic paints, which are allowed to dry, then sand once more to remove as much of the paint as desired.
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Discover in-depth explanations on using materials and applying techniques See innovative designs that stimulate your creativity Find a new design challenge Explore the creative secrets from master artisans Learn about cool tools and add to your store of hip tips
Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4
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PROJECT BY
friends new pendant immediately caught our eye. At first glance we thought it was a piece of enamel but then she explained that she had recently created it in a resin workshop. She had added some glitter to the resin to create the enamel effect. We were so intrigued that we had to give it a try. Working with resin wasnt as easy as wed initially thought. We experimented with several resin systems and colorants before deciding on this project, a pair of earrings that give the impression of plique--jour enamel (open on both sides), using transparent resin in place of enamel. The resin holds the wire design in place once it cures. The addition of fine glitter creates a stained glass effect with the open back letting the light shine through. Best of all, no kilns necessary!
S K I L L S yo u n e e d
fabrication
soldering
resin
M ate r ia ls a n d To o ls yo u n e e d
M a teri a l s 24-gauge sterling silver strip: .020 x .125 28-gauge fine silver bezel wire: .013 x .125 Sterling silver seamless tubing: .188 OD x .156 ID 18-gauge sterling silver round wire Double-sided carpet tape Five-minute, two-part epoxy
ICE Resin and Hardener (we chose this product because of its ability to produce a glistening dome finish) Assorted colors of fine glitter Renaissance Wax TOOLS Hand tools: assorted pliers; assorted files, jewelers gram scale, tube cutting jig; jewelers saw and blades, flush cutter, cup bur
Layout tools: pencil, paper Finishing tools: beeswax, vibratory tumbler Other tools: disposable mixing cups, spatula, micro-spatula, eye dropper, wooden toothpicks, acetone Soldering tools: torch and tips, striker, flux, easy solder, soldering block, quench and pickle
S o u rces : Tools & Materials: Most of the tools and materials for this project will be available from well stocked jewelry supply vendors. ICE Resin: www.objectsand elements.com
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{Photo 4} Use tube cutting jig to cut four
.125" lengths of sterling silver tubing.
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{Photo 8} Mix resin with spatula
for two minutes per manufacturers recommendation. Because we wanted our earrings to match, we mixed a batch large enough so that we could fill comparable partitions in both earrings in one application.
Two tubing lengths will create the openings for the ear wires; the second set to create 2 teardrop shapes which we formed with our small needle-nose pliers.
{Photo 9} Add glitter in small amounts {Photo 5} Mix up small batch of fiveminute, two-part epoxy to secure each intersection with outer frame. Apply epoxy to each joint with tip of wooden toothpick, then place assemblies under work lamp to allow a proper cure. using a micro-spatula. Add glitter in several small batches, rather than adding too much to avoid having to mix up another batch. Mix glitter thoroughly into resin after each addition.
Once we agreed on our design, we used tracing paper to create our pattern.
Tip
Success with resin is dependant upon careful measurement. You must be sure the proportions of resin and catalyst are mixed according to the package directions, and that molds, mixing implements, and inclusions are clean, dry, and free of potential contaminants.
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{Photo 10} Using dropper, add each batch
of resin in appropriate cavities. Fill cavities only 3/4 full to allow for final doming layer of clear resin. Clean eye dropper with acetone between each resin batch.
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temperature for one hour, and then place under work light for 24 hours. Remove from light and allow to cool to room temperature before removing tape from back.
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Before attaching earrings to wires, apply a coat of Renaissance Wax to protect resin surface.
of both metalsmithing and lapidary, are members of The Florida Society of Goldsmiths and The Central FloridaMineral & GemSociety, and have been Contributing Editors for this magazine for 7 years.
Riveting!
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PROJECT BY
ur design, called Alchemic Synthesis, combines cloisonn enamel with textured 22K gold sheet, metal clay, the design and creation of custom etching plates, keumboo, and setting faceted and cabochon gemstones. It was created to explore and combine several advanced and specialized jewelry making techniques into a beautiful but challenging piece. First, well create the etching plates, etch them, and create the textured metal clay pendant backing. After firing, well use the tear away technique developed by Celie Fago for metal clay surface design to transfer the same texture to gold. Our original designs for the etching and tear-away plates were developed on the computer, and we used Adobe Illustrator to create positive and negative images, but you could use any imaging software to do the same thing. The etching plates were used to impress patterns on the PMC base. Additional texture was achieved by traditional roll printing in a mill. Then, well create the cloisonn, fabricate the pendant, and create the handmade chain for the necklace. We like the way the colorful cloisonn enameling enhances the overall design.
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S K I L L S yo u n e e d
fabrication
stone setting
enameling
etching
TOOLS
M ate r ia ls a n d To o ls yo u n e e d
M A T E R I AL S 22K gold sheet: .012" to 1/4" high 18-gauge round 22K gold wire 24K gold foil for keumboo 22K gold sheet: .013" 19-gauge fine silver sheet 20-gauge fine silver sheet 12-gauge brass sheet: 3" x 5" 18-gauge round fine silver wire Fine silver PMC PMC+ Clay Sculpey III Polymer Clay 24K gold cloisonn wire 18K gold solder 14K gold solder Medium silver solder Ferric chloride Mineral spirits, paper towels
Hand tools: calipers, oval mandrel, round nose pliers, bezel pusher, burnisher Other tools: rolling mill, ThermoFax thermal copier, photo silk screen and resist, silk screen plastic frame, computer with imaging software, bookbinding press, 2 pressed wood boards (MDF) Metal clay tools: plastic roller for PMC, Teflon sheet, pin tool, oval template, distilled water in spray bottle, textured etching plates
Two 6mm cabochon stones One 8mm x 10mm faceted stone: about 3 carats
1
{Photo 1} Plan design using Illustrator
or other computer drawing program.
2
parts of design.
Positive plate
Negative plate
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4 8
5 9
{Photo 4} Place printed image under
presensitized thermal screen, sandwiched between backing paper and transparency film. Run through Thermo-Fax thermal copier.
6 10
The image is transferred to the brass plate as the acid resist passes through the silk of the open areas of the mask. Youll need to create another mask and frame to create a negative image plate by following the same procedure.
7 11
Etching times may vary depending upon the complexity of the design. Check plate every hour. Our plates took 6 hours to etch fully. Rinse plates under running water for several minutes to wash away etchant. Neutralize plates from any lingering etchant in a solution of baking soda and water and dry.
The uncut areas of the stencil prevent ink from passing through the screen, and the open areas of the stencil allow the ink to pass through the screen onto whatever surface lies below the frame.
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for PMC +. Our design is 14 cards thick.
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14 18
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(Photo 11} Roll PMC to desired thickness. {Photo 19} Create a tear away texture
plate. Anneal 22K gold sheet and then pickle in Sparex acid. Roll print tear-away design onto annealed and pickled 22K gold sheet. Clay paper can be used only once for this procedure. You can roll any texture onto the gold sheet, but if youd like the patterns to match exactly, the tear away technique is the best method for achieving this.
fine silver sheet through rolling mill. Saw out design using tracing paper pattern as guide. Clean textured silver with Comet cleanser and toothbrush to remove all grease. Rinse and dry well. Spray 50/50 solution of Klyr-Fire and distilled water on back of piece. Carefully sift Soyer Enamels #3 flux on back. Repeat twice.
{Photo 14} Place boards in center of bookbinding press to achieve even pressure. If you dont have a bookbinding press, you can carefully roll the sandwiched clay and plates between the wood boards after inserting risers of the desired thickness on either side of the plates and clay. A wooden rolling pin will work for this method.
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22 26
{Photo 26} Adhere wooden dowel to
reverse side of enamel using dop wax. Sand underwater, starting with 220 wet-dry sandpaper and progressing to 1,000 grit.
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{Photo 28} Anneal fine silver wire. Insert one end of 18ga round wire in vise, the other around 7/8" wooden dowel. Wind wire tightly and keep even tension. Remove from dowel and anneal. Place back on dowel and tighten.
The back of the pendant is embellished with 2 citrine cabochons and finished with keumboo and liver of sulfur patination.
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scissors.
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{Photo 29} Cut links using Joyce Chen
As visible in the final piece, 18ga 22K gold and fine silver links may be interspersed throughout the chain.
{Photo 33} Bend links in U shape. {Photo 34} Place 3/32" dowel upright
in vise. Slip one link over dowel. Joint should be on small looped end. Place 3 /32" dowel perpendicular to other dowel. Pinch link between 2 dowels vertically and horizontally with round nose pliers.
ALDERDICE & MANSFIELD are collaborating art jewelers who design and fabricate classical and cross-cultural one of a kind and limited edition pieces in 22K and 24K gold, fine silver, gemstones, pearls, and enamels. They are inspired by world culture and their classical education at the Kulicke-Stark Academy of Jewelry is reflected in their work.
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