Handcrafted Jewellery - Blogg
Silversmithing Techniques and Tips
9th - 16th April 08
 I
have put all the butterflies in the tumbling machine to make them
all shiny and new. I am then going to drill holes in them and etch
patterns on them.
After a long break from college my butterfly charm
bracelet is really starting to come together.
At home I cut out some more butterflies, so in total
I now have ten, of varying sizes.
I created some ovals out of 1.5mm thick silver wire,
to attach the large bracelet circles together. To create an oval
you have to firstly make a normal circle the size you want. Then
solder the ends together and then get some round nose pliers and
pull them apart till you get the desired shape.
I then decided I wanted the ovals to be flat, so I
ran them through the rolling machine. It is impoartant to do this
when they are soldered, because if you don’t the ovals or
circles will be misshapen.
 I
then have to cut these ovals again where they were soldered using
a saw, attach the large rings to each one where I want them, and
re-solder them. If you use quite a lot of solder the first time
you solder these ovals you should only have to reapply the flux
to re-solder them. In theory this should work, but I found in practice
it is not that simple. You may need to use a piece if wire or an
implement, to move some of the solder across to the join, where
you need it, when it is hot. Although I found that I did have to
use a little more solder. Be careful because if you heat the rings
too much they will start distorting and look a mess.
If you struggle to balance the solder on top of the
rings, just apply the flux and whilst it is still wet drop the solder
on top. Or put some wet flux onto the solder to help it stick The
wet flux will help keep the solder in place.
 I
really love the end result - the contrast between the large thick
circles and thin flat ovals looks great!
I intend to attach the butterflies using smaller jump rings to the
bracelet. I am not sure what I am going to do to the butterflies,
but I don't want to just leave them as they are because they look
rather plain and un-inspiring. I might enamel them, or etch detail
and patterns on them. I haven't decided yet. I also want to ask
the advice of my silversmithing tutor, because she can tell me the
best way to do this, as a beginner. I don't want to try something
that takes a lot of skill and practice at this stage, because I
will probably just end up messing them up!
27th March 08
Today I finished off the large rings form my bracelet.
I filled them so they were smooth and had no bits of solder etc
left on them. I also put some butterfly stickers onto a piece of
card and cut them out. I then drew round each on on my silver and
cut the shapes out. My intention is to create a butterfly charm
bracelet.
Cutting Out using a Jewellers Saw Frame
It is quite time consuming cutting out shapes in this
way. Using a jewellers saw frame and blades. To load the blades
in the saw, you need to make sure the blade is facing upwards and
that it cuts on the down stroke. So if you run your finger along
the blade (carefully!) it should catch as you run it down.
The blade needs to be tight, because if its not then you will struggle
and the blade will break easily. I am getting quite good at cutting
out using a jewellers saw. Practice makes perfect!
I also put my large rings into the tumbling machine
to get them shiny again. I need to make some smaller jump rings
to connect up the larger ones for the bracelet.
5th March 08
 Today
I spent all afternoon cutting out shapes. Butterflies and a sea
horse.
My partner is mad about sea horses and I am making
a necklace for him. I found a sticker of a sea horse and stuck it
to some card. I cut it out and drew round it onto the silver. It
took me about three quarters of an hour just to cut the sea horse
out! But it looks brill and my partner loves it!
27th Feb 08
Jewellery making
- Today I shaped thick silver wire into jump rings and soldered
them.
Soldering
 When
soldering silver you need flux, solder and a soldering torch. Depending
on if you want to solder the same piece of silver more than once
you use hard solder, if you just wish to solder once use easy solder.
I wanted to solder a simple rings, but this wont be the only time,
so I used hard solder. I cut the solder into tiny pieces, made the
ring ends but-up to each other as best I could, painted the flux
on the join and placed the solder on top. Then using the soldering
torch point a fierce flame at the join, firstly the flux will bubble
and then you need to wait until all the flux has melted into the
join and dispersed well.
TIP: If you place the solder under the jump ring,
as long as it is touching the metal, you can solder this way. Instead
of spending hours trying to balance the solder on top.
 I
then proceeded to dunk them in the acid solution at college to clean
the jump rings, left them in for about 10 minutes. Then dry them
off and file off any reside, lumps, etc. Use the tumbling machine
to smooth it off and give it shine.
I used very thick silver wire for these jump rings, which I found
very hard to bend and shape. Firstly I has to anneal the metal.
This means to heat up the silver until it glows red hot. This makes
the silver easier to bend and twist. It is also very difficult not
to mark the silver you are working with. I used a duster in the
vice and with pliers so I didn't make any unnecessary marks on the
silver. Also use pliers without teeth.
I wrapped a paper towel round a mandrill and then using the vice,
pliers and duster shaped the silver round the mandrill in a spiral.
Then using the saw cut across each ring. Make sure the cut is straight
so it butts-up easier. If you have straight edges that but-up perfectly
it will be easier to solder, and will look much better when finished.
Using pliers, the vice and a leather hammer I shaped the silver
rings so the ends come together.
|
