Intentional Stones

If at first you don't succeed

I work with a torch. This should raise a big old red flag.

And every time I make something each step increases the danger that something will go wrong that will damage the last step.

Last night, I was very excited. A commission that I am so happy to have seemed like it was just about done. The patron asked for a grandmother's ring and just as I originally was about to set the stones, she had a new addition to the family and wanted to add a final stone! So awesome!

But, here's the problem. Four bands, six delicate little settings, room for one more? Yes. Heat up the ring again?

Uh oh! First a setting came loose and I had to remove them all and start over again. Then I melted a ring band.

No worries. It's just metal. And the pieces I have to work the hardest for are the ones that come out the best. Every time.

Still, I had to walk away. It was the end of the day. Maybe I pushed too hard to get done and I got too careless. Maybe my torch was up too high. (Even with a larger piece than the usual, below you can see how very small these usually are. I am working with lots of bitty bits that can melt.)

 

Y'know what I did next?

I was completely childish. I turned the whole ruined thing into a lump of silver. I'm gonna forge it out into a small piece of sheet metal. Cuz I can.

See, the thing is, I bet I can start over fresh and get the whole thing done in a few hours. All this worrying and trying to fix things and then adding things has got me all riled up. Last night I dragged my husband out to see Cloud Atlas (I highly recommend it if you liked the Matrix), and got a really good night's sleep.

And now I have a clean canvas to start with on this ring and it will be better than ever.

I am so thankful for my patient customers and that my medium is forgiving and I can just start over again without losing anything.

Happy Monday Everyone!

-Simbelmynë

 

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Sawn

The tool I use second most has to be my jewelers saw, and it's certainly the first I use in most projects.  Generally speaking, I don't mill my own metal.  So I start with a sheet, tube or wire I've purchased.  So cutting is the first step. 

Flush cutters and shears work quickly, but they tend to leave compressed and sharp edges, these require lots of cleanup work.  A saw leaves a nicer edge.  It's flat and just needs a little bit of filing and sanding to create a finished look. 

I do all my sawing at my bench, against a bench pin- a piece of wood clamped onto the tabletop.  This gives me a solid surface to hold the piece still.  I keep a bit of melted candle next to my benchpin to wax the saw.  A little wax keeps the teeth from catching on the metal and reduces the friction to keep the saw blade from heating up.  Sawblades tend to snap- the smaller the quicker they break. 

Jewelers saws can hold blades of many different sizes.  The blades are tiny compared to a household coping saw, some are like fine wire.  The teeth are so small you have to run them over your finger to figure out which direction they're facing. 

You need to pay careful attention to the direction.  You want the teeth pointing "down" so that they catch on the downstroke as you cut the metal.  You place the blade into the saw on one side, tighten the screw and then brace the top of the saw against a solid surface, push gently to bring the arms a little closer together and place the other end of the blade in the other arm and tighten.  When you release the pressure, the saw will be taught. 

Sitting straight in front of the piece, you hold the saw perpendicular to the piece you're cutting.  This gives you the best chance at control and cutting exactly as you want.  You just move straight up and down and let the saw do all the work.  You really don't need to exert much pressure as you guide the blade.  I've heard that companies make saws with very stiff frames that can help make your cutting even more precise.

I like to rubber cement a pattern to the metal and follow the lines as I saw.  Sharpie or scribed lines work well too. 

One of the nice parts of this type of saw, you can drill holes and insert the blade before reattaching the saw blade to the frame.  The depth of the sawframe allows one to work a few inches deep into a sheet of metal. 

Saw Blades Guide: 16 gauge sheet metal (#2 saw blade), 18 gauge sheet metal (#1 saw blade), 20 gauge sheet metal (#1/0 saw blade), 24 gauge sheet metal (#4/0 saw blade), 26 gauge sheet metal (#6/0 saw blade), 28 gauge sheet metal (#8/0 saw blade), (reference from wikihow)

Of these, #2 is the largest, the numbers go down to 0 and then start at 1/0 and count up again for smaller and smaller sizes. 

I have a few favorites (the three above are 1/0, 4/0 and 7/0) I use fairly thin sheet most of the time  and I'll use a smaller blade than recommended to get into tiny corners to reduce filing.  The saw can create infinite shapes large and small.

After things are soldered down, it's easy to use the saw to trim excess sheet or bits that are too long to precisely the shape and length I want.

 

The saw makes jumprings that fit every time, wonderful pierced and lacy designs, and beautful bits to embellish anything. 

-Simbelmynë

Technique

It's hard for me to look at any technique simply.  It's probably the thing that's given me the hardest time in learning new skills.  I think about chain and I see a world of snake chains, diamond cut figaro chains and micro chain. 

Not every complex idea is a disaster.  I've talked at length about playing with woven chain. 

My approach is not entirely without success, it's just that heading at full speed into a careful and detailed task and lead to tears and frustration much of the time. 

This last year, I've been taking classes.  Forcing myself to slow down, ask for help when I really need it.  And it's been wonderful. 

And now that I have that time free, I'll be writing about it. 

Forging-Yes, after a couple of years of self teaching, I didn't realize that this title referenced a specific technique.

Sawing

Piercing

Hammer texturing

Soldering

Creating findings

Bezel setting

And then the more advanced techniques that these skills make possible

Intricate piercing

Chasing

Chain making

Marriage of Metals

Design of complete pieces of jewelry

Tube and hopefully more complex settings.

I am by no means an expert yet, and so I won't be posting complex how-to guides.  But I do hope I can share, and therefore reinforce for myself, the basic lessons I've learned. 

I cannot say for certain what the future will hold, but I do know that I've found work and art that inspires me and gives me real joy.  Thank you for letting me share with you.

-Simbelmynë