lucky clover

A pretty easy project really .All you need is your saw ,paper ,metal sheet ,patina , hole punch pliers ,chain and jump ring .
Draw your glover leaf onto paper and stick that on the metal sheet .When I make something simple like that I use 18 gauge sterling silver. 20 gauge is too thin in my opinion .I know a lot use 20 or 22 gauge as the cost is much lower. After transferring your design onto the sheet simply start cutting with the jewelry saw. File your edges . add patina ( for polishing you can use sand paper or steel wool )
punch a hole add your jump ring and voila . done. I added mine to the guitar i made the previous day,



if you are interested . I have a shop

www.nicilaskin.etsy.com

Flaming guitar pick

Rock and Roll Baby ………….

sterling guitar pick pendant with brass flames

the reason – just because I wanted to and I can

I cut out some equal sized guitar picks

one in 20 gauge sterling and one in 20 gauge brass ( copper or bronze will work too ) I filed the edges round with a number 2 file ( pretty fine )

draw your flames onto the brass pick and start cutting with a jewelry saw and 1/0 saw blades

flux your brass flames and add solder – heat with torch until solder melts

solder both sterling and brass together

after quenching and cleaning start filing with a number 2, 3 or 4 file

see the gap ? gap no good , better start filing

file until the solder seam is smooth

start polishing

I just left the metal raw and satin looking and did not add patina drill a hole

add a jump ring and a chain and start rocking

thanks for looking :)

www.nicilaskin.etsy.com

cat pendant

little cat pendant

made from 18 gauge sterling silver

Draw out the shape of a cat onto paper

this cat was pretty easy to draw as I had drawn a similar shape before and for some reason I can draw faster the second time, I added a little heart :)

stick your paper to your metal

start cutting with your jewelry hand saw and 1/0 saw blades

drill or punch out some holes for the eyes I use a swanstrom hole punch pliers ,one of my most used tools

peel of the paper and start polishing

If you do not have a machine you can always use steel wool for a satin finish or some fine sand paper

my mom wears her " floating " heart a lot that I made her so I did not add a jumpring

I carefully bend down the tail so there is only a tiny gap and just fed the chain through the tail so that the cat is " floating " as well 

 

www.nicilaskin.etsy.com

wedding bands

Had some more fun Silver smithing today

I know the album is kinda long , but maybe someone will enjoy it

I made some sterling silver wedding bands today for him and her

I used 18 gauge sterling ( 1mm thick )

draw your shape of the ring - I decided on a feather

you can either pre draw it on paper and then glue that to the metal or if it is an easy shape or you have a template you can draw directly on the metal

add some length right and left to make the rin size you need

start cutting with a jewelry saw and 1/0 blades

after you are done sawing take a chasing tool or a screw driver

start to add some texture

start bending your ring shank...

untile the ends meet flush

this is my solderig station

I use a so called third hand to hold the ring

I prefer wire solder cut into pieces

there are many types of solder ( sheet , wire , stick, paste )

lay your solder across the gap after you fluxed it and start heating with your torch

a small butane torch will work as the rings are small and heat quickly I have an acetylene / air torch which i prefer instead of the acetylene / oxygen ones ( its 1 tank of volatile gas vs. 2 tanks )

this is after soldering and quenching

the blackness comes from oxidation during the torching

to remove the oxidation you have to clean it in a Pickle bath

I use a small ceramic crock pot

this is after the bath

form the ring on a ring mandrel with a nylon hammer

basically you hammer away until you have a perfectly round ring

tada--------------round

now comes the clean up

I have a flex shaft ( yes I know .....) which is a dremel with a flexible hose . The bit I use is a 80 grit bristle brush

start polishing

nice and shiny

after polishing I add patina ( darken )

Another crock pot

I use lifer of sulfur - stinks like rotten eggs but gives a nice gray black patina

this is both rings - one polished and one still with the patina everywhere

polish until you are satisfied :)

hope you liked this one

www.nicilaskin.etsy.com