Jewelry Studio: You Can Never Have Too Many Jewelry-Making Tools
If you’re like me, you have a variety of the same jewelry-making tools to choose from on any given day, for whatever that day may bring. Always at the ready: a few pair of round-nose pliers, a myriad of flat-nose pliers, wire cutters that can handle different gauges, and so on.
Recently, Helen Driggs wrote about a few new jewelry-making tools she’s in love with:
Excerpted from Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist July issue:
“EuroTool’s Pro Shear is a thrifty alternative to metal snips or Joyce Chen Shears and will cut through 20 gauge sheet with ease. Mind your fingers, though — all snips and shears fail to discriminate between metal and flesh.”
Here’s a quick design made using these shears as I just had to try them out!
Zen-Pod Image Transfer Pendant
Although I love to saw and pierce and get lost in that process (really, I do!), sometimes it’s nice to get the bulk of the shaping done quickly and efficiently, then get to the fun part of embellishing. As was the case with this design, as there is no piercing, no weird angles, and only a few bubbles and bumps to work around, I decided to give these shears a go! Overall, working on this piece turned into a nice Zen-time in the studio.
Materials
Metal sheet, 24 gauge (copper was used in this design)
Lillypilly sheet, 24 gauge
White Gesso
Pigment markers (Prismacolor were the primary markers used for this design)
Two-part resin
Compression rivet (4mm)
Eyelets
Jump rings
Eyepins
Headpins
Shears
Flat-nose pliers
Round-nose pliers
Chain-nose pliers
Wire cutters
Jeweler’s files
Sanding blocks or similar rotary-tool accessories
Paintbrush (to apply gesso)
Eyelet setter
Rivet setter
Mallet or hammer
Hole punch (2.0 and 1.5mm) or drill bits and rotary tool
Anvil or bench block
Create the main focal piece.
Step 1
Paint gesso onto the metal sheet; allow the gesso to dry. Sketch or transfer an image onto the gesso.
Step 2
Color in your line drawing using pigment markers.
Color to suit your planned design.
Step 3
Using shears, cut out the pattern.
Use files to remove any sharp edges and to refine the shape.
Create the base of the pendant.
Step 4
Place the focal piece onto the second piece of metal sheet then sketch a new shape, allowing a border around the main piece, to create the base of your pendant. Cut out the new base shape.
Use files to remove any sharp edges and to refine the shape.
Add finishing touches.
Step 5
Apply resin to the surface of your focal piece; allow to cure overnight.
TIP: Adding resin seals your artwork. Resin also adds depth to your design. You can build up walls around the focal piece using tape, then continue to add more layers of resin (and add inclusions!). Keep in mind the overall depth so you don’t exceed the length of your rivets and eyelets.
Putting it all together.
Step 6
Determine rivet placement.
Punch or drill holes according to the size of your rivets and eyelets; add a hole at the top of the pendant so it can be suspended, later.
Set an eyelet to offer a nice finish to the opening at the top of the pendant.
Repeat to set all rivets and eyelets according to your design.
For this design, I used the lower eyelet to add another element to the finished design. Feed an eye pin through the eyelet then form a loop on the straight end of the eyepin. Add the second element to the loop to finish so it dangles and in this case, offers balance.
Use jump rings or similar idea to suspend the pendant from a cable, chain, or neck wire of your choice.
I strongly believe one can never have enough tools!
Tammy Honaman
NOTE: The neck wire used in this design was made on Now That’s a Jig. For more on using this tool, check out Brenda Schweder’s videos:
Making & Designing with Simple Single Links on the Now That’s a Jig!
ABC’s of Wire Wrangling Using Now That’s a Jig!
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