Orchestrated Spontaneity Pendant Project Download

Description

Apply fusing techniques to sterling wire and sheet for unique designs with a signature look.

Skills: Torch use, Soldering, Sawing, Rolling mill use

Materials Needed to Complete this Project:

• Sterling silver sheet 28 gauge ½" by 6"; 1 strip
• Sterling silver wire 15g, rolled to 21 g; 3 to 5 feet
• Sterling silver wire 17g, rolled to 21g; 2 to 3 feet
• Sterling silver jump rings (3.2mm 18g square wire)
• Hard, medium, and easy silver solder

Tools Needed to Complete this Project:

• Hand:
  • Sandpaper 400 grit and 600 grit
  • Green scrub pad
  • Wire cutters or Joyce Chen scissors
  • Hand file #2 cut
  • Needle file set (various shapes)
  • Jewelers saw
  • Saw blades 4 /0 cut
  • Round nose pliers or bail making pliers
  • Flat nose pliers
  • Bench pin
  • Safety glasses
  • Dust mask or respirator
• Fusing:
  • Smith torch with tips 1, 0, or 00
  • Striker 
  • Self-pickling flux like Battons or MY-T-Flux from Rio Grande (can dilute with water)
  • Spray bottler (for flux)
  • Large rectangular charcoal block (wrapped on narrow edges with twisted wire)
  • Fire brick
  • Solder pick
  • Copper tongs (to remove sterling from pickle pot) 
  • Bowl with water for quenching
  • Pickle pot (crock pot)
  • Pickle solution (PH swimming pool cleaning agent)
  • Third hand with cross locking tweezers; insulated cross locking tweezers
• Rolling:
  • Rolling mill
  • Paper napkin
• Filing And Polishing:
  • Flex shaft
  • 3M abrasive tip (red narrow bullet is medium grit; fits on threaded mandrel)
  • 3M abrasive disk (black flat edge and knife edge medium-high grit)
  • 3M abrasive radial spiral disk (“spider leg;” use 3 on mandrel together held on with a tiny screw)
  • Small screwdriver
  • Mandrels to fit each tip 
  • Felt-coated polishing stick 
  • Tripoli polishing compound (or your preference)
  • Polishing papers
  • Polishing cloth
  • Rotary or vibratory tumbler
  • 1-2 pounds mixed shapes stainless steel shot
  • Steel curved burnisher
• Finishing:
  • Liver of sulfur
  • Glass bowl or jar
  • Plastic disposable spoon
  • Dish soap
  • Old soft toothbrush
  • Brass brush (soft)
  • Fine metal cleaner diluted according to label (Sunsheen for gold and silver)

Originally Published: Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, May/June 2018