Climbing What Earrings Pattern Project Download

Description

Make small, realistic ants out of sterling silver wire, shot and solder, then turn them into earrings!

Required Materials:

• 1 ounce of sterling silver casting shot
• 18 inches of 20 gauge sterling silver wire
• 6 inches of 22 gauge sterling silver wire
• 1 pair of sterling silver posts with ear nuts
• Hard and medium solder in wire form

Tools:
HAND AND FABRICATION: magnification or safety glasses, bench pin, ring vise, saw and 0/4 blades, needle files, a dozen Moore’s 3/4″ medium and fine grit sanding disks and mandrel, wire cutters, fine-tipped needle nose pliers, jewelry pliers, bench block, hammer.
SOLDERING: Double canister face mask, small handheld Blazer torch, brand new soft-grade Solderite board, bezel burnisher, solder pick, fine tweezers, soldering tweezers, solder stop (a sealed jar of yellow ocher mixed into a paste with alcohol), small brush, Prip’s Flux in small spray bottle, water for quenching, pickle, copper tongs, toothbrush and hot soapy water.
EQUIPMENT: Flexible shaft, shotfilled tumbler with burnishing liquid

Technique: Metalsmithing, soldering

Originally Published: Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, March 2016