Stumble it!
Second Jewelry course for Seahorse…
- I start a new course next week.Im making a headband with a spray of swarovski stars, after I abandoned the idea of making a tiara with metal peacock feathers, way too much soldering!
Ive worked out how much wire Il need and where to get the stars from. - 2 days to go.I roped in my male boss to putting a paper crown on his head so I could work out dimensions and angles etc he looks very silly.
- Went to classes last night and got some help from the teacher.
He looked at my design and suggested that I taper the prongy bits so I had great fun using the squishy wire thingy, to look more professional I will refer to it as a tapering machine..
I cut a length of 2mm thick wire, placed it in a corresponding groove of the tapering machine, which looks like a mangle,reduced its height so it grabbed at the wire then turned the handle so it was drawn through, making it thinner and longer as I moved it down the groove sizes.
Then it was hammered to get rid of any lumps n bumps, filed to try to get it more rounded then sandpapered for smoothness.
I made 3 of those yesterday, they still need some work to them but its a good start.
I thought Id plan ahead and weigh a section of metal Id thought of using for the headband.A smaller piece than I needed cost £17!!Add on the prong prices and the stars and it adds up to £50!! I think I need to rethink what I use!!Ordered some stars to add to my creation.Ive been parading infront of a mirror holding the wire bit and the star in place and seeing how it looks.
Getting annoyed of filing these prongs, but it must be done.
Finally they are done, all 5,hopefully they are smooth enough to use.I now need to discuss how Im going to attatch them to the headband. - The first half hour of this lesson consisted of a few of us trying to get a bird out of a new bendy ventilation pipe, about 20 feet long, that was being installed.After fashioning a prodding device out of thick wire and a cushioned big yoghurt pot to ease it along the tubing it finally made its way out.It turned out to be a baby magpie.All together now, aaaaahhhhhhhh!
At the end of the lesson I had 5 prongs soldered together.It was a 2 person job.I soldered while the teacher was holding the prongs together as the flux bubbles up and pushes the prongs apart.
Today at work I attatched the stars I bought to see how it looks, quite pretty!
I have to shape it next week and make the main head band.Hope I get it done, next week is the last week.Finally it is done.I made a simple loop crown.After alot of cerfuffle with solder cutters that didnt want to cut I finally got the prongs into place and positioned the solder and I soldered it into place, when i say ‘I’ I of course mean the teacher and me.
I now have a prongy head dress.
It cost me just under £15 for the metalwork, not too bad in the end.
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