More silver...
I seem to have missed updating the blog the last few weeks with my various silver projects. Leah and I have been very busy with lots of trips, weddings, and relatives, and I kind of got out of the habit of updating this blog...
Anyway, the next project I worked on was a set of bangle bracelets. For those of you that are not familiar with bangle bracelets, they are solid ring bracelets, usually fairly thin and made of metal so they will "bangle" as they move. Leah really likes bracelets, but is not able to wear the typical tight cuff style of bracelet, as it tends to make her feel quite claustrophobic. Bangle bracelets tend to be more loose, allowing the bracelet to move freely around the wrist.
I started out with a long strand of 20 gauge round silver wire, which i then folded in half. After folding it in half, I flattened two spots at the end of each wire for areas to attach tools. I put one end into the vice, and used a pair of vice grips on the other end. While pulling the wire away from the vice, i began to twist the metal so the two strands of wire began to interlace. I had to occasionally stop and anneal the wire, as the twisting motion can strain the metal causing it to break. After twisting the wire to a point where I was satisfied with the amount of twist, I annealed the wire one final time to relieve the stain, and set it aside. I next took a half dome 8 gauge wire that matched the length of my previously twisted wire, and flattened both ends. I then put the half dome wire and the twisted wire together into the vice, so the flat ends would be held together, and again began to twist. If done correctly, the half dome wire will twist around the twisted wire, creating a very nice pattern. Again there is a great deal of annealing and twisting, until I was satisfied with the result.
I next had to cut the flattened ends off of the twisted wires, and cut the combined twist into the length needed for the bangle. I formed the bracelet into a ring, and soldered the two ends together. This is difficult, as you want to match the ends together to make a seamless transition.
Anyway, enough talk, lets look at the final result.
Sterling Silver Bangle Bracelet
Detail of Bracelet
I had a little extra combo twist leftover, so i decided to make a set of matching earrings.
The final result is a set of earrings with matching bangle bracelet.
Anyway, the next project I worked on was a set of bangle bracelets. For those of you that are not familiar with bangle bracelets, they are solid ring bracelets, usually fairly thin and made of metal so they will "bangle" as they move. Leah really likes bracelets, but is not able to wear the typical tight cuff style of bracelet, as it tends to make her feel quite claustrophobic. Bangle bracelets tend to be more loose, allowing the bracelet to move freely around the wrist.
I started out with a long strand of 20 gauge round silver wire, which i then folded in half. After folding it in half, I flattened two spots at the end of each wire for areas to attach tools. I put one end into the vice, and used a pair of vice grips on the other end. While pulling the wire away from the vice, i began to twist the metal so the two strands of wire began to interlace. I had to occasionally stop and anneal the wire, as the twisting motion can strain the metal causing it to break. After twisting the wire to a point where I was satisfied with the amount of twist, I annealed the wire one final time to relieve the stain, and set it aside. I next took a half dome 8 gauge wire that matched the length of my previously twisted wire, and flattened both ends. I then put the half dome wire and the twisted wire together into the vice, so the flat ends would be held together, and again began to twist. If done correctly, the half dome wire will twist around the twisted wire, creating a very nice pattern. Again there is a great deal of annealing and twisting, until I was satisfied with the result.
I next had to cut the flattened ends off of the twisted wires, and cut the combined twist into the length needed for the bangle. I formed the bracelet into a ring, and soldered the two ends together. This is difficult, as you want to match the ends together to make a seamless transition.
Anyway, enough talk, lets look at the final result.
Sterling Silver Bangle BraceletDetail of BraceletI had a little extra combo twist leftover, so i decided to make a set of matching earrings.
The final result is a set of earrings with matching bangle bracelet.
Labels: Silversmithing
posted by Jay at 4:05 PM
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