Saturday, January 22, 2011

Make a Spider Pin from a Toy

Before: Toys in the box
We've made pins before. We've made jewelry from toys before. We've made jewelry from scrap metal.

This pin also began as a toy -- a plastic toy spider. The toy needed a backing to both highlight the spider and allow enough surface to attach the pin finding and allow the pin to sit well when worn. We used scrap metal for the backing since a good part of the disk would be covered by the spider and the damaged area of the disk would not show.

Materials
Toy
Disk
Pin back finding

After: Pin by GeltDesigns.com
Tools
Disc cutter or jewelry saw
Half round file
Wet/dry sandpaper
Soldering torch 
Soldering & annealing pan
Charcoal soldering block 
Flux
Sparex pickle
Pickle pot
Copper tongs
Third-hand or tweezers (optional)
Glue

Step 1
Assemble the tools and materials. You will need a disk,
Before: Parts Needed
a pin back finding, a toy and some glue.

Step 2
Purchase a disk or cut the disk from scrap sheet metal using a disc cutter or jewelry saw. Flue the edges smooth. Sand away any tools marks or other damage to the disk.
Solder pin back to disk

Step 3
Solder the pin back to the top third of the disk. Pickle the soldered pin to remove oxidation. Rinse with water. Dry.

Soldering the pin back to the top third of the disk (rather than the center) will cause the pin to sit better win worn.

Step 4
Use chemical bonding (otherwise called glue) to attach the toy spider to the soldered disk. Allow the glue sit overnight to cure.

Related Tutorials
Soldering Tips
Thoughts on Soldering Torches & Other Equipment
Soldering Tips for Jewelry Makers
How to Correct Soldering Problems when Jewelry Making
How to Solder Using a Small Butane Torch
How to Make Pickle
Make a Lizard Pin from a Toy
Make a Pin from a Glass Pebble
How to Make a Pin Back
 
Further Reading
"500 Brooches: Inspiring Adornments for the Body [A Lark Jewelry Book]"; Lark; 2005.

"Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box"; Madeleine Albright; 2010.
"500 Plastic Jewelry Designs: A Groundbreaking Survey of A Modern Material (500 Series)"; Lark; 2009.

Other
Jewelry Making Set

Day 63.  Month 3. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent to date: 0
Found materials: toy, scrap metal
New Jewelry a Day.
 

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