Make a Pendant from Enameled Piping

We are still playing with pipes! Today we took one of the copper enameled beads we made using pipe and used the bead as the focal point in a pendant.

Before: Enameled pipe, scrap wire

Materials
Copper enameled bead
2 sterling silver beads
Sterling silver scrap wire-- 18 gauge & 20-gauge
Smokey quartz bead

Tools
Nylon jaw chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Chain nose pliers
Flush  wire cutter
Barrett needle file

Step 1
Locate scrap sterling silver wire from the scrap bin. Use the nylon jaw pliers to straighten out the scrap wire.

Step 2
Feed a sterling silver bead on the the 18-gauge wire, followed by the copper enameled bead and another sterling silver bead. Wrap the end of the wire to secure the beads. Trim excess wire, if any, with a wire cutter. File the ends smooth using a barrette needle file.

Select bead for drop

Step 3
Sort through the bead collection to locate a center-drilled bead. Make a loop at the end of the 20-gauge wire to form a head pin. Feed the center-drilled smokey quartz bead on the prepared 20-gauge wire head pin. Create a loop above bead and attach the 20-gauge wire to the 18-gauge wire. Wrap the wire to secure.

Step 4

After: Enamel pendant by GeltDesigns.com

Slide the pendant onto the chain. We used a neck-ring we made from 14-gauge sterling silver wire, but any chain will do.

Related Project Tutorials
Turn a Pipe into Enamels Beads
Make Earrings from Copper Pipe and Wire
Make an Enamel Necklace from a Copper Pipe
Make a Beaded Bracelet with Copper Pipe & Wire
Make a Neck-Ring from Copper Pipe
Make a Bangle Bracelet from a Copper Pipe

Related Skills Tutorials
How to Make A Simple Head Pin
How to Make an Eye Pin
How to Make a Paddle Head Pin
How to Straighten Wire
Make Your Own Beaded Drop
Make Your Own Wire Wrapping Tool Kit

Further Reading  
"Making Designer Bead and Wire Jewelry: Techniques for Unique Designs and Handmade Findings"; Tammy Powley; 2005.
"The Complete Photo Guide to Jewelry Making: More than 700 Large Format Color Photos"; Tammy Powley; 2011.

Month 5. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent: 0
Found materials: Copper pipe, scarp wire, orphan beads
New Jewelry a Day.  

Make a Ring from a Silver Liberty Mercury Dime

Piggy bank!

We collect coins. No, we are not serious collectors. Rather, we are the sort of collectors who throw pennies in a piggy bank-- a real piggy bank shaped like a piggy-- and then on a stormy day when the power is out, we all sit around the table sorting through the pennies to see if there is anything special.

We've been sorting coins sporadically for years -- since luckily for us the power does not go out very often. That is how we found this silver liberty mercury dime.

Penny sorting time!

The coin was so dark it looked like a penny... but the small size made it clear this was no penny. As the kids say, "score!" My daughter and I claimed the silver liberty mercury dime and decided the coin would make a really nice ring.

Materials
Silver liberty mercury dime
16-gauge round or half-round sterling silver wire
Hard silver solder

After: Mercury Dime Ring by GeltDesigns.com

Tools
Ring mandrel
Rawhide mallet
Soldering torch & equipment
Annealing pan
Charcoal block
Flux

Soldering pick
Sparex acid pickle
Pickle pot
Copper tongs
Wet/dry sandpaper
Tumbler

Step 1

Form the sterling silver ring

Measure for ring size. Form the ring from the sterling silver wire in the size needed using a ring mandrel and a rawhide mallet. We used half-round sterling silver wire since it is more comfortable for a ring and we had some in our scrap pile, but you can use round wire and wire in a different gauge if you prefer. Check the ring for size before soldering. Solder the ring closed.

Step 2
Anneal the dime. Place the dime on the charcoal block on your annealing pan. Heat the dime until it is annealed using your torch. You can tell the dime reached the annealing temperature because the metal of the dime turns cherry red. Do not overheat. Cool the dime and pickle to remove any oxidation formed when annealing. Rinse off the pickle with water.

Step 3
Form the dime. Place the dime on the ring mandrel. Shape the dime so it is the same arc as the ring. To do so, place the dime on the ring mandrel at the same size as the ring. Position the dime so the line for the ring size is in the center of the dime.  Hit the dime with the raw hide mallet. The shape will be sloped. To even out the dime, turn the dime over so it faces the opposite way and hit the dime again with the rawhide

Finished Mercury Liberty Dime Ring by GeltDesigns.com

mallet. Continue to move the dime until the shape is perfected and the dime sits flush against the top of the ring.

Step 4
Solder the ring to the dime. Pickle. Remove the ring from the pickle using copper tongs and rinse off the pickle with water. Sand away any excess solder, if any.

Step 5Tumble the ring to harden and burnish the sterling silver ring and silver mercury dime.

Related Tutorials 
Make Hammered Copper Earrings from Washers
Make a Pendant from a Copper Washer
Thoughts on Soldering Torches & Other Equipment
Soldering for Jewelry Makers
Solve Your Soldering Problems

Further Reading: Soldering
"Hot Connections Jewelry: The Complete Sourcebook of Soldering Techniques"; Jennifer Chin; 2011.
"Soldering Made Simple: Easy techniques for the kitchen-table jeweler";  Joe Silvera; 2010.
"Step-by-Step Jewelry Workshop: Simple Techniques for Soldering, Wirework, and Metal Jewelry"; Nicola Hurst; 2008.
"Complete Metalsmith: Professional Edition";  Tim McCreight; 2004.

Further Reading: Coins
"A Guide Book of United States Coins 2011: The Official Red Book"; R. S. Yeoman, 2011.
"Coin Collecting For Dummies";  Neil S. Berman, Ron Guth
"2011 Hand Book of United States Coins: The Official Blue Book (Handbook of United States Coins (Paper))"; R. S. Yeoman; 2010.
"Coin Collecting for Kids"; Steve Otfinoski; 2007.
"The Everything Coin Collecting Book: All You Need to Start Your Collection And Trade for Profit (Everything Series)";  Richard Giedroyc; 2006.

Day 104. Month 5. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent: 0
Found materials: Mercury Liberty Dime, scrap silver wire
New Jewelry a Day.  

Make Hammered Copper Earrings from Washers

Before: Copper washers

In looking back through the projects we've made, my daughter and I realized that although we have shared many projects using copper washers, we did not share how to use copper washers to make fashion earrings. That omission did not seem very fair to ears... so today we decided to share an earring project. The question was... which one. There are so many different ways to use copper washers to make earrings. Oh... the choices.

These earrings are very simple to make using basic metalsmith techniques... but they are crowd-pleasers.

Materials
4 copper washers
20-gauge half-hard round sterling silver wire

After: Earrings by GeltDesigns.com

Tools
Mandrel
Round nose pliers 
Wire cutter
Wire round and cup bur (or flex shaft and cup bur)
Bordering or goldsmith hammer
Steel bench block
Soldering torch & equipment
Annealing pan
Flux
Sparex acid pickle
Pickle pot
Wet/dry sandpaper
Tumbler

Step 1
Make the ear wires. Create a loop at the end of 20 gauge sterling silver ear wires. Wrap the wire around a mandrel the size and shape of the ear wires after completing the first loop. Continue to wrap the wire until it wraps all the way around the mandrel. Cut the wire just before the wire intersects the created loop. Use pliers to bend the end of the cut wire so it is parallel to the loop. Use a wire rounder, needle files or a cup bur and a flex shaft to file the ends of the ear wire smooth. Repeat to make second ear wire.

Step 2

Hammer washer to add texture

Put the copper washer on the steel bench block and use your hammer to create texture in the washer. We used the hammer to create parallel lines just as we did in yesterday's hammered pendant, but you can use the hammer to create many different textures. Repeat with the remaining washers.

Step 3
Arrange the washers. Sweat solder the washers. We used a butane torch to sweat solder this project, but any torch will work (from a propane plumber's torch to a sophisticated goldsmith torch with an acetylene and oxygen mix).

Step 4
Attach the soldered washers to the ear wires to create the earrings.

Step 5
Tumble the earrings to harden, burnish and add shine.

Related Tutorials
Make a Hammered Pendant from Washers 
Make a Heart Pendant from a Copper Washer
Cold Enamel a Washer to Make a Pendant
Make a Stamped Pendant from a Washer
Make a Three Strand Bracelet from Copper Washers
Make a Bib Necklace from Washers
How to Make "Fish Hook" Ear Wires 
Thoughts on Soldering Torches & Other Equipment
Soldering for Jewelry Makers
Solve Your Soldering Problems

Further Reading
"Hot Connections Jewelry: The Complete Sourcebook of Soldering Techniques"; Jennifer Chin, 2011.
"Soldering Made Simple: Easy Techniques for the Kitchen-Table Jeweler";  Joe Silvera; 2010.


"Step-by-Step Jewelry Workshop: Simple Techniques for Soldering, Wirework, and Metal Jewelry"; Nicola Hurst; 2008.


Day 95  Month 4. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent to date: 0
Found materials: copper washer, scrap sterling wire
New Jewelry a Day.