A break from the Angel gown to think about jewelry.

[mellymell]

Chris broke his wedding band this week. It's nothing he did wrong. If anything it's what the jeweler did wrong. I just came right apart at the solder joint as best as I can tell. The only reason mine probably hasn't broken is that I tend to take it off when I'm going to do things like gardening or putting up a privacy fence. It seems like an easy fix for me, I just need some tools for it. Namely, I need a bastard file (seriously, that's what it's called), a soldering surface (charcoal block), solder, pickle, copper tongs, and I'd really like to get a different torch, one I know will work (and I found a nice hose torch for about $30 that just hooks to those disposable propane or MAPP tanks, and I don't have to actually hold the tank while soldering like I did in class). I could probably use some various grades of polishing papers as well, since I'll likely scar it up while repairing it. Oh, and I need a ring mandrel and a rawhide mallet as well, since I'll most likely have to bend it out of shape to solder it back together. Let's just hope I don't melt it. I did at least clean it up for him. Since he does wear it while doing things he probably shouldn't, it was quite tarnished in places and completely black on the edges. I took one of our stainless steel spoons and burnished it up nicely for him. Now it's shiny, but has a crack in it and I would imagine probably pinches as he's wearing it. Maybe after ALEP I can get the tools I need to fix it for him and start making some silver jewelry. I still want to get our bands and my engagement ring done in Platinum. The Sterling versions were really just supposed to be temporary.

Speaking of jewelry, I realized as I was messing with his ring that I've forgotten to go back and post better pictures of the ring I made in class.











Being my first piece, I keep seeing things I want to change about it. Mostly I just want to attack it with a file and get rid of the rest of the silver sheet backing you can see from above. It's also taken quite a beating since I made it, despite my best efforts to keep it safe. You might be able to tell in some of the pictures that a couple of the bands aren't perfect circles anymore. There's another need for a ring mandrel and some hammers.

Another repair job I've got in the queue is the chain for the gorgeous amber pendant Chris gave me for our anniversary this year. The first time I went to put it on, one end slipped out of its clamp. I tried using pliers to just bend it back around the chain, but it's not holding. I've since lost the clamp, but I've got some crimp ends I could try. I thought about some solder ones, too. I might try the crimps first and see if that works so I can at least wear it until I get soldering equipment.

It just dawned on me. . . I need an Evenstar for my Angel gown. There's no way in hell I'm going to try to make one before ALEP. I'll just have to make room in the budget to get one, probably from ebay since I don't plan to spend $100 on the Noble Collection one. Titania's Trove makes a nice one for at most $50 BIN (might get it as cheap as $30 if I watch an auction). I've seen others reselling their Noble Collection ones for cheaper, too (and some much more expensive, as much as $150!). I'll just have to see what I can find.

Now if I could only find motivation to actually use the tools and materials I've already got on hand, I'd have a huge inventory of pieces to try to sell. I did spend a bit of time this week gathering images and pulling from my own collection some photos I could use for banners on Etsy. Now I need to install GIMP and try to come up with some possibilities.

Comments

[bonnie-halfelvn.livejournal.com]

That's really pretty!

[mellymel-cos.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[padawansguide.livejournal.com]

Wow, you made that? That's so pretty!

[mellymel-cos.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Yep, it looks difficult, but it's really not that hard with the right tools and some instruction.

[aranel13.livejournal.com]

That's lovely! I bet the design would work really well as a pendant, too.

[mellymel-cos.livejournal.com]

Thanks! You know, he said he teaches his beginner class to make a ring to teach them not to make rings. He says you can stop at the setting and any accents you add to it and solder a bail on and call it a pendant. With a ring, you have to take time to size a band and I guess time at your bench is more money in the piece. His theory is you could make and sell 100 $20 pendants in the time it takes you to make 20 $50 rings.

[lordofhaladin.livejournal.com]

oh thats lovely!!

[mellymel-cos.livejournal.com]

Thanks!