Playing with Fire, Part 3

Last week, I talked about creating silicone rubber molds for metal clay, attempting to use said molds with said clay, and the trials and travails of equipment failure and lack of experience. I had ordered some new supplies and was ready to dive into new ventures.

As I waited for my supplies to arrive, I had a realization. I was doing things backwards. I was trying to take on relatively advanced techniques without having a grip on the basics. I wasn’t comfortable with the torch. I didn’t have a good understanding of the properties of metal. I had only vague ideas how I was going to turn my castings into usable jewelry.

Switching Gears

So I started reading, and watching videos, and asking questions, and actually trying to learn a thing or two before diving in head first for a second time. And I realized that learning to solder would teach me a lot. So I ordered still more supplies. I was determined to find a win, even if I blew through my monthly budget in a couple of days.

The fates converged, and most of my supplies arrived early. By Friday morning, I was all set to start putting my newfound knowledge to the test. I made the decision to practice on copper, which is much more affordable than silver, and easy to work with.

I happen to have a fair amount of copper on hand. This is something I’ve wanted to try for a while. I started by fetching a small, square copper blank from my stash, and getting comfortable on the floor in order to hammer the blank into something a little more artistic. (My “bench” is a folding card table—for now—and not suitable for hammering.) At first only random, unsatisfying patterns appeared. I tried different combinations of hammer ends, pressure, and direction, and eventually gained a pleasing result.

Success at Last

The next step was to attach a copper jump ring to the back of the hammered copper square. My first several attempts did not succeed, so I decided to try soldering a jump ring closed. As I mentioned, this is a very basic and crucial skill, so I was determined. I am happy to report that I nailed it on the first try. Yes, I may have cut two or three pieces of solder in an attempt to not lose it. And it’s possible that I had to reposition the solder multiple times. But when flame hit joint, the solder flowed, the ring was closed, and all was right with the world.

With that small success under my belt, I was eventually able to get a less-than-perfect, but serviceable, join between the pendant and a jump ring. I added a second jump ring to accommodate a chain, and successfully soldered that one, as well. Next, I plan to add a bezel and a pretty, green aventurine cabochon. This piece will be for me.

More to Come

It will be a while before I’m ready to start presenting these more handmade pieces as merchandise, but I am so excited about the possibilities. I am awaiting the arrival of copper clay and findings, so I can experiment without breaking the bank. I hope to include some handmade elements in my upcoming summer collections. We’ll see how things go—I’ve been putting the cart before the horse for a while now, and it’s time to take a deep breath and re-group.

Thanks for being with me on this exhilarating, exhausting, expensive journey. There’s a lot more to come and I hope you’ll be along for the ride!

Cover photo: Pendant in progress. I need to polish it and add a bezel and a cabochon. I think it looks like a little grocery sack. ☺