the
basics
of jewelry making J ewelry y magazine a supplement to Art Jewelr magazine
a hand bo o of essen k t i i a t echni qu l es f or w or k ing w it h met als, p oly mer c lay , and met al clay
2013 618163
CONTENTS SAFETY BASICS .........................................3
High polish............................................... 9 Liver of sulfur patina .........................9
METALWORKING TECHNIQUES ...... 4
Sawing ...................................................................4 Piercing .................................................................5 Making your own twisted wire.......... 5 Making your own jump rings .............5 Annealing ............................................................6 Soldering .............................................................6 Marking and cutting solder .................6 Sweat soldering .............................................7 Making a bezel ................................................7 Soldering findings to jewelry .............8 Pickling and cleaning ................................8 Finishing ...............................................................9 Sanding ..............................................................9 Finishes ..............................................................9 Satin finish................................................ 9 Tumble polish ........................................9
POLYMER CLAY TECHNIQUES .......10
Conditioning polymer clay ................ 10 Creating a Skinner blend ..................... 10 METAL CLAY TECHNIQUES ..............11
Using metal clay ..........................................11 Drying metal clay........................................ 11 Making your own paste and slip ....11 Repairing breaks ........................................12 Unfired pieces ............................................12 Fired pieces ..................................................12 Firing metal clay .........................................12 Torch-firing ...................................................12 Stovetop-firing ..........................................13 GLOSSARY
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safety
basics DO:
• Wear eye protection at all times when working with metals and metalsmithing tools. • Wear a dust mask when working with materials and tools that generate particulates. • Work in a well-ventilated area at all times. • Wear protective gloves when handling caustic materials or chemicals. • Wear a nonflammable apron to protect your clothing. • Tie back long hair. • Read all Manufacturer Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) before using a new material, and keep a copy of the MSDS for any material you use. DON’T:
• Wear open-toed shoes. Dropped tools or hot metal could cause injury. • Wear loose sleeves, scarves, or other clothing that could get caught in machinery or catch fire. • Wear long chains or bracelets that might get caught in machinery. • Use tools or chemicals in ways that are contrary to the manufacturer’s intended purpose.
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metalworking techniques SAWING
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To thread a saw blade, insert the blade, with the teeth of the blade facing down and away from the handle, into the top wing nut of the saw frame, and tighten the wing nut [1]. Place the handle in the hollow of your shoulder, and apply pressure to the saw frame against your bench pin [2]. Maintaining pressure, insert the bottom of the saw blade into the wing nut closest to the handle, and tighten the wing nut. The blade should be taut and should make a highpitched “ping” when plucked with your thumbnail. If you get a dull sound, reinstall your blade while putting pressure on the saw frame. Lubricate the blade with beeswax. When sawing, sit in an erect posture with the top of your workbench at upper-chest level [3]. Slouching or having your work too low causes back and wrist strain and leads to broken saw blades. To saw, grip the saw frame loosely in your hand. Use long, smooth motions, using as much of the blade as possible. The blade will work best when it’s perpendicular to the metal [4]. Putting excessive pressure on the saw frame will make you work harder. Turn corners by sawing in place while turning the metal; trying to turn the saw will break the blade.
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A r t J e w e l r y BASICS
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PIERCING
Use a center punch and mallet to create a shallow dimple in the section of the metal you want to remove [1]. Place the metal on a piece of wood. Secure the metal with a clamp, and drill a hole using the dimple as a guide [2]. Remove one end of the saw blade from the saw frame. Slide the blade through the hole in the metal, then reinsert the blade into the frame, and tighten [3]. Saw out the inside section of the metal. Remove one end of the blade from the saw frame to remove the metal piece.
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MAKING YOUR OWN TWISTED WIRE
Bend round wire in half lengthwise, and clamp the ends in a vice. Use a hook installed into your flex shaft to hold the bend. Pull the wire taut, and gently apply speed with the foot rheostat. Work slowly, as the spinning hook will quickly twist your wire.
MAKING YOUR OWN JUMP RINGS
Select a wooden dowel with a diameter that matches the inside diameter of the jump rings you want to make. Drill a hole through one end of the dowel. Insert the end of the wire into the hole to anchor it to the dowel. Wrap the wire around the dowel, keeping the coils tight against one another [1]. Cut the wire at the end that anchors the spring. Slide the spring to the opposite end of the dowel. Secure the dowel against the V notch in your bench pin, and use a jeweler’s saw with a 2/0 blade to cut a shallow, vertical slot at the end of the dowel to guide your blade as you cut the spring. Hold the spring and dowel with your nondominant hand. Saw through the top of the spring, feeding the spring toward the slot in the dowel [2]. Be careful not to cut the jump rings in half.
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ANNEALING
Annealing restores malleability to work-hardened metal. Place the metal on a soldering pad, flux it, and heat it with a torch. When the metal has a dull, rose-colored glow, it is annealed. Quench the metal in water, and then soak it in pickle to remove oxides and flux residue.
SOLDERING
All metal must be clean for solder to f low. Clean the metal by sanding it with 400-grit sandpaper. Surfaces must be in complete contact with each other for solder to flow — s older will not fill holes or gaps. Flux all metal to be soldered to prevent oxidation and to help solder flow. Heat the entire piece, not just the solder. Keep the torch moving in a circular motion. If there is more than one solder join in a piece, solder the f irst one using hard solder, the second using medium solder, and the third using easy solder, as hard solder has the highest melting point and easy solder has the lowest. To keep the solder in a previous join or joins from flowing when you heat the metal again, apply an anti-flux to those areas. During soldering, the solder will flow to where the heat is the greatest. If your solder is flowing in the wrong direction, adjust the direction of your flame. Once the solder flows, quench the piece in water, and place it in a pickle solution to remove oxidation and flux residue. Rinse the piece in clean water.
MARKING AND CUTTING SOLDER
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To prevent confusing your wire solder with regular silver wire, use this standard practice: Bend hard solder once, because it should be the first solder used in a project. Bend medium solder twice, and bend easy solder three times [1]. Place your finger over the well of the wire cutters while you’re clipping pallions to keep them from flying off [2].
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A r t J e w e l r y BASICS
When using sheet solder, use a scribe to scratch the letter of the solder’s grade completely over both sides of the sheet. To cut the solder, fray one side of the sheet with solder scissors [3], and then place your finger over the ends and cut across the fray [4].
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SWEAT SOLDERING
Apply flux to both metal pieces you want to join. Place the smaller piece on a soldering pad. Heat the piece until the flux becomes a white crust. Place solder pallions on the smaller metal piece and heat until the solder flows [1]. With soldering tweezers, quickly position the smaller metal piece, solder-side down, on the larger piece. Heat both pieces from above and below until the solder melts again [2]. A bright line of silver may appear at the edge where the two metal pieces meet, or the smaller metal piece may slightly drop down to indicate that the solder has reflowed. Remove the heat, and quench the piece in water.
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MAKING A BEZEL
Use bezel wire to tightly encircle the edge of a cabochon, allowing the ends of the bezel wire to overlap [1]. Use flush cutters to cut through the bezel wire where it overlaps [2]. Bring the ends of the bezel wire together with no gaps, and place it on the soldering pad. Flux the bezel wire, place a small pallion of hard solder on the join, and then heat the entire bezel wire with a soft, bushy flame until the solder flows. Remove the heat, then quench the bezel in water. Soak the bezel in pickle, then rinse and dry. Test the fit of your bezel by pushing the cabochon through the bezel from either side; the fit should be very snug. If the bezel is too large, cut the seam (removing the old solder), and resolder. If the bezel is too small, stretch the bezel wire on a mandrel, or start over. Solder the bezel to a back plate by fluxing both
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parts and placing the solder pallions so that they touch both surfaces [3]. Heat the back plate with a soft, bushy flame until the solder melts, then quench the bezel cup in water. If the entire bezel is not soldered to the back plate, pickle it to remove any flux residues, rinse and dry the bezel cup, and then resolder. Press the cabochon into the bezel with a piece of thread or dental floss behind it to test the fit [4]. If the bezel overshadows the stone, use the floss or thread to pop the cabochon out of the bezel. Reduce the height of the bezel by sanding the bezel facedown with a figure 8 motion on a piece of sandpaper placed on a flat surface. Place the cabochon in the bezel. View the bezel like the face of a clock, and, using a burnisher or bezel rocker, gently push the bezel down onto the stone, first at 12:00, then in opposition at 6:00. Repeat at the 3:00 and 9:00 positions [5]. Work around the stone, pushing the bezel down with opposing moves to keep the stone centered and to keep the bezel from getting pleated. Smooth the pushed bezel with the burnisher by rubbing around the outer edges with a consistent pressure. Place masking tape over the stone to protect it, and use a pink rubber wheel on a flex shaft to polish the bezel.
SOLDERING FINDINGS TO JEWELRY
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Paint the finding with an anti-flux [1] and allow it to dry. Sweat easy solder onto the findings [2]. Flux the piece and the findings. Place the findings where you want them attached. Heat from above and below until the solder flows [3]. Quench the piece, and pickle. Test the finding to make sure it is secure and did not solder shut. Alternatively, place the fluxed finding on the piece, and heat until the flux becomes a white crust. Place pallions of solder so they touch the base of each finding, and heat from above and below until the solder flows.
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PICKLING AND CLEANING
Use copper tongs to put the piece in pickle, as stainless steel will cause a copper plating of other metals in the pickle. Leave until the flux dissolves, about 5 minutes. Clean with a brass brush and soapy water. Rinse and dry. 8
A r t J e w e l r y BASICS
FINISHING
SANDING To remove scratches from metal, use a series of sandpapers, starting with a coarse grit and progressing to finer grits. A 220-grit sandpaper is good to begin with; progress through 320, 400, 600, and up to 1200 grit or higher, depending on the finish you desire. FINISHES: Satin finish Sand the metal with progressively finer sandpapers up to 600 grit. Use soapy water and a brass brush to lightly rub the metal. Alternatively, lightly rub with a piece of fine steel wool. Tumble polish Sand the metal with progressively finer-grit sandpapers up to 600 grit. Place 1 lb. (454g) of stainless steel shot into the tumbler’s barrel. Pour in water to cover the shot, then add a pinch of burnishing compound. Place your jewelry in the tumbler and seal the barrel. Turn on the tumbler, and let it run for 2–3 hours. Pour the contents of the tumbler into a sieve over a sink, and rinse with cool water. Remove your jewelry and dry it. Dry the shot before storing it. High polish Sand the metal with progressively finer grits up to 1200 grit. Use a flex shaft or a buffing machine with a fabric wheel attachment, or “buff.” Jeweler’s polishing compounds are applied to the buff. Each compound should be applied only to a dedicated buff. The two most common types of compound are tripoli, which removes fine scratches, and rouge, which polishes the metal. Rinse the metal in soapy water to remove polishing-compound residue before moving on to the next compound. Liver of sulfur patina Polish your piece before patinating. If you tumble-polish your piece after patinating, reserve the used shot for future patinated pieces; the liver of sulfur residue will contaminate other pieces. Oil and dirt on the piece can affect the patina; use a degreasing soap to clean the metal before patinating. Prepare a liver of sulfur solution according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Dip the metal in the solution for a few seconds, then rinse the metal in cool water to stop the chemical reaction. For a darker patina, continue to dip and rinse the metal. Use a brass brush with soapy water to remove or modify the patina. By using different temperatures and amounts of water to make the liver of sulfur solution, you can achieve different colors of patina; experiment to find the result you prefer.
polymer clay techniques CONDITIONING POLYMER CLAY
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All polymer clay must be conditioned to some degree before you work with it. To prepare the stiffer clays for conditioning, prewarm them by placing the unopened packages of clay on a heating pad set to low or in a sealed plastic bag in a bowl of warm water. To condition clay by hand, roll the clay in a ball, flatten it, and roll it into a snake. Fold the snake in half, twist it, and roll it into a ball again [1]. Repeat until the clay is soft and pliable. Polymer clay can also be conditioned with a pasta machine dedicated to nonfood use. Adjust the machine to its thickest setting, flatten one end of the clay, and run it through the machine [2]. Fold the sheet of clay in half, and run it through the machine again, fold-side first. Use a needle tool to puncture any air pockets that form, fold the clay, and run it through the machine again. Continue to fold and run the clay through the machine until the clay is soft and pliable.
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CREATING A SKINNER BLEND
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A r t J e w e l r y BASICS
Run two different colors of clay through the pasta machine separately. Cut each slab into a rectangle. Cut each rectangle diagonally to make two triangles of each color. Fit a triangle of the first color next to a triangle of the second color so that the diagonal edges meet [1]. Run the bicolored rectangle through the pasta machine once or twice to fuse the seam. Fold the slab in half, bringing the short edges together [2]. Run the slab through the pasta machine three to four times, folded-edge first [3]. Repeat steps 2 and 3 five times until the colors begin to make a smooth gradation [4].
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metal clay techniques USING METAL CLAY
Metal clay dries rapidly, so remove only the amount you will use during a given work session. Store unused clay in an airtight container with a small piece of moist sponge or paper towel. Cover clay with plastic wrap while you are not working with it. Use a spray bottle to remoisten clay if it begins to dry out. Apply olive oil or hand balm to your hands, tools, and work surface to prevent the clay from sticking. To roll clay out to a uniform thickness, place it between two even stacks of playing cards or between two strips of mat board [1]. Roll the clay with an acrylic roller or PVC tube, rotate the clay 90 degrees, and roll it again. Clay can be cut with a tissue blade or craft knife and pierced with a needle tool [2].
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DRYING METAL CLAY
Metal clay can be air-dried or placed on a mug warmer to shorten the drying time [1]. Alternatively, place the clay in a food dehydrator dedicated to nonfood use. To check the moisture content of metal clay, place the piece on a sheet of glass. After 15 seconds, lift the clay from the glass. Any condensation on the glass indicates that the clay contains moisture [2]. Do not fire the clay until it is completely dry.
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MAKING YOUR OWN PASTE AND SLIP
Collect dried, unfired clay scraps and filings, and place them on a glass work surface. Using a tissue blade or razor blade, chop the clay into a fine powder [1]. Add some water, and use a plastic or stainless steel palette knife to blend the mixture into a thick paste [2]. For a slip consistency, add a little more water, and blend again. Store the paste or slip in a small, airtight container.
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REPAIRING BREAKS UNFIRED PIECES
Set aside the broken pieces until they are completely dry. Use a fine-tip paintbrush to draw a thin line of water along the broken edges. Dip the paintbrush in slip, and apply a bead of slip along the break. Press the pieces together, and set them aside to dry completely. Add additional layers of slip until the join is no longer visible. Smooth imperfections with a moist, fine-tip paintbrush.
FIRED PIECES
Use Art Clay Silver Oil Paste to repair breaks in fired clay. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application and firing. FIRING METAL CLAY
You can fire metal clay in a kiln, with a butane torch, on a gas stovetop, in a hot pot, or with a propane-fueled outdoor stove. Follow the metal clay manufacturer’s instructions for firing temperatures and times. Fired metal clay appears white because tiny silver particles protrude from the surface. Burnishing the surface compresses the particles so that the metal reflects light and appears shiny. Burnish your piece with a stainless steel brush or a brass brush with soapy water.
TORCH�FIRING
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A r t J e w e l r y BASICS
Place the unfired metal clay piece in the middle of a firing brick [1]. Hold the torch at a 45° angle, 2 in. (5.1cm) from the piece [2]. You will see a small amount of smoke and flame [3], and then the piece will turn white. Keep the torch moving over the piece until you see the piece glow. When the piece turns a peach color, begin to time the sintering cycle. Firing time ranges from 1 to 5 minutes, depending on the weight of the piece (see chart, opposite). Increase or decrease the distance of the torch from the metal clay piece, depending on whether the color intensifies or fades. If the piece begins to look shiny or if you see sparks, the piece is
near the melting point; pull the torch farther away from the piece. At the end of the sintering cycle, use tweezers to move your piece to the cooler edge of the firing brick, and allow it to cool completely [4]. Metal clay pieces must be under 25 grams in weight and the size of a United States silver dollar or smaller in order to be torch-fired. You cannot torch-fire pieces if the main component is sheet or paper clay. Torch-firing pieces that are formed around cork clay can create open flames and can be hazardous.
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Place a piece of stainless steel mesh on the grate over the gas burner. Make sure it is stable. Turn on the gas to its highest setting, and observe the mesh for the hottest areas [1]. Turn off the burner and allow the mesh to return to normal color. Using tweezers, place the unfired metal clay piece on one of the areas that glowed the hottest [2]. Turn on the heat again to its highest setting. Watch to make sure the clay binders burn off and the piece glows appropriately (as described in “Torch-firing,” opposite). Adjust the flame if necessary. When the proper glow is reached, continue heating for the firing time (see chart, below ). After the cycle is complete, turn off the burner. Leave the piece untouched for at least 20 minutes, and allow it to cool completely before handling it.
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Torch- and stovetop-firing times Weight (grams) Time (minutes) 1–5 1 6–10 1½ 11–15 2 16–20 2½–3 21–25 3½–4
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glossary ALLOY A mixture of two
FUSING Heating two
REPOUSSÉ A technique
or more metallic elements
pieces of metal close to their melting points so they bond
to create a design in relief by using a hammer and steel tools to shape metal from the back side
ANNEALING Heating
work-hardened metal to restore malleability BEZEL A strip of flat wire
that surrounds and secures a stone or other object CANE A length of
polymer clay composed of colored rods that are positioned to create a design; the cane is sliced horizontally to reveal patterns CHASING Using a
hammer and steel tools to recess and/or reshape metal from the front CONDITIONING Prepar-
ing polymer clay to make it pliable CONVECTION OVEN An
oven that uses forced air circulation ENGRAVING Using steel
tools to remove bits of metal ETCHING Using acid to
remove areas of metal to form a pattern FIRE To heat an item until
all moisture is gone and the item becomes permanently hard FIRESCALE A surface
layer of cupric oxide that forms when copperbearing alloys are heated FLUX Chemicals that
prevent oxides from forming when metal is heated
GAUGE A unit of measure
describing the thickness of wire or metal; a tool used in measurement
RETICULATION A texture
LAMINATE To super-
SINTER To treat particles
impose layers of different materials
of metal clay so they fuse together
LIVER OF SULFUR
SKINNER BLEND Colors
Potassium sulfide; dissolved in water to create a patina on metal
of polymer clay combined in a smooth gradation
MARBLEIZING Combin-
composed of water and clay
ing colors of polymer clay to produce a pattern that resembles marble OXIDIZATION Metal
becoming tarnished or darkened by exposure to oxygen or by the use of chemicals PATINA Surface film
created on metal for a colored or darkened finish; often used to make texture stand out PICKLE A chemical
solution that removes flux residue and oxides from metal; also, to dip something in pickle PIERCING Using a
jeweler’s saw to cut shapes from the interior of a sheet of metal QUENCH To quickly cool
hot metal in liquid REDUCE To shrink a
design to a smaller size; make a polymer cane smaller without distortion
on metal achieved by heating it with a torch
SLIP A liquid mixture
SOLDER/SOLDERING A
lower-melting-point alloy of the same metal as the workpiece; when heated, solder flows into the spaces between two pieces of metal, forming a bond TEMPER (also MALLEABILITY )
The hardness of wire and metal. Jewelry-making wire comes in three tempers: hard, half-hard, and dead-soft. Bending or tumbling metal will workharden it. TORCH An open-flame
heat source that can produce temperatures higher than the melting point of the metal being used. Simple one-part torches use compressed gas and atmospheric oxygen; more complex torches combine compressed gas and compressed oxygen to reach higher temperatures.
© 2013, Kalmbach Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Art Jewelry is a registered trademark. This book may not be reproduced in part or in whole without written permission from the publisher. Published by Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187. Printed in U.S.A.
