surferchickee
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2006
Posts: 15
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Post by surferchickee on Apr 17, 2007 19:57:58 GMT -5
Hello,
I finished my first batch of rocks a couple months ago (thanks to all of your great advice), and have been stuck in a rut trying to figure out what to do with them. I tried my hand at wire wrapping and its just not for me (I know it takes practice, but I didn't enjoy my first attempt at it, and don't favor this kind of look). What are my other options for turning my stones into jewelry?
Can I drill a hole in the top of the stones and turn them into pendants or string them into bracelets? Are drills expensive? Where do I find out how to do it?
What are other options? Is there some way to mount stones into pre-made settings that fit my rocks ?
Thanks for any advice! ;D
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Post by deb193 on Apr 17, 2007 20:54:47 GMT -5
If you have a rounded nugget, then top drilling is possible. You can even do it with a hand-held Dremel. Search here for threads on drilling, there have been several including a tutorial or two. Not an expensive proposition.
Nuggets can also be put into spiral bead cages. Look for cages at Fire Mountain Beads.
Flatter stones can be face-drilled or a glue-on bail (search for my thread on 300 pendants for examples). Conical stones can use a glue on bell-cap (search for BikerRandy's pendant tutorial.)
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Post by cpdad on Apr 17, 2007 21:50:39 GMT -5
i havent posted much in pics lately....but i have some about a week or so from being finished...and i tried something new...not sure how it is going to work out...but they are tumbled pendants using this bail... or similiar stores.channeladvisor.com/beadaholique/Items/fco-4076? yes the pendant must be thin....and then drilled...ill let you know how it goes shortly. bikerrandy pendants are killer....daniel also cranks out killer pendants but in a totally diff style....kev.
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lastl98
spending too much on rocks
Member since February 2007
Posts: 410
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Post by lastl98 on Apr 17, 2007 23:50:29 GMT -5
I actually had the same feelings after my 1st batch but I got lucky & my wife seems to be a natural @ the wire wrapping. However, before I/we knew this I had taken my 1st batch & cut/preformed them & polished them again & they can be sold/used for others to drill/wrap/capped etc for themselves. Many of my 1st stones were way too big & after cutting them up I was much more successful at using them or giving them to others to use. Last
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adrian65
Cave Dweller
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,777
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Post by adrian65 on Apr 18, 2007 1:37:24 GMT -5
I'm just at the beginning of tumbling, but I dream to make a low table with a thick glass. Under this glass I'll let enough space (about 20 mm) to put tumbled rocks. This could also solve the storing problem.
Adrian
PS. Could we see this first batch?
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Post by connrock on Apr 18, 2007 4:30:31 GMT -5
I've gone the wire wrap route a few times too and had to spend weeks in anger management to recover!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! I don't like the "normal" wire wrapped jewelry as I think the artists put more effort into showing off their wire wrap and forget all about showing off the stone. To me it's like having a large beautiful oil painting and covering 85% of it with a big bulky frame.The frame is not the subject,,,the stone is. I should say that I don't wear any jewelry but am it's worst critic! LOL I think there's more to making jewelry then just "making jewelry".You have to consider weather you are trying to create a thing of beauty or something that will pass as jewelry for selling purposes. In either case beauty is in the eye of the beholder and each artist expresses him/her-self in what their eyes see as beauty. I've been trying to create a thing of beauty (in my eyes) for many years and still can't please myself. I'm retiring and have just bought a jewelers torch and all the goodies needed to "create". "My" problem is that I have the know how but VERY little creativity. Where am I going with this? If it looks good to YOU,,,, by God do it!!!! connrock
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polished
has rocks in the head
Member since February 2006
Posts: 567
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Post by polished on Apr 18, 2007 10:00:31 GMT -5
Drilling holes is a good method, depending on the size/thickness/shape of the stones. Gluing bails on is also a good method - I use both. Wire wrapping is not for me, either. Dremels work wonders, with a good diamond bit, but it does take time, patience and several bits. I'm looking at a new, sturdier drill in the future, but I do still glue on bails quite often. I regularly sell jewelry and polished stones at art shows and find both methods equally attractive.
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surferchickee
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2006
Posts: 15
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Post by surferchickee on Apr 18, 2007 18:20:53 GMT -5
Thanks for all of the advice. Hopefully you won't mind if I ask a few more questions For those wondering what my first batch looks like, here's the link to my original post: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/index.cgi?board=Pictures&action=display&thread=1172114196For drilling, what kind of drill bit do I use? It sounds like a diamond bit, but do they come in multiple sizes? Some of the rounder stones are about a half inch wide...is that too thick to drill? And what kind of glue do you use for a glue-on bail? Do the rocks stay attached pretty welll with glue? My goal isn't to sell the jewelry (at least not yet). Several friends liked my first batch and I'd like to make some pieces for them!
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Post by deb193 on Apr 18, 2007 21:16:37 GMT -5
Those are pretty round I would use spiral cages. www.firemountaingems.com/details.asp?PN=H202246FNclick to enlargeYou can get drill bits at cyberrockhound.com or lopacki.com or richontools.com they vary in quality, thickness, and diameter. I think your rocks are quartzite, so it will wear down drill bits pretty fast. I recommend 0.75mm for the top-drilling, but you need a light touch because they break easy. IF you don't mind a more rustic look, you can use a steel eye-hook from the hardware store and they you can drill with a 1.25 mm drill bit that is much less likely to break. You would drill down about 1/4" and then get an eye-hook on a post and glue it into the hole. Any epoxy would work, but Epoxy 330 is the lapidary standard. These are drilled with 0.75mm and a silver-plated eye from Fire Mountain is used: ( click to order) (click to enlarge) I used a 60-minute Devcon epoxy for the 300 pendant marathon. forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/index.cgi?board=Pictures&action=display&thread=1173665788&page=1
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adrian65
Cave Dweller
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,777
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Post by adrian65 on Apr 19, 2007 0:43:36 GMT -5
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