jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 10, 2016 17:16:01 GMT -5
Darn coral is so hard I kept hammering and annealing until time to close the prongs. Annealed to cherry using Walmart propane, it does it well. Used the coral as the anvil on 1/8" silicon rubber sheet on anvil, coral tumbles that have good shoulders. Cut an isosceles triangle on two of them and then hammer formed the copper starting from the back. Preformed the metal and picked a rock from the pile to fit. Reverse planning design method RPDM. i made that up ha. Had a hard time getting the slack out. Just a rough go at it. No way the stones will fall out. May consider a soft jawed press to press form the metal over the curved back of the stone. Polished rocks can take a lot pressure. Then start folding the prongs starting from the back and working toward the front. Doll up the prongs prior to folding to improve effect. Another alternative is to press a spooned back plate and then hammer or press the slack out. Different, maybe cheesy. Solve the slack problem and they would be sexy. Rock hosiery. Rock bra. Rock tights.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2016 17:52:06 GMT -5
Interesting,I like how the copper melds around the stone.dude if you start smithing,watch out.i anticipate your next piece now Dave
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Post by rockjunquie on Feb 10, 2016 18:03:28 GMT -5
Sweet! I love the look. The last one is crazy cool. The colors work perfectly. Great job! Now, leave room for a bail next time.
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Post by vegasjames on Feb 10, 2016 18:56:18 GMT -5
Great designs.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Feb 10, 2016 19:30:35 GMT -5
Well, I took better photos since Tela picked this one as fav. My wife asked about the bail before it hit the desk top. Being smart, I told her it is a pocket jewel. Not sure I could wrestle a bail in there. ideas welcome. It's gotta hang Tela. Maybe the photos will show the lack of tightness. I will say that that fat nugget of coral could be beat with a sledge hammer and not break. Perhaps pressing it into a block of rubber would make it fit tighter. But the hammering had to be gentle to reduce the slack fit. Directionally sensitive blows. Harder blows increases the size of the metal therefore increasing the slack. vegasjames, there was no effort in design, just an attempt to tightly envelope the rock tightly with unplanned shape of metal. Please call this one luck. @arrowheadave Repeatability is not proven. Ever make a good piece just because you were in a good mood ?
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Post by mohs on Feb 10, 2016 19:48:24 GMT -5
I won't comment until its perfect w/you james it won't be long
solder a bail on ?
those are really happening!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2016 20:03:56 GMT -5
You are definitely correct.i actually do my best work after getting a fat paycheck.lol but yes you are right,when in a not good mood everything seems way harder.can you not solder a bail on the piece,JB weld??just kidding. Dave
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2016 20:06:49 GMT -5
Can you bend the top tab out drill a 1mm hole,torch the end of a wire to ball the end,flatten it then insert through the hole with wire protruding upwards,then fashion a bail from the wire then tap tab back in place. Dave
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jamesp
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Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Feb 10, 2016 20:07:38 GMT -5
I won't comment until its perfect w/you james it won't be long solder a bail on ? those are really happening! Need to get some lights, could not see well. Been a long time too. Thanks Ed
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Post by manofglass on Feb 10, 2016 20:15:29 GMT -5
They look good to me jamesp
walt
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Feb 10, 2016 20:19:49 GMT -5
Can you bend the top tab out drill a 1mm hole,torch the end of a wire to ball the end,flatten it then insert through the hole with wire protruding upwards,then fashion a bail from the wire then tap tab back in place. Dave Attack the bail at a tab eh Dave. Was curious if hammer only could surround a stone with a linear edged bezel. Linear edge for ease of cutting and de-burring. Triangle did the trick for 3 sidish rocks. Will do a square bezel for 4 siders. Then deviate from there. Incredible how attitude effects bench work. You have to be so focused. Maybe more focused than any physical activity. And totally drained after. Great respect for those that make real jewelry like Dave.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Feb 10, 2016 20:22:07 GMT -5
They look good to me jamesp walt Used those rubber diamond pads 400 and 800 to finish the edges Walt. They cut that metal like butter.
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Post by Pat on Feb 10, 2016 20:35:27 GMT -5
jamesp what gauge is that copper? Thinner gauge would be much, much easier to bend. You can also design the bail as just another "prong". Nice work all around. You are a natural!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2016 21:06:49 GMT -5
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 10, 2016 21:26:40 GMT -5
jamesp what gauge is that copper? Thinner gauge would be much, much easier to bend. You can also design the bail as just another "prong". Nice work all around. You are a natural! Thanks Pat. Probably 24 gauge plain 99.9% pure roofing copper. From the junk yard for $2-3/pound. I see you can get a 12" X 12' for $18 on Ebay. I think 24 gauge is 16 ounces per 12" X 12". So Ebay sheet is about $15/pound. It anneals perfectly. About all roofing copper is 99.9 copper, high quality. Not sure what Rio sells it for. Ah, Rio is $15 for 6" X 12", so they are $30/pound. But it is dead soft. Roofing copper is hard, but dead soft after the torch gets ahold of it. It could be 22 gauge, not sure which one was used. Copper roofing comes in both 22 and 24. And then there was some 23 gauge laying around, it is from silver plated serving ware. Not sure which one was used. I bought a whole pile of used copper roofing back when copper was $1.60/pound. The ridge copper is much thicker, probably 20 gauge.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Feb 10, 2016 21:33:35 GMT -5
Yes Scott, the copper colored solder. It would take the other torch ha. Propane won't do it easy or likely not at all. I must try that sometime though.
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Post by radio on Feb 11, 2016 9:00:02 GMT -5
I like the quick thinking to come up with "Pocket jewel" Cool pieces and congrats on some out of the box thinking! I'll be working on the Bots before long
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Feb 11, 2016 9:24:06 GMT -5
Looking forward to a bot creation from one of the pros radio.
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Post by radio on Feb 11, 2016 12:17:53 GMT -5
Looking forward to a bot creation from one of the pros radio. Pro?!?! Where, what when?!?! :-). Message me an e mail Addy. I have pics for you
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Feb 11, 2016 13:13:09 GMT -5
Looking forward to a bot creation from one of the pros radio. Pro?!?! Where, what when?!?! :-). Message me an e mail Addy. I have pics for you With very good eyesight. Please post photos.
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