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Post by velodromed on Mar 23, 2023 23:22:18 GMT -5
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dirtsifter
Cave Dweller 
Co to za kamyczek?
Member since September 2022
Posts: 402 
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Post by dirtsifter on Mar 23, 2023 23:32:56 GMT -5
Very nice! I'm sure folks do like what you are doing.
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
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Post by khara on Mar 24, 2023 0:28:07 GMT -5
Very nice.👍 You’ve been busy! I really like the red, white, and blue bracelet. And in the black one it looks like you included some black coated wire. I bought some but haven’t tried it out yet. Thought it might be fun now and then to add a color to something. I read recently that pearls are popular again with the younger gals so your materials are an “in” choice right now!
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Post by jasoninsd on Mar 24, 2023 1:21:14 GMT -5
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Post by susand24224 on Mar 24, 2023 3:07:03 GMT -5
Great way to start! I think I have learned more about the "ways of wire" from the type of wrapping you are doing and from weaving than I have from cabochon wrapping. There's a certain precision it requires which is a great asset to anything you choose to create. And I really like your creations--and especially the bracelets.
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Post by rockjunquie on Mar 24, 2023 7:53:36 GMT -5
Great projects to start with! Very nice work. They're lovely.  |
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Post by velodromed on Mar 24, 2023 18:27:52 GMT -5
Thank you, everyone! I really appreciate the feedback. That one quartz piece that’s wrapped with flat copper wire was the very first one I did. It’s hard wire so it was a pain to do. Now I use dead soft wire and I’m learning how to hammer for texture and strength. Yes, my wife really loves pearls, so I’ve been practicing with your standard freshwater ones. Now that I’m getting better, I picked up some fancy Japanese saltwater pearls and Edison freshwater pearls, which are amazing. My wife also found a broken string of 100+ year old pearls from her grandmother. I’ll be starting to work with those using 925 sterling silver wire and fixins before long. I also have about 30 different types of gemstone beads. I’m hoping to get to the point where I can make a bunch at a time. Right now I can manage one in a day before my neck screams.
So I’m slow and steady and these took the last 4 months or so. I learned off of YouTube, watching dozens of videos. I’m also good with my hands to begin with. Unfortunately, I have a fused cervical spine (c2-7 in 2016) and severe neuropathy, so if I do a little bit too much I crash for days. But my body is getting used to working with the materials slowly but surely. I had a spinal stimulator (like a pacemaker for your nervous system) installed last October and have really been improving since. Working with rocks, wire jewelry and building RC cars have helped improve my dexterity as well as the strength in all my atrophied muscles.. Keeps me from going crazy also. Running my 10 year old stepdaughter also helps and since my wife works full-time remote for the government, I take care of house and home too. Busy and happy happy happy. Y’all have a fantastic rest of your weekend and again, many thanks for the comments. I’ll be posting more as I make them. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. I love sharing what I’ve learned.
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Post by velodromed on Mar 24, 2023 18:33:24 GMT -5
Great way to start! I think I have learned more about the "ways of wire" from the type of wrapping you are doing and from weaving than I have from cabochon wrapping. There's a certain precision it requires which is a great asset to anything you choose to create. And I really like your creations--and especially the bracelets. Thank you! I’ve been working on cutting and polishing, small agate and petrified wood slabs for the last two months. I’m finally finishing up with a bunch of them and will start experimenting with wire wrapping. I’m going to try to drill holes in some, others I want to figure out how to wrap around the edge or something like that. It’s in my head, I just can’t explain it. I’m going to pick up some basic silversmithing equipment to experiment with in the near future. I like wire wrapping, but something about silversmithing really appeals to me. I already have good soldering experience and much of the equipment from building RC cars for the last 4 years. |
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Post by velodromed on Mar 24, 2023 18:36:41 GMT -5
Very nice Velo! Okay...I'm sure it's not what you intended...but this one totally made me think of a Hanging Iron Cage...and I REALLY like it!!   That’s great!! And you’re totally right! It’s actually the very first time that I ever wire wrapped something. I got the wrong kind of copper wire though, it’s very hard. It didn’t occur to me to temper it either, so it was a Pain. But I kind of made it work. At least enough for my step daughter to love it. The quartz is one we found together and I tumbled/polished it for about six weeks or so. |
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Post by rockjunquie on Mar 24, 2023 18:41:14 GMT -5
Thank you, everyone! I really appreciate the feedback. That one quartz piece that’s wrapped with flat copper wire was the very first one I did. It’s hard wire so it was a pain to do. Now I use dead soft wire and I’m learning how to hammer for texture and strength. Yes, my wife really loves pearls, so I’ve been practicing with your standard freshwater ones. Now that I’m getting better, I picked up some fancy Japanese saltwater pearls and Edison freshwater pearls, which are amazing. My wife also found a broken string of 100+ year old pearls from her grandmother. I’ll be starting to work with those using 925 sterling silver wire and fixins before long. I also have about 30 different types of gemstone beads. I’m hoping to get to the point where I can make a bunch at a time. Right now I can manage one in a day before my neck screams. So I’m slow and steady and these took the last 4 months or so. I learned off of YouTube, watching dozens of videos. I’m also good with my hands to begin with. Unfortunately, I have a fused cervical spine (c2-7 in 2016) and severe neuropathy, so if I do a little bit too much I crash for days. But my body is getting used to working with the materials slowly but surely. I had a spinal stimulator (like a pacemaker for your nervous system) installed last October and have really been improving since. Working with rocks, wire jewelry and building RC cars have helped improve my dexterity as well as the strength in all my atrophied muscles.. Keeps me from going crazy also. Running my 10 year old stepdaughter also helps and since my wife works full-time remote for the government, I take care of house and home too. Busy and happy happy happy. Y’all have a fantastic rest of your weekend and again, many thanks for the comments. I’ll be posting more as I make them. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. I love sharing what I’ve learned. I'm sorry about your neck. Mine is pretty ok, but a long stint working jewelry hurts my neck, too. I can only imagine your pain.
If I might make a suggestion- when you go to work on the expensive and sentimental pearls, maybe 14 gold filled wire would be the better choice- or Argentium Sterling silver. It's really hard to clean that sterling silver tarnish around precious pearls. The gold filled wire and Argentium are going to tarnish much less.
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Post by velodromed on Mar 24, 2023 19:41:43 GMT -5
Sorry to hear that your neck hurts also. It’s not a fun thing to deal with. I’ve seen the Argentinian wire and wondered about it. Thanks for telling me about the advantages. I will try some out. Never even thought about gold color because none of us really like it. I’ll need to at some point though because not all people like silver. I do things in Copper also but still, gold is it for some folks.
It really surprised me at first. I figured that the strength I built up in my arms from wrenching on RC cars for years would make wire wrapping easy. But it seems to use a lot of muscles up in my shoulders and neck that I didn’t normally use. That’s actually a good thing and I know I’ll build up to it eventually. Wrenching was extremely painful for many months I remember.
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
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Post by khara on Mar 24, 2023 19:50:08 GMT -5
I'm hoping maybe my hands will get stronger? I have crafted all my life but now my hands really cramp up. Never had this before so I'm hoping I'll get conditioned and stronger and that it's not just a forever thing now.
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Post by rockjunquie on Mar 24, 2023 19:50:44 GMT -5
Sorry to hear that your neck hurts also. It’s not a fun thing to deal with. I’ve seen the Argentinian wire and wondered about it. Thanks for telling me about the advantages. I will try some out. Never even thought about gold color because none of us really like it. I’ll need to at some point though because not all people like silver. I do things in Copper also but still, gold is it for some folks. It really surprised me at first. I figured that the strength I built up in my arms from wrenching on RC cars for years would make wire wrapping easy. But it seems to use a lot of muscles up in my shoulders and neck that I didn’t normally use. That’s actually a good thing and I know I’ll build up to it eventually. Wrenching was extremely painful for many months I remember. When you want to quote someone directly, just hit that quote button up on the right. The quote button will automatically open a reply with the quote for you. Plus, the person you are quoting will be notified. |
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Post by velodromed on Mar 24, 2023 19:57:59 GMT -5
Very nice.👍 You’ve been busy! I really like the red, white, and blue bracelet. And in the black one it looks like you included some black coated wire. I bought some but haven’t tried it out yet. Thought it might be fun now and then to add a color to something. I read recently that pearls are popular again with the younger gals so your materials are an “in” choice right now! Yup, I’d gotten a bunch of 20 gauge, colored copper wire for my stepdaughter to work with, then I realize that black jump rings, slightly hammered, looked really good in some things. The red white and blue one is Amber with 4 mm beads from a chakra package on copper wire. It’s actually the second thing that I made and my wife absolutely loves it. |
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Mar 24, 2023 21:02:54 GMT -5
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Post by velodromed on Mar 24, 2023 22:02:32 GMT -5
I'm hoping maybe my hands will get stronger? I have crafted all my life but now my hands really cramp up. Never had this before so I'm hoping I'll get conditioned and stronger and that it's not just a forever thing now. Try Voltaren gel. It’s over the counter now but I get mine by prescription because it’s cheaper that way. It really works wonders with achy and arthritic hands. I’ve used it for years, especially in the mornings when my hands and feet hurt the worst for some reason. Soaking your hands in very strong and very warm epsom salt water is also a good pain reliever. The magnesium in the epsom salts helps ease cramping also. The longer the soak the better. Get a grip ball also and begin exercising your hands. I keep one by my bed and use it daily. You can recover from repetitive motion injuries by easing swelling and strengthening the small supporting muscles I’ve found. It may take awhile but is worth it. |
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Post by velodromed on Mar 24, 2023 22:04:22 GMT -5
I was just watching one of Robs (Michigan rocks) videos on groove wrapping! I love how clean and simple it looks. |
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Post by velodromed on Mar 24, 2023 22:07:37 GMT -5
Sorry to hear that your neck hurts also. It’s not a fun thing to deal with. I’ve seen the Argentinian wire and wondered about it. Thanks for telling me about the advantages. I will try some out. Never even thought about gold color because none of us really like it. I’ll need to at some point though because not all people like silver. I do things in Copper also but still, gold is it for some folks. It really surprised me at first. I figured that the strength I built up in my arms from wrenching on RC cars for years would make wire wrapping easy. But it seems to use a lot of muscles up in my shoulders and neck that I didn’t normally use. That’s actually a good thing and I know I’ll build up to it eventually. Wrenching was extremely painful for many months I remember. When you want to quote someone directly, just hit that quote button up on the right. The quote button will automatically open a reply with the quote for you. Plus, the person you are quoting will be notified. Thanks for the hint! I’m figuring it out here and really liking this forum. |
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Post by drocknut on Mar 26, 2023 22:46:41 GMT -5
Nice job on all of them. Looks like you are quickly getting the hang of using wire.
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bgoodz
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Bill
Member since January 2023
Posts: 85
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Post by bgoodz on Mar 27, 2023 0:13:23 GMT -5
All of them are nice, very appealing. Good job
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