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Post by liveoak on Aug 27, 2024 17:31:51 GMT -5
Oooooo, those came out REALLY nice! I don't wear hoops, either, but I'd give them a try.
Yeah, snap sets can be tricky. Glad the pop-sickle stick worked for you. I'll try the punch like you did the next time I use one.
Thanks, Tela - your pop stick trick actually saved the day ! Those came out great Patty! Very neat and symmetrical. Nice flow inside the circles too. Looks like you downsized them quite a bit. 3" is huge! Thanks, Gary. Yeah, I was thinking 3" sounded like a pendant, not earrings. I can't imagine wearing a 3" earring - My neck just ain't long enough !
But maybe, there's a matching pendant in there somewhere.
Patty
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Post by susand24224 on Aug 30, 2024 1:26:16 GMT -5
liveoak, I think they're great! and the basic design is soooo modifiable, my mind is already seeing alternatives. They are dainty, yet quite interesting, and I love how you conquered the "setting" issue. My apologies for the delay in responding; I've got a badly sprained leg and I can't sit in front of the computer long. PS: Mine is done--but not photographed. I don't think I have it in me to set up a good photo, so tomorrow I will submit a lousy photo or two. Blobs and all.
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Post by liveoak on Aug 30, 2024 6:03:42 GMT -5
Thank you, Susan. I'm looking forward to seeing yours & hope your leg is better soon.
Patty
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Post by rockjunquie on Aug 30, 2024 7:36:20 GMT -5
liveoak , I think they're great! and the basic design is soooo modifiable, my mind is already seeing alternatives. They are dainty, yet quite interesting, and I love how you conquered the "setting" issue. My apologies for the delay in responding; I've got a badly sprained leg and I can't sit in front of the computer long. PS: Mine is done--but not photographed. I don't think I have it in me to set up a good photo, so tomorrow I will submit a lousy photo or two. Blobs and all. I'm sorry to hear about your sprained leg, Susan. Ouch.
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Post by susand24224 on Aug 30, 2024 15:44:36 GMT -5
liveoak , I think they're great! and the basic design is soooo modifiable, my mind is already seeing alternatives. They are dainty, yet quite interesting, and I love how you conquered the "setting" issue. My apologies for the delay in responding; I've got a badly sprained leg and I can't sit in front of the computer long. PS: Mine is done--but not photographed. I don't think I have it in me to set up a good photo, so tomorrow I will submit a lousy photo or two. Blobs and all. I'm sorry to hear about your sprained leg, Susan. Ouch. Thank you, Tela, it is getting old. But it has also taught me to appreciate my (functional) body much more. . .if it ever goes away.
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Post by susand24224 on Aug 31, 2024 17:54:51 GMT -5
I remembered to photograph my creations finally! The first one is a bracelet that I made with the "form" that liveoak showcased awhile back--she was kind enough to locate a seller for me and also to give me tips on how to keep the solder from breaking. I'm sure her method worked for her, but not for me, so it was resoldered. Then I got tired of filing all the solder off and promptly designated it a "design element" which I successfully hid in the photos. Nevertheless, it was and remains a "design element" although I have put a new set of files in my "wish list" at Rio Grande, having had my current set for over forty years. New things: Bracelet forming with the super tool; wire solder for the first time. Neither were real challenging, but still, they were new. What I was *really* playing with is the copper blobs. I love them! But--I made a pair of earrings out of 18 gauge copper to look like a fish hook, and tried to make blobs of copper at the bottom. Pieces kept falling off. So I purchased another butane torch with a wider tip so I could heat more at once and promptly melted one of the fishhooks. I reformed the fishhooks with 16 gauge copper but decided they were too clunky to really be earrings, so back to the drawing board. In the meantime, I created three copper blobs that I have become rather attached to, although I haven't a clue what I will do with them. New: I actually dragged out a dremel I purchased probably 15 years ago and never used to try to polish them. It sort of worked. So that was a first. Actually most of this was a "first" but all I have to show is my beloved blobs, which I probably should have left in pickle longer. Perhaps they could be earrings. Any thoughts?
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mossyrockhound
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2011
Posts: 1,313
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Post by mossyrockhound on Aug 31, 2024 18:19:04 GMT -5
Here's something I haven't tried - beads and bronze. I can't really show what went wrong, but I did have to rework it due to the way the bail turned out(top bead 'pushed' bail backward). Also the holes in the beads were too big for one wire, so I forced two wires through them. Anyway, I love the labradorite, so I thought I would post this. I got my inspiration for this from rockbrain, although his turned out much nicer.
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Post by susand24224 on Aug 31, 2024 22:26:22 GMT -5
Thank you, Susan. I'm looking forward to seeing yours & hope your leg is better soon.
Patty
thank you, liveoak Patty. It is very frustrating! The tumbleweeds are approaching 3 feet tall.
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Post by liveoak on Sept 1, 2024 6:20:41 GMT -5
Fabulous bracelet, Susan ! @ susand24224
Well, the good news about the bracelet, is that you have that fancy tool now & can make lots of them,
sometimes they work & sometimes they don't . Besides, filing is good meditation time .
As to your blobs, I'm sorry we missed the fishhooks, sounded fun with the bait on the end.
But I certainly could see your blobs pickled, LOS, and wired into an interesting wrap.
Might have to sculpt them a little so they aren't dangerous to touch.
But I think they could be an interesting design element.
I look forward to seeing it
Patty
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Post by liveoak on Sept 1, 2024 6:26:01 GMT -5
thank you, liveoak Patty. It is very frustrating! The tumbleweeds are approaching 3 feet tall. So I guess I've lived a sheltered life, as I've never seen actual tumbleweeds.
But I'm imagining 3 feet tall ones rolling around & thinking you're lucky you only sprained your leg !
Be careful out there !
Patty
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Post by liveoak on Sept 1, 2024 6:29:08 GMT -5
Here's something I haven't tried - beads and bronze. I can't really show what went wrong, but I did have to rework it due to the way the bail turned out(top bead 'pushed' bail backward). Also, the holes in the beads were too big for one wire, so I forced two wires through them. Anyway, I love the labradorite, so I thought I would post this. I got my inspiration for this from rockbrain , although his turned out much nicer. Very nice wrap - quite elegant ! I've never tried bronze wire, any tips or tricks to share ?
Patty
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mossyrockhound
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2011
Posts: 1,313
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Post by mossyrockhound on Sept 1, 2024 10:34:08 GMT -5
[/quote] Very nice wrap - quite elegant ! I've never tried bronze wire, any tips or tricks to share ?
Patty
[/quote] Thanks Patty! I don't have any tips or tricks for working bronze. Bronze works about the same as pure copper. I ordered a spool of square, dead soft bronze from Rio Grande a couple years ago and have used it a lot. I wanted it because it doesn't oxidize as bad as copper. After 2 or 3 years there is no sign of oxidation. However, finding bronze half-round wire is very difficult. I finally found some at Walmart, of all places. Also, Rio Grande doesn't carry bronze anymore. Thanks for showing your nice work and showing the tips.
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Post by rockjunquie on Sept 2, 2024 13:18:59 GMT -5
Here's something I haven't tried - beads and bronze. I can't really show what went wrong, but I did have to rework it due to the way the bail turned out(top bead 'pushed' bail backward). Also the holes in the beads were too big for one wire, so I forced two wires through them. Anyway, I love the labradorite, so I thought I would post this. I got my inspiration for this from rockbrain , although his turned out much nicer. Very pretty! That cab is to die for- looks like spectrolite. The wrap is just froo froo enough. I like working with bronze. It's like- buttery.
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Post by rockjunquie on Sept 2, 2024 13:20:23 GMT -5
I remembered to photograph my creations finally! The first one is a bracelet that I made with the "form" that liveoak showcased awhile back--she was kind enough to locate a seller for me and also to give me tips on how to keep the solder from breaking. I'm sure her method worked for her, but not for me, so it was resoldered. Then I got tired of filing all the solder off and promptly designated it a "design element" which I successfully hid in the photos. Nevertheless, it was and remains a "design element" although I have put a new set of files in my "wish list" at Rio Grande, having had my current set for over forty years. New things: Bracelet forming with the super tool; wire solder for the first time. Neither were real challenging, but still, they were new. What I was *really* playing with is the copper blobs. I love them! But--I made a pair of earrings out of 18 gauge copper to look like a fish hook, and tried to make blobs of copper at the bottom. Pieces kept falling off. So I purchased another butane torch with a wider tip so I could heat more at once and promptly melted one of the fishhooks. I reformed the fishhooks with 16 gauge copper but decided they were too clunky to really be earrings, so back to the drawing board. In the meantime, I created three copper blobs that I have become rather attached to, although I haven't a clue what I will do with them. New: I actually dragged out a dremel I purchased probably 15 years ago and never used to try to polish them. It sort of worked. So that was a first. Actually most of this was a "first" but all I have to show is my beloved blobs, which I probably should have left in pickle longer. Perhaps they could be earrings. Any thoughts? Lots of firsts. Those blobs are really cool! They just scream use me! I don't really know for what, but they are just too neat.
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Post by rockjunquie on Sept 2, 2024 13:21:32 GMT -5
Well, guys and girls seems like we reached another end to the Challenge. Since rockbrain was first he gets to choose.
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