Post by chrisperez on Sept 18, 2010 15:59:10 GMT -5
Hello everyone..... that's right, I'm still here....
I made some simple pendants with tumbled stones. I just drilled them as per 150FromFundy's instructions ( Totally Rock Tumbling Photos Forum :: How to Drill a Pendant ) to 1/4" to 1/2" deep. Then using cyanoacrylate gel ( super glue ), I glued some sterling silver head pins ( from Rio Grande ) into the hole....
As a side note, I bought a set of diamond bits from Harbor Freight for around $7. The set has ( errr, had
) many small bits ranging in size from about 1 mm up to about 2.5 mm. I started using the smallest bit, but that broke after a few stones. Then I went up to the next size and broke that one too 
. The holes worked fine with the pins, no problem what so ever.
The next bit I used was about 1.75 mm. After drilling the stone with that bit, I was afraid the hole was a little big for the head pin wire ( CA glue shrinks a little as it sets, not good for filling gaps ). So, I folded the wire over onto itself, which I really like because it give the glue alot more surface to hold on to and fills the hole nicely.
.... After the glue set ( 1/2 hour or so ) I attached a sterling silver jump ring into the ring on the pin. I ran a string through the jump ring, shook it around a little and.... hey, the stone fell right off the jump ring (
grrr... stupid jump ring 
).
Well, I grabbed my bag-o-scrap silver wire, and pulled out a few pieces of 20ga square and 24ga half round ( about 1 1/2" each ), and made my own little ...uh... thingy to hang the stone from.
I just bent the wire like this... ( this was just the "prototype", the loop on the left has to be bigger )
Then I wrapped it a few times with the 24ga, trimmed off the excess, and Voilà....
It's hard to see, but the 24ga is tucked into the base of the loops to keep it from snagging and coming unbound ( is that a word? ).
I think they came out O.K... Quick and easy... you really can't beat that
.
Well, how'd I do?
Chris
I made some simple pendants with tumbled stones. I just drilled them as per 150FromFundy's instructions ( Totally Rock Tumbling Photos Forum :: How to Drill a Pendant ) to 1/4" to 1/2" deep. Then using cyanoacrylate gel ( super glue ), I glued some sterling silver head pins ( from Rio Grande ) into the hole....
As a side note, I bought a set of diamond bits from Harbor Freight for around $7. The set has ( errr, had
) many small bits ranging in size from about 1 mm up to about 2.5 mm. I started using the smallest bit, but that broke after a few stones. Then I went up to the next size and broke that one too 
. The holes worked fine with the pins, no problem what so ever. The next bit I used was about 1.75 mm. After drilling the stone with that bit, I was afraid the hole was a little big for the head pin wire ( CA glue shrinks a little as it sets, not good for filling gaps ). So, I folded the wire over onto itself, which I really like because it give the glue alot more surface to hold on to and fills the hole nicely.
.... After the glue set ( 1/2 hour or so ) I attached a sterling silver jump ring into the ring on the pin. I ran a string through the jump ring, shook it around a little and.... hey, the stone fell right off the jump ring (
grrr... stupid jump ring 
).Well, I grabbed my bag-o-scrap silver wire, and pulled out a few pieces of 20ga square and 24ga half round ( about 1 1/2" each ), and made my own little ...uh... thingy
to hang the stone from. I just bent the wire like this... ( this was just the "prototype", the loop on the left has to be bigger )
Then I wrapped it a few times with the 24ga, trimmed off the excess, and Voilà....
It's hard to see, but the 24ga is tucked into the base of the loops to keep it from snagging and coming unbound ( is that a word? ).
I think they came out O.K... Quick and easy... you really can't beat that
.Well, how'd I do?
Chris
