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Post by rockjunquie on Oct 18, 2019 23:55:18 GMT -5
Just finished this and took some pics along the way for instagram. I got the pietersite from Jeff Barnhouse and it is SWEET! Best I have ever seen. The slab wasn't cheap even though it is very thin. I knew it was thin and I was cool with it, but Jeff messaged me to make sure I knew before he sent which I thought was really stand up. So, I got the slab because it is so great and thought I would make doublets, but then I was like.... why not tumble it? And I did. Came out fantastic! I tumbled 2 days in 500 and 2 days in AO polish.
This is it finished- I ordered a nice chain for it. Stone is 40mm
step one, get the bail on with plenty of room for the tip of the stone. I used 16g argentium 
I balled up the both ends of another piece of 16g and dropped it in the pickle 
I wrapped the balled wire around the bail. And then it was patina time. It took better than usual for argetium 
Ick... I still use good old fashioned steel wool to take off the excess and follow it with a brass brush then pink spiders. (3m radial bristle sanders) 
after all that, this is what it looks like. 
Thanks for looking.  |
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Post by tims on Oct 19, 2019 2:43:14 GMT -5
To ball up the ends of the second wire did you use a torch and melt them? The addition of that second wire wrapped almost perpendicular to the bail adds a really pleasant discord to the piece.
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Post by fernwood on Oct 19, 2019 3:06:25 GMT -5
I love the ball like effects on the additional wrapped part of the bail.
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Post by rockjunquie on Oct 19, 2019 8:12:57 GMT -5
To ball up the ends of the second wire did you use a torch and melt them? The addition of that second wire wrapped almost perpendicular to the bail adds a really pleasant discord to the piece. Yes, just a kitchen torch. Butane. |
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723 
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Post by Fossilman on Oct 19, 2019 13:50:33 GMT -5
Hey, that turned out nice!
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Post by rockjunquie on Oct 19, 2019 13:57:54 GMT -5
Hey, that turned out nice! Thanks! I'm going to sell it as a man's pendant and ordered a nice heavy manly chain for it. I'll be getting better pix, too. |
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Post by rockjunquie on Oct 19, 2019 13:59:24 GMT -5
To ball up the ends of the second wire did you use a torch and melt them? The addition of that second wire wrapped almost perpendicular to the bail adds a really pleasant discord to the piece. I meant to mention that I was using Argentium sterling silver which doesn't need a flux to make a nice ball without dimples the way regular sterling does. That was 16g wire and a small creme brulee torch worked fine. |
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Oct 19, 2019 14:07:25 GMT -5
Very nice !
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