Quick Tip on Separating Discs

Separating discs are very useful in scoring metal for bending and when cutting tool steel like graver blanks.  The discs are very hard but brittle.  I use to get really nervous when using these discs to cut because I keep wanting to see if I'm cutting at my marked line or not.  Here's a quick tip to make the task easier.

1.  Here I mark a line for cutting.
2.  As you can see, you can't see through the disc.  It's like trying to drive in thick fog.

3.   I use my pliers to make a notch on the disc.  How much to break off?  If the notch goes all the way to the screw edge of the mandrel, then it's too deep.  Even with the notch, it will still cut like a new round one.

4.  Now I mount the disc back on the flex shaft after the "enhancement."

 

5.  See how I can see through the notched disc?  Now I can cut or score with more confidence.

6.  Another look at the modified disc at high speed.

And of course, ALWAYS wear eye protection when using separating discs.  A dust mask is highly recommended as that disc can kick up a lot of dust.

(This post also appears on the EtsyMetal Blog.)

Raised Bead Setting

This is my latest commission piece - a 14K gold pendant with a 4mm round faceted ruby. Due to the high cost of gold (eeek!!! $1,004 per oz as of this very moment), I sweat solder a piece of 14K with a piece of 10K, to achieve a .006 inch (1.5 mm) thickness of this pendant. Hey, you skimp where you can , right? The rest of the necklace is all 14K.

The ruby was set with bead prongs that were raised from adjacent materials. This technique is the basis of pave stone setting, which is one of the most challenging of all stone setting techniques.

After setting the stone, I put a sandblasted texture on the front and back. Edges are brought to a high polish. Finally touches are the quality stamps and then I signed on one of the edges. Ah yes, I still need to design and have a hallmark stamp made. Soon!

The group of photos below are my progress pictures.

Playtime with Metal

Anticlastic raising is one of the many metal techniques. It is a surface having two curvatures (transverse to each other) that lie in opposite directions - convex in length and concave in breadth, or vice versa.

Below is a sequence of pictures to show my progression.

Confetti Cuff - The Making

This is my latest bracelet listed in my etsy store. I'm using the photos to send with an application for a show in October. My friend, Jodi, bless her sweet heart, took photographs of the creation process:

Materials I used - bronze sheet, sterling wire

I use my AutoCAD software to plan out my design and figure out the amount of materials I need to cut. This creates a template for tracing onto the metal sheet, as well as keeping a record of my designs. I only use the computer for some of my pieces, not all of them.

Here, I transfer the design from a heavier paper stock template onto the metal sheet.

I saw cut the bronze insert part out from the sheet material.

Filing the edges smooth. Then I cut enough sterling wire to frame around the bronze insert.

Soldering the 2 materials together. Then I release Jodi so she can go home and get ready for work. Sorry, no pictures of me with the hammers, dust mask and eye protection.

The bracelet is bent into an oval shape. Now comes the FUN part (eyes rolling) - sanding and finishing.

The finished product. I could have skip the silver edging, which would save a ton of time. But here with the two-tone look, it seems to add so much to it. What do you think?

Cleaning Silver Jewelry

Being a jeweler, several customers had asked me how to clean their sterling silver jewelry without the hard work of hand rubbing with polishing cloth. I usually use a polishing lathe or a tumbler to clean my creations before they ever leave my studio. Well, not everyone have access to these equipment. So I did some research and found the following organic method that only requires simple household items. (Note that this WILL NOT work on silver plated items or jewelry with porous stones such as turquoise, pearls and shells.)

You will need –
- large old pot (DO NOT use this pot for food prep afterwards)
- aluminum foil
- ½ a gallon of boiling water
- ¼ cup baking soda
- ¼ cup salt
- ¼ cup liquid dish soap
- plastic spoons
- strainer

1. Line the pot with aluminum foil.
2. Spread out your sterling jewelry in the pot, making sure they don’t touch each other.
3. Mix the baking soda, salt and dish soap and put in the pot.
4. Add enough water to cover the jewelry (about 2-3 inches) and bring the water to a boil for 2-3 minutes. Avoid breathing the fumes or putting your face near the steam.
5. Use the plastic spoons to gently move the jewelry pieces around so that they touch the aluminum surfaces.
6. When your silver jewelry is shiny again, pour everything out into a strainer and rinse with water.
7. Dry and buff with soft cotton cloth.

As an alternate to cooking your silver in a pot (Steps 1-4 above), you can also use the same concoction of baking soda, salt and dish soap in an aluminum pie pan and pour boiling water into the pan. Let soak for 2-3 minutes. Repeat the process as needed until the silver pieces are all clean (using fresh baking soda, salt, dish soap and boiling water each time.)

Sterling tarnishes when exposed to moisture in the air. When storing your silver jewelry, put them in anti-tarnish bags or zip lock bags and keep them away from direct sunshine. Silver will react to eggs and rubber products like rubber bands.

Hope you find this tutorial helpful!

Find Your Target Market

When I first started making jewelry, I pretty much make what I like to make. I tried to learn all the different interesting techniques, soaking up all the information my brain can hold. It is magical to be able to create all those beautiful sparkly objects.

Then I wanted to be able to sell my work to replenish my supplies and buy new tools. I plunge into researching on how to make this new obsession into a legitimate business. At that time, I would hear people talking about target markets. Heck, I didn’t know what that meant. I figure that “if I make it, they will come.” Ha! So on with hunting down shows to apply to, and jumping with excitement wherever I get accepted.

Well, I learned my lesson really well this weekend. It was like my light bulb was turned on by this craft show. Sales were so slow today that I decided to play a game. Each time a new person came near my table, I would try to guess whether this person would stop and look, whether she would pick up a piece of jewelry to take a closer look, or would she make a positive comment, or would she make a purchase. All this was based on my first impression of this shopper.

Although I barely made enough to pay for expenses, I learned a valuable lesson. Each artisan will have his/her own markets, depending on their art medium and style. Some questions to ask in order to find your audience would be:

- From what neighborhood(s) will my potential buyers be from? Well-to-do neighborhood with manicured lawn or fixer-uppers?
- From what kind of income range? Will they have discretionary income? I know, it can be hard to tell in this economy.
- What age group are they? Younger or older?
- Will I have the highest or lowest price points in the show? You really don’t want to bring your $100 items to places where most other people are selling $5-$10 items.
- Will my art be appreciated? Are these people used to buying imported mass production or will they appreciate the handmade process by local artists?
- Do they mind having the same things as everyone else or would they prefer uniqueness?
- How are they dressed? Conservative? Flamboyant? Chic? Casual?
- Are they wearing any jewelry? If they are, what style?

I’m sure there are more to the above list. The one advantage or disadvantage in selling online is that the target market need not be defined as clearly as direct selling in art shows. As an artisan, I’m glad I get to do both. If I only rely on virtual sales, I would not have learned how to define my target market even to this date.

Well, I’ll just jot this weekend down as an experience. To make myself feel better, I snatched a chocolate cake that was put on half price at the end of the show. :)

How to Promote Your Website, by Unique Expressions

Unique Expressions: How to Promote Your Website

I found this site and can't help but need to spread the words. A great list with links to many of the social marketing sites. Check it out.