Instructions
So... this was intended to be a bracelet of sorts and became a necklace because I foiled it; here's the GIST of how to make this weird item.
The bead was made with various scrap fine silver I had left. I heated them together to make the body of the claw.
Cut 4 three inch pieces of 16 gauge wire.
Balled the ends of 4 wires using a micro torch.
Flatten the end of 3 of the wires and fuse them to the ball using a micro torch.
16 gauge wire was then wrapped around the 9mm mandrel to form a coil.
A jewelers saw and bench pin were used saw the wire into jump rings; to end up with 80 jump rings.
Close the jump rings and then set them on a piece of 20 gauge scrap wire, set said wire into a pickle and clean them up.
Take 40 of those jump rings and fuse them closed using a microtorch and charcoal block.
Flatten and texture all jump rings using a goldsmith's hammer.
Re-close the jump rings that were forced open when texturing.
Set the rings on a piece of scrap wire and place into a patina to get the color you want, remove - rinse and polish as desired. Placed all pieces into a rock tumbler with steel buckshot for that extra shine.
Run the claw bead through a jump ring by arranging the wires together, sliding the jump ring on, and then by pulling the wires out to form the claw shape.
Assemble the chain mail necklace using the technique provided by Max Goodman's Jewelry workshop.
The chain was improvised - so I kept going when the chain reached the center of my neck, added the claw bead to the chain with a jump ring, then continued the rest of the chain in pattern
The clasp was made by coiling the one end around a 9 mm mandrel to from a "key chain" type loop, and the balled end was formed around a mandrel until the ball touched the wire.
The chain was finished off by adding 3 single jump rings and a clasp to one end of the necklace and 4 single jump rings to the other end.
So... this was intended to be a bracelet of sorts and became a necklace because I foiled it; here's the GIST of how to make this weird item.
The bead was made with various scrap fine silver I had left. I heated them together to make the body of the claw.
Cut 4 three inch pieces of 16 gauge wire.
Balled the ends of 4 wires using a micro torch.
Flatten the end of 3 ...
Read full instructions »
Difficulty:
Category: Jewelry
Type of item: Accessory
For: Women
Style: Whimsical,
Funky,
Cute
Materials
16 Gauge Fine Silver Wire and Scrap Metal
Micro Torch, Charcoal Block, and solder board
GoldSmiths Hammer
Steel Bench Pin and Anvil
Jewelers Saw
9 mm mandrel
Various Files
Patina
Pickle
What was your inspiration?
Spiders.
What advice would you give someone starting this project?
Never let a failed piece discourage you - sometimes it meant to be something else.
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