A foray into making my own tools.....

by Barbara Bechtel

Several weeks ago while hopping down the rabbit hole that is the interwebs, I came across a link for a youtube video on making your own sinusoidal forming stake. I've been wanting to tackle some more complex forming projects but lack the tools so I thought that this might be a nice project to see if it's a process that I gravitate to before investing hundreds of dollars on forming stakes that I may or may not use.

While you can build this with just a few simple woodworking tools, working in a well equipped wood shop does really help. I happened to be visiting my parents recently and my stepfather has a wonderful workshop that, with his supervision, made this project a breeze! We were able to crank this project out in about 2 hours.

Another bonus of this video is that if you follow her instructions and use a large enough piece of wood, you can actually make 2 identical stakes at the same time. Since they are wood and won't last forever pounding metal, you can keep one for later on! I actually gave my 2nd one to Staci as a gift at BeadFest.

While at BeadFest, one of my purchasing goals was to gain a second Fretz hammer, and armed with my new forming stake, I'm ready to tackle some simple anticlastic forming!




I'm looking forward to sharing my experiments in forming with you! If you try this out, I'd love to see how you use it! 

Wire Work: Tools of the Trade and Tips

by Staci L. Smith

Here are some of my go-to tools for wire work, how I use them and where you can get them.  There are some tips thrown in there too, about good wire working- you should always work for quality first, pretty second.  I like that rule, because I usually get to keep my first try at something, since it may have a spot that is not secure enough, or not finished enough on the back, ect ect......

First tool I couldn't live without is my flush cutters. 

http://www.beaducation.com/shop/lindstrom-flush-cutter-pliers-p-81.html

 I use Lindstrom.  I have never tried another brand, and I don't need to, I love these.  They should only be used to cut up to 20 gauge (I think) or you could mar them.  I use them up to about 16 on copper, since it cuts softer.  I have generic hardware store cutters for heavier gauge wires and brass.

Second Tool(s) I could not live without are my round nose pliers and chain nose pliers.

http://www.artbeads.com/tool-108.html?cmp=psg-dsa&gclid=CJ6J4ZWYrLcCFYai4AodARIA7A

http://www.artbeads.com/tool-125.html

I use the cheapies for these, and have for years and years, but it is killing my hands and wrists, so soon, I will have to get something more ergonomic.  However, like I said, these worked fine for me for a looooooong time.  Never broke either.

I use the round nose for loops and swirls, and the chain nose to wrap wire around, and tuck the ends in tightly.  No one wants to wear something with a pokey wire on it.  This leads me to my next can't live without tool..................

My needle files.

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-piece-needle-file-set-468.html

Needle files are perfect when you are using a thicker gauge wire, and can't quite tuck the end under.  They are small and fine and can file the end of the wire, so it is not sharp. 

They also make these, which I use when I make my "s" claps, since I cut all the wire at once, then I round the ends, then I shape it.

http://www.amazon.com/Beadalon-208F-001-Wire-Rounder/dp/B0018N4FSG

To work harden my wire, like when making clasps, or larger elements that I don't want coming out of shape, I use a steel bench block and a chasing hammer.

http://www.pjtooljewelry.com/steel-stamping-block.aspx

http://www.pjtooljewelry.com/chasinghammer.aspx

Now, a chasing hammer will flatten your wire while hardening it, so if you don't want that to happen you can use a rawhide mallet.

http://www.pjtooljewelry.com/rawhideleathermallet-2.aspx

When all is said and done, the most important part (to me) is antiquing my work.  I use liver of sulfur and polish cloths for this.

http://www.cooltools.us/Cool-Tools-Liver-of-Sulfur-in-Gel-Form-2oz-p/pol-802.htm

These are my favorite polish pads, hands down, for silver and copper.  They are not cheap, but they work wonders.

http://www.cooltools.us/Shine-Rite-Polishing-Pads-p/pol-151.htm

That is about it.  You can start with much less, and work with much fancier tools as well, but these are the basics.

I linked to many different shops as well, so that you can maybe be introduced to new suppliers.  The web is at your finger tips, so shop around for best prices and shipping deals! 

What wire work tool is your absolute favorite?

What kind of Metal can I texture?

by Staci Smith

This was the first question I asked when buying my metal supplies.  I remember how shocking it was that you could use 24 gauge metal and it wasn't paper thin.  I was thinking in wire terms, and thought it would be frail and thin.  Now, the number gauges run in the same way wire does, smaller number, thicker gauge, but they certainly feel very different.

 

So I thought I'd give you a little information on metal sheet.

 

The most popular metals are sterling silver, copper and brass.  I highly recommend starting with copper.

 

Copper is softer then brass, and cheaper then sterling silver.  So it works easy, and if you make a mistake, it's not a devastating financial loss like it would be with sterling silver.

http://www.thunderbirdsupply.com/proddetail.aspx?StockNum=170104

 

 

When you go to buy sheet metal, some places sell set cuts- like 3x6" or 6x12".  Others (like www.thunderbirdsupply.com) let you choose your own cut size.  This is handy to know depending on what you plan to do.

 

For example, at Thunderbird, you can order 10 pieces cut at 2x7.5" if you are planning to make cuffs (not sure what cuff standards is, I just picked that measurement at random)- they are pre-cut to the size you want.  They also have the option of set sizes.

 

Another thing to consider when ordering or buying sheet, is how you plan to cut it, and what you want to use it for.  26 gauge is very thin, very lightweight and easy to manipulate.  This is great for fold forming items that may be used in earrings.  I also use 24 gauge often for earring designs so they aren't too heavy. 

 

If you need something to be sturdy and unbendable under stress, you want to use a thicker gauge, 22-18 gauge.  Keep in mind how you plan to cut these sheets.  You can only use metal shears up to 22 gauge (usually).  So if you need thicker metal sheet, you will need to saw it.

 

I have ordered the standard large sheets of metal 6x12" and I found them too bulky to work with.  I don't have a quick way to cut them down, so it's been awkward to work with them, which I why I like to customize my sheet size.

 

I hope that helps with some questions you may have on buying sheet metal.  For a beginner, especially for our Metal texture Boot Camp, I highly recommend copper.  It cuts and stamps like butter!

 

We can't wait to see what you guys are working on.  Remember- the blog hop is April 8th.  On that day, you will be able to link up to our site.  Happy hammering.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Boot Camp: Alpha-Texture

by Staci L. Smith

I think that when people decide to try out metal stamping, the first thing they buy is a set of letters.  I know I did.   I got this very basic set ages ago. It's capital letters, and numbers and a few symbols.  I didn't use it very much for letters though.  I'd like to share with you some of my favorite ways to use my letter to make patterns and textures on metal.  Remember- using letters as letters is NOT part of this challenge.

Here are my stamps, very basic.  I think I got these at Cool Tools many years ago.

 

Here is the hammer I like to use for stamping.  It's shorter, which gives me good control, (I hit my finger a lot less) its heavy, and its cheap, so I don't care if it gets marred from striking the steel stamps.  I got this one from Melinda Orr of Orrtec.

I took some discs I had lying around, they are made from about 24 gauge copper sheet.  Then I took my capital letter I.  In this simple set, it is just a straight line, and I use it a lot!

I hammered it over and over in some random patterns to create a sort of trail across my disc.

Then I took my letter O.

And I filled in the gaps, randomly changing the direction of the O so it gave it more natural look.

 

So using two letters, I created a kinda modern organic pattern on my metal.

 

Now we will get fancy. You can use a whole bunch of letters to make a really cool Boho like pattern.

 

I started with the period. I love using this as a dot texture.  I stamped it around the entire outside of my disc.

 

Then I did the same thing using my S going side-ways.  For the next inner ring I used the letter W.

After the W's were done, I took my letter X and stamped it, turned it on its side, and stamped it again in the same spot, to create these little star bursts in the center of the disc.

I thought I would show you one more thing I love to use as texture.  It's not an alphabet stamp, its my awl.  It's just a steel awl from the hardware store, sharp point on one end.  I use it with a rubber block, ILO a steel block to get the effect I want.

 

 

I hammer it hard into the metal (a brass strip this time).  It will curl as you do this, and that is fine. 

 

 

Then you can take your rawhide or rubber mallet and hammer it gently flat on a steel block.

 

 

I like it for the reverse side texture, with the bumps sticking up.  Sometimes I even break through the metal on purpose to create a rustic torn up effect.

 

Here they are, all done, I used Liver of Sulfur to antique the copper discs and then cleaned it off the high points.  It really brings out the textures that way.

 

 

If you didn't get to see Barb's post and video from last week you can view it here.

 

The blog hop will be on April 8th- so get those creative juices flowing.  Remember, we hope you will not only try to hand texture metal, but then, use it in a design, be creative with it.  Let's inspire each other!

 

Art Jewelry Boot Camp: Textured Metal Challenge

Welcome to our second Art Jewelry Boot Camp challenge of 2013.....Textured Metal!

For the next few weeks, we will be sharing innovative, inexpensive ways to texture metal by hand. There are plenty of wonderful options in a fully equipped metals studio for texturing metal and plenty of neat products out on the jewelry craft market these days for achieving wonderful textures and patterns, but we want to see what you can do with what you have!

Today, I'm sharing a video about different textures I've achieved with simple household materials...and some tips for getting you started on your texture journey!






HIGHLIGHTS/TIPS from the video:

*If you have "nice" hammers, keep them separate, so in your creativity, you don't use your good hammer for hammering, let's say a piece of wire or a steel screw!

*Keep your eye out in thrift stores and discount stores for items that will make interesting textures! Old hammers, screwdrivers, and other steel bits like steel window screen will fuel your creativity!!!! By that same token, don't use household tools that you would like to use again for their intended purpose! You (or your significant other!) will be really sore that you messed up a screwdriver to make texture next time you need it for a household task....

*Anneal your metal with a torch so it's nice and soft to receive the texture.

* Use an old bench block or anvil when texturing or hammering. After lots of texturing, your block or anvil will become dented and rendered a bit more useless if you need it for finer applications. I FLIP mine! One side is nice and smooth and shiny and the other is a bit pitted and dented from repeated texturing.


Our next Art Jewelry Boot Camp hop will be on April 8th! LET'S GET TO WORK, RECRUITS!!!! Remember to upload your lovelies to our Flickr group and remember to check out the rules if you haven't done so.


Remember, this challenge is about texturing by HAND. For the purposes of this challenge, we DO NOT want work textured by the following:

*Etching
*Sandblasting
*Rolling Mill
*Alphabet/symbol Stamping (unless you are using it in an innovative way to make fabulous texture)
* Textures from craft embossing machines

All these have their place and may be in a FUTURE challenge, they're just not for THIS challenge. :) Thanks!

metal stamping

mary jane dodd

one of the first techniques i tried was metal stamping... 

how hard could it be? you have a metal blank and hit the metal punch with a hammer on an anvil or bench block... 

right?

well, yes... 

and, no... 

i learned that you could get some very frustrating results... 

like double striking - you know that one, where you get a double image of the stamp... 

or the letters are drifting up (or down)...

or the character is sideways - because you didn't check that one last time to make sure it was being held correctly in your hand... 

when you make mistakes in stamping, it can be incredibly frustrating - you can be almost to the end of a phrase and get careless... the metal gets put into the recycle bag... but if you aren't able to cut your own discs, you have now lost one blank in your limited supply... 

like any technique, it is worth learning about... trial and error are always important learning methods, but the waste of time and money can be teeth gritting... 

double strikes - if you are using a steel hammer to hit a steel punch on a steel bench block there is a lot of bounce back... the energy has to go somewhere... for me, a brass head hammer has really been helpful... a softer metal, brass absorbs the shock... 

brass head hammers are also recommended any time you are hitting something steel - like when using a disc cutter... metal work hardens when it is repeatedly struck... eventually it can snap... using the brass lessens that effect... 

wonky orientation - draw a line with a sharpie marker, double check just one more time that the stamp is facing the way you want it to...

and find the position that works best for you... meaning, whether you are sitting or standing depending upon how high your work table is... it matters in terms of the strike... i have found that i really do need my elbow to be able to come to a 90* angle...  stamping is also not really a technique you can do on a plastic card table... you need some stability behind it... 

i hope these tips will reduce some of the frustration for you... because there are such fun and beautiful stamps out there to purchase... and it is a rather inexpensive way to personalize your work... 

if you want to be inspired by clean stamping, take a look at the work of cindy pack - she is a great example of one who knows her tools and the techniques by which you optimize their use... 

if you want to dap your discs, use a wooden set...


a great source (besides etsy) is beaducation ... 

This time last year....

by MaryAnn Carroll

I really wanted to own a Swanstrom disc cutter.  The issue was..... buying it without charging it.  I've been working very hard the past couple of years to not pull out a credit card.  If I don't have the money, I usually refrain from buying it. So.... back in September I decided to do something unique for me and save money.  Bill gave me what I was unable to save as an early Christmas gift, so this year I was able to buy my new disc cutter. 

I read many reviews on this and others before deciding that I wanted this one.  I made the right choice.... as far as I know since it works like a charm.  The price was up there, but I'm anticipating that I will be able to make up for that next year by creating components, etc. for others to purchase.  Bill has decided to retire this June when the school year is over and, although we have been working on how we will make extra money after retirement, it seems to have come a little more suddenly.  That's okay.... I'm a risk taker at heart so I'm sure that this risk is something that we will do okay with. I'll write more about that as we get closer.  I'm hoping that he builds a gas kiln to help the "in between wood-firings" and I'll be able to get beads into those firings as well.

So....  This is just how my new cutter looked when I took it out of the box.... (top pictures from Riogrande)....

I figured I might as well purchase the die set too.... as this point... cha-ching... it was already adding up....

 

 And here is how it looked last night while I scramble to get my Christmas gifts made.  I'm hoping to finish the components for  everything tonight....  Theme:  Keep it Simple :o)

I'm a messy artist....  I did clean before starting this project the other day.....

 

And, I LOVE IT!!!!  I'm still experimenting with my enamels and a few other techniques, but that is the fun of it for me.  If you do decide to purchase this, remember that you will need some other items that you might not have.  In my case, I had none of the below....

brass hammer

urethane mat

lubricant

 

My advice would be to watch the two short videos at on the Riogrande site before making your decision.  The total cost (with everything I purchased for this) came to over $400.  I was searching for coupon codes. I called the company and there aren't any for this product.  

So, I'm hoping that I will have some beautiful creations to share in the near future.

Thank-you for supporting those who create handmade with handmade.

MaryAnn