Cool Tools

Making jewelry from metal sheet means drafting or sketching the items out on paper first.  Templates can be very helpful in this process.  However, most of the ones I’ve seen are either basic geometric shapes or shapes geared towards office uses.  I was so pleased to find templates designed for jewelry at Cool Tools.  They have several to pick from and the setting for this necklace was designed using one of them.  They are a great find, the only thing I wish is that they had little tic marks indicating the enters of each shape both vertically and horizontally.

The necklace – it was inspired by a beautiful gray glass button.  I thought it was so gorgeous it deserved to be the focal point in a necklace and I sawed the shank off and set it in silver.  I then used a complementary palette of gray and black beads to accentuate the pendant.

 

Powerful. Win.

I like a certain mint and it comes in a little tin.  Once the mints are gone, the tins just don’t look like something that should be thrown away – they look useful, they look open to the idea of being reinvented.  So, I’ve been saving the empty tins, not sure how I would use them or what I would do with them, until now.

In the back of my mind, I see the tops of the little tins evolving into bracelets somehow.  That idea is still germinating.  But, while at Penland, I did get this pair of earrings made using the mint tins.  Penland had a circle punch and I used it to punch out both the tin curcles and the larger silver circles underneath.  I punched out a few circles while I was there since I don’t have a circle punch.  I still cut circles by hand and find they have their own charm too.  I then drilled the holes in both circles, used chasing tools to texture the silver circles, darkened them, made the earwires, and assembled the earrings.

I have a few of these tins and only used a small bit on these earrings.  Expect to see more later.

 

The Hammers in Lower Metals

One thing I really like about Penland’s metal studios are the abundance and availability of tools and equipment that many of us may not have access to in our own studios or workshops.  This is the rack of hammers in Lower Metals.  I think you can see that there are front and back rows on both the top and bottom.  Impressive by my standards.

At this time, I have eight hammers in my personal hammer collection so I am no where near being able to touch this collection.  I ordered a planishing hammer when I got back.  I am also looking for a tiny ball peen and a tiny cross peen.  If anyone knows a source for these, please let me know.  My smallest ball peen is a two ounce hammer and I am looking for one even smaller if I can find it.

What is even better than the availability of the tools and equipment is the fact that the instructors and metals staff know how to properly  use and care for them.  They are also knowledgeable about safety and precautions one should take when using tools and equipment.  The various catalogs and websites of those selling tools try really hard to explain these things, but it is no where near as helpful as having someone stand beside you how to use something, and then stand beside you while you try.

 

Texturing Metal

I love working with metal and just finished making the little copper piece shown here.  I made it by cutting out two copper squares, filing them, and then soldering them together.  I textured the smaller square using the ball end of my ball peen hammer (far left) which leaves nice little dents.  I then added lines to the larger square using the chasing tools (on the right) and chasing hammer.  The copper was bright in color but I darkened it to add a richness and make the marks more noticeable.

I think I will make a bracelet using this copper piece.  I am envisioning something kind of chunky with larger beads.  Purple perhaps…

 

My Pliers

These are my pliers – I use them for beadwork, wirework, and metal.  When I first starting beading, I only had two pair of pliers and one cutter.  Over the years, as I sought to learn new techniques or finish pieces in a different manner, I acquired more.  There are a few general purpose ones and some that are designed for a certain task.

The small pair in the front with the blue handles are the first pair I ever bought.  I got them from Accents Bead Store in Bethesda, MD and I think they cost $11.00.  I have used them for years and they feel like part of my hand when I pick them up.  Once in a while when my boyfriend is working on his honey-do list, he will ask for a pair of needle-nose pliers.  I tell him I have these he can use, and then say that they were the first ones I ever bought back when I started beading.  At this point, he usually finds something else to use.  I need to buy him a pair of his own.

 

Hammering out the Details

If you’ve read my blog, you know that I am exploring and learning to work with metal.  I’ve learned how to solder and am also learning to work with many tools including hammers.

I can remember picking up a tool catalog, seeing all of the hammers and wondering how in the world does anyone know what to do with all of these?  How wonderful to learn and to use my hands and tools to shape and form metal.  I love it.

These earrings were made by forming a circle out of sterling silver wire, soldering it, and then flattening and texturing it with a chasing hammer.