Chain with Focal Point/ Organic/Wax Projects

Had a successful cast yesterday (Monday) after coming in late Sunday to invest the Organic/Wax piece.  The studio was busy, more people than I have seen in class together yet.  Definitely a different make-up to the evening/night shift personality as opposed to the day-worker.  I instinctually tend towards evenings but can, and have, worked both.

Casting went uneventfully, and I have had a chance to get them pretty well scrubbed up for class tomorrow.  I need to mount the stone in the clasp piece and pin/solder the chain to the clasp ends.

I also need to adjust the clasp itself and either make sure there is a slight twist in the chain or tighten the fit of the two pieces. Of the two options, I would rather tighten the fit, but need to speak to the Boss.

The organic piece came out more interesting than I expected. Using liver of sulphur on the spider body and polishing the wheel/web as well a few points on the spider body give the piece some depth and defines the spider better. I am considering mounting a tiny stone on the spider somewhere.

The concept for the clasp is the ouroboros, an ancient symbol of the cyclical nature of existence.

The concept for the organic project is the spider as the found organic element, and the framework for the Mandala depicting the Realms of Existence, interweaved with a more traditional spider web.  Out of the web arises the Spider of Time, weaving the fate of the universe in it's web. 

Wax Models - Chain with clasp project and Metalmorphosis project

Wax models for the chain with clasp project are done. Sprued and invested.  The stone element has been obtained and is a 2mm amethyst that will be set after the piece is casted.   the chain terminations have been incorporated into the clasp itself and will be pinned in and soldered as a final step before stone setting.



The Metalmorphosis project is nearing readiness to invest as well.  It needs some more tweaking regarding the web element, but the spider is in place.  I am concerned regarding the amount of metal this piece will need and am considering what to use as the final medium.  Silver would be nice, but copper with strategic patina application could be quite dramatic as well.  Not a beautiful piece, but fitting the character of the organic element.

Chain with clasp as focal point project

I've got my wax carved and almost ten inches on my chain.  I need thirteen so I have a number of hours to go yet weaving links.

The wax turned out, closing and latching as intended, but the stone setting has become problematic.  I initially intended a chrysoberyl, but it is yellow and doesn't fit with the project in silver.  I have a couple of small blue-green emeralds that would go nicely with the silver, but would require a complete re-design of the clasp.  Not sure I have time for that, but do have some drawings.

Chain Project

Second set of drawings for the Chain with Clasp as Focal Point  project have been submitted and are posted below.  I had trouble with an idea for this project, but was inspired by a piece done previously with similar religious iconography and Middle East influence.  So now I have a "theme" and expect to get a lot of design mileage out it.  (Just kidding Prof. N! )

The two parts are intended to interlock in a flush manner and remain so until actively removed.  I am going to try to carve these out of wax, but they could be fabricated if need be.  I hope to add a bit more texture and dimension with the casting method.

The terminations are planned to be tubular, possibly tapered and integral with the clasp
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The chain will be choker length and the double loop in loop Etruscan pattern we started as a sampler.

I would like to mount a stone on one half of the clasp and have a small cats-eye chrysoberyl in mind.

Chain project sample  - Etruscan chain or double loop in loop. 

Got the two end pieces solder to the copper rod and started constructing the chain.  This is an exercise in hand -eye co-ordination as you need to know exactly how much to use your brass rod to expand the links in order to fit the next link between.  Having the rod sharpened, polished and with a slight hook on the end facilitates the process greatly.  Attention to applying the same amount of tension to each and every link helps in getting a consistent result. 

I found that approximately 14 links will produce about a half inch of chain.  Up to 4 1/4 inches, hours to go.

Forming the loops prior to assembly helps a lot as well.  Compressing one end to help slide between the prior loop assists in ease of assembly, otherwise you end up spending too much time trying to wiggle one link between the next.  Getting into a rhythmic pattern of production is essential or you could spend way too much time on this project.  Fussy, OCD work. 

Chain Project

Next up is a chain project, to be done in silver with a clasp as the focal point of the piece. First set of drawings due tomorrow. Thinking about using Mokume and a stone.

We have been given demonstrations of the technique for fusing 22 gauge fine silver links and the list of necessary tools and supplies we'll need for this next few weeks.  Having seen the slides of previous students work for this project I have to say I feel a bit intimidated, but will persevere nonetheless.

I have started with the fusing and tried a number of links.  The key seems to be in getting a sharp, flush edge on the cut ends of the wire and lining them up perfectly.  Not easy for bad eyes.  The neat thing is that you don't need solder and if done correctly, the joint is nearly invisible. 

                                                      The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

I need to get some more containers, I want my solder holders back.

Very sad news for our Professor , Tara Nahabetian, who lost her father last week.  Our heartfelt condolences for her and her family during this time of grieving. 

Her husband Dennis has been gracious enough to fill in during her absence to keep our class on track.  His assistance in our LED projects has been greatly appreciated.  In regards to my current project we discussed the possibility of using the original copper mock-up as the basis for another piece to begin a series of similar designs.  I am gratified by his suggestion of using gold and silver in one of the series.   I had been inclined to gold in the current piece, but was dissuaded by my focus group.

He gave us a interim project based on rapid and impromptu design using found objects.  I missed the first round, and thus got last pick for the materials for the second round.  Dennis brought in an assortment of objects arranged in groups from which we chose based on a class vote.  My object was a circuit board from a computer.

I disassembled the board and experimented with the pieces in different configurations. I didn't need much glue and after a number of variations came up with this.

 

My wife Gail is my ultimate source of feedback, and when I asked her what she thought and whether she would wear it, I got a look that, without words, was nonetheless perfectly eloquent.

Somebody, somewhere is making beautiful jewelry from recycled computer parts.  Not me. I don't foresee the jewelry business changing the economic fundamentals of electronic recycling just yet.

Finishing

Once the circuitry was in place and checked, it was time to give the piece its final finishing and mount the stone.  I went over the whole thing with 220 and 440 grit carborundum paper.  I then used a pink pumice star wheel on the flex shaft followed by 6 and 1 micron wheels.

The outer surfaces were finished with tripoli and rouge.  Prongs were pushed down and filed, sanded and buffed. 

Finally, ready for crit.  What's the next project?

Circuitry Continued-

Follow up photos of the pieces going together.

Battery pack, 2 batteries and a homemade washer to fit inside.

Upper left -LED soldered to brass wire and pos lead
Upper right - battery pack with threaded cap.
Bottom - Plastic disc

Disc with LED in place

View from back showing threaded cap and brass wire extending through.

Circuitry!!

The most challenging part of this project was designing and assembling the circuitry for the LED. I wanted the LED to illuminate the stone from behind, and leave little if any of the wiring to be visible. Initially, I thought to thread the wire through tubing and locate the battery pack behind the wearers neck on the chain.  Most fortunately however, Erica from class found some very tiny LED pins with a small battery pack holding two watch batteries that were capable of lighting the LED I was using.  This gave me the option to mount the battery pack behind the piece, removing the need to route wiring and locate a battery pack elsewhere.

I wanted the LED to be mounted solidly as electrical solder connections are inherently weak and any motion at the connections would ultimately cause the joint to fail.  I decided to mount the LED on a small disc of plastic and perforate the plastic to hold a small brass wire soldered to the  negative contact on the LED.  The LED was epoxied to the disc and formed a solid base for the negative contact protruding down through the disc.


 

 

The battery case had a threaded top with a holder for the original LED pin.  I cut the holder off the top with a jewelers saw, leaving me with a threaded ring which I epoxied to the underside of the plastic disc, so that the negative contact would protrude down below the ring. By screwing the battery case onto the threaded ring, the negative contact of the LED  was now touching the negative terminal of the battery in the case.  The circuit was completed by the contact between the outside of the battery case and the strut of the basket, allowing the LED to light when the case was screwed down completely on to the ring.

 

This lighting mechanism went through uncounted revisions before this design.  I wanted the mechanism to be durable and allow for battery replacement as well as have the ability to control an on/off switch. 

 

 



Assembly of the piece was done with 4 grades of solder.  The basket and prongs were done with hard, using self closing forceps as heat sinks.  The spindles were attached with medium as were the shell form.  Repairs and refitting was done with easy/extra easy.

Each part was filed and sanded prior to assembly as the construction was going to make subsequent cleaning and polishing difficult.

Side by side comparison of copper mock-up and final piece in sterling.  I am pleased when my work even remotely resembles what I envisioned originally.  Many times what I have ended up with had little resemblance to my drawings.

First step in fabrication, creation of the basket setting for the aquamarine. The frame was constructed out of 18 sterling wire with 21 gauge supporting struts and prongs.

To the upper right is the first attempt, made with all 21gauge wire.  Too flimsy.


Next is the cutting and shell forming of the larger pieces.

The drawings submitted for this project numbered about 20 or so.  Only in the final sets did a coherent idea form and ultimately be settled on for execution.

My reference came from a set of nested forms I have seen in some Persian metal working. I hoped that accurately executed, the led would illuminate the aquamarine and reflect its color off of the inner surfaces of the curved forms.

Welcome to this late start for my Jewelry Studio DES331 blog!

Have been busy, but will try to catch up now. 

First project is a circuitry exercise, instructed to incorporate an LED into a pendant or pin. 

My thoughts immediately went to the possibility of using the LED to illuminate a translucent stone instead of being directly visible, creating the effect of an inner fire within the gem.  Tolkien aficionados will recognize this theme, but I promise not to invoke any vows on behalf of my self or my descendants.