Spring 2017 DES 331 Post #9

Need to get moving on the Flush Mount project.  I did get some stones at the show I Hamburg last weekend, and am looking forward to seeing the selection Wednesday. 

Having been stopped dead in my tracks in my attempt to sleaze out this assignment with just  another version of my sample piece, I am back at the drawing board with the bracelet concept. I am using the stacked rooflines of the Himalayas as a reference and came up with some ideas, the lower right being the most representative.

 

 

This rolled around in my head for a few days and finally came out into a model looking like this.

 

 

This was looking like it might work, but needed mixing up a bit.  I took it apart and rearranged the elements in various ways and ended up with this mock-up in copper.

The individual pieces will need to be resized in the final version, or else I will be setting 2 or 3 mm stones. Which I am considering, because I am pleased with the proportions.


Metalwork is now focusing on the 12" vessel for the chalice.  I need to get the vessel formed to get templates for the pedestal and base.  It need the sides brought  up and in, but is looking doable, as long as I keep the lead solder away from it and stop setting off the alarms.  My apologies to all inconvenienced.



Spring 2017 DES331 Post #8

No new work to show, It is Spring Break week and I have been at work since finishing the Flush Setting sample.  I have had a chance to do some drawing for the Metalwork Chalice project and am beginning to think about the fabrication aspects. It will be started with sheet, probably 18ga and have a bit of shell forming and something called decking.

The vessel will be straightforward, and the remainder can be made out of sheet and soldered Considerations at this point are: types of metal, textures, patina, stones, and feet.  Stay tuned.

Gem show coming up, I am running low on faceted stones and hope to stock up.  I am not sure if this is the show with much in the way of loose stones.  I should contact the fellow from Bary Gems and get some stones on approval for the class. I might poll them to see what interest there is and come up with a list and see what he can do. 

Stone Setting #2 is now assigned.  Flush set pendant or bracelet with a minimum of three stones. I have my visual references and need to start some drawings.  I will do a bracelet, a first for me. 

Spring 2017 DES331 Post #7

Back after some weather and other related absences.  March has always given a little going away present and this year was no different. 

I have graciously been brought up to date on assignments and class demonstrations by Professor N. and have been able to follow her instructions to finish my sample piece. I felt awkward going through the trouble to set three stones with nothing to show for it, so decided to come up with a production type design and create a wearable piece.

This was created as a pin with two triangles as the basis of the design. 

I created a setting tool out of a 1/16th inch pin punch. I file down the end to a beveled tip and then sanded and polished it. It seemed to work well and has enough heft and handle to apply quite a bit of force to set the edge on these stones. 

The only ball or setting burs I had were 3.3mm and 3.5.  I think 3.4mm would have worked better as I had to really crank down on the edges to firmly seat the Cubic's.

Spring 2017 DES331 Post # 6

 

I know Professor told us no pictures of our pets, but this is pertinent to my metalworking projects. Our cat Bob has taken ownership of my work and is critiquing the finish and function of the vessels. 

 

 

 



 

 

Here is a mock-up of the pin project, done in copper to trial the 3-D forms.  

 

 

 

Now the forms have been done in sterling

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the finished piece, stones set and pin back in place. this was a complicated fabrication, but scrupulous attention to cleaning and sanding the piece between each step and use of boric acid/alcohol kept the final clean up to a minimum, as the interior is relatively inaccessible now. Setting the stones was relatively uneventful excepting the interior stone. I made sure the prongs were all set up prior to assembling the piece.  All I had to do was place the stone, then use pliers, prong pusher and a file to set the prongs.