Mike's Surpirise Claire's Ripple Pendant

by Judy Larson

Category: Contemporary
Technique(s): Making Jump Rings, Butane Torch Techniques
Skill Level: Intermediate

Claire's husband Mike and I collaborated on a surprise bracelet for her birthday. Because it was a surprise, we could not measure her wrist and the finished bracelet was too big for her. With one link removed and making the connecting rings oval instead of round,the bracelet fit. We then decided that the removed link would make a nice a pendant and after a bit of collaborating, settled on birthstone embellishments.The tutorial will show how to make links with a domed disc center that can be stamped as well as the ring centers used in Claire's Pendant. You can make this pendant without a ring press, it just won't have the rippling.

Materials

16 Gauge Round Half Hard Argentium .940 Silver Wire

H19-16H

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1FT
Price: $9.03
Gold Club Price: $6.77

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24 Gauge Dead Soft Argentium Silver Sheet - 6 Inches

H19-24SM6

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1 Inch
Price: $42.72
Gold Club Price: $32.04

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Sterling Silver Large Jump Ring Closed (Oxidized) 12mm - Pack of 6

K11-50

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $6.00
Gold Club Price: $4.50

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4mm Round Sterling Silver Snapset for Faceted Gemstone - Pack of 2

K2-1

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $1.97
Gold Club Price: $1.48

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4mm Round Cubic Zirconia Complete 12 Birthstone Set

E10-1G

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $6.00
Gold Club Price: $4.50

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Tools

Silver Solder Paste Medium SS70 - 1/4 T.O.

SOL-822.15

SOL-822.15
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $18.95
Gold Club Price: $14.21

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Silver Solder Paste Soft SS65- 1/4 T.O.

SOL-822.10

SOL-822.10
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $16.95
Gold Club Price: $12.71

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7 Piece Mini TruStrike Hammer Set with Stand

HAM-520.70

HAM-520.70
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $140.54
Gold Club Price: $105.40

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14mm Barrel Wrap N Tap Looping Pliers for Pattern Wire, Etc.

G2-79

G2-79
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $24.97
Gold Club Price: $18.73

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Multi-Size Wrap 'N' Tap Pliers, Small Barrels

PLR-746.02

PLR-746.02
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $29.95
Gold Club Price: $22.46

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Classic Wubbers Medium Flat Nose Pliers

G2-1237

G2-1237
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $27.97
Gold Club Price: $20.98

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Premium Nylon Jaw Pliers

G2-35

G2-35
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Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $14.95
Gold Club Price: $11.21

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6 Step Barrel Plier - Pack of 1

G2-503

G2-503
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Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $14.95
Gold Club Price: $11.21

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Multi Angle Cutting Jig

VIS-512.00

VIS-512.00
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Price: $84.95
Gold Club Price: $63.71

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C.H.P Milano Italian Flush Cutter, 5 1/2 Inches

PLR-487.00

PLR-487.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $16.97
Gold Club Price: $12.73

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Steel and Rubber Bench Block 4x4 Inches

G17-44

G17-44
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Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $29.95
Gold Club Price: $22.46

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Jumbo Max Flame Butane Torch

SOL-310.00

SOL-310.00
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Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $49.95
Gold Club Price: $37.46

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Solderite Soldering Board 6 Inch by 6 Inch Soft

SOL-421.10

SOL-421.10
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Price: $14.76
Gold Club Price: $11.07

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Magnesia Soldering Block

SOL-455.00

SOL-455.00
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Price: $7.95
Gold Club Price: $5.96

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Small Disc Cutter, 7 Pieces

DAP-400.10

DAP-400.10
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Price: $46.95
Gold Club Price: $35.21

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12 Piece Dapping Punch Set 3.6mm to 14mm

G17-4

G17-4
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Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $12.97
Gold Club Price: $9.73

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2 1/2 Inch Dapping Die Block

DAP-125.00

DAP-125.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $32.30
Gold Club Price: $24.23

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Pickle Pot, 16 Ounces

CLN-584.00

CLN-584.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $31.95
Gold Club Price: $23.96

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NATURE'S TOUCH CITRIC PICKLE, 2LB PLASTIC JAR

CLN-163.00

CLN-163.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $17.95
Gold Club Price: $13.46

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Instructions

Step 1

Read through the directions before starting the project, especially Step 49.
Argentium wire was used to make the links because it fuses beautifully, there is very little fire scale, and there is no solder cleanup. It is easy to overheat, though, and end up with a blob of silver instead of a fused ring. Hint:Practice on two small rings so you can see the stages in fusing progress. It takes a bit of practice to achieve good results. Argentium can become brittle and break if moved too quickly or immediately quenched after heating. Wait for it to cool naturally. They are cool enough to move to a bench block, which pulls the rest of the heat outof the rings, when they no longer stick to the solderite board. Picking pieces up pulls some of the soldering surface with them. If still stuck, nudge them a bit from the side and they will move without taking chunks of the board with them. Decide if you want a hammered ring in the center of the rippled oval or if you want a stamped domed disc.

Step 2

If making domed centers, use a disc cutter to cut a½" disc.

Step 3

Stamp the center of the disc with designs, letters, or words.

Step 4

Place a stamped disc face down in a doming well. Start with a larger well and work down to smaller ones until reaching a well that is just a bit larger than a #12 punch. Annealing part way through the process will make doming easier.Option: A 5/8" flat disc will fit under a rippled oval. Consider using textured or roller printed metal for this.

Step 5

Place the dome face up on a piece of 320 grit sandpaper on a bench block. Sand the back cut edges flat.

Step 6

Cut one 2 ½" length of 16 gauge wire if making a ring for the center of the oval, and one 5"length of 16 gauge round wire for each rippled oval link you wish to make.

File the ends of the wires flat. A Miter-Cutting Jig and Vise is a great tool to use for this. Place a wire in the Miter-Cutting Vise and Jig with wire length pushed securely against the flat fence between the 90 degree jaws. Very little metal needs to be removed so only the part that needs to be filed off should be protruding from the tool. Tighten the tool. File the end of the wire flush with the Jig to achieve a perfect 90 degree angle to the wire length. Repeat with the other end of the wire.

Step 7

Form the wire into a "D" ring or oval shape, matching the ends so they are as flush as possible.

Step 8

The top row in the photo shows finished rings and the bottom row shows the method used. Left: fusing Center: medium paste solder Right: medium chip/sheet solder Note: Use a smaller piece of chip solder than shown.

Fusing: Place the ring on a solderite board with the opening facing away from you. Because each of the rings will be textured, it is not necessary for the seams to be perfectly smooth. The ends just need to be fused or soldered together. To fuse, move the flame around one of the rings. Carefully heat the ring until the wire surface goes from shiny to dull to very shiny and slightly molten. The seam will start to fill in and fuse. Let the ring cool on the board. Flip it over. If the seam is not fully fused, repeat the process from that side. When the metal is almost molten, a good technique to use would be to heat and pull back, heat and pull back until the seam almost fuses. That way the seam will not separate, which means the open ring will have to be used for something else.The fuse will complete after the heat is removed.

Soldering: Place a small piece of hard solder of a small amount of paste solder under the seam and heat until the solder flows up through the seam. The placement in the photo is to show amounts only.

Pro Tip: If rings were made oval to solder or fuse the ends together, they must be rounded. Hoop, bezel, and ring mandrels are wonderful to have in your tool arsenal. Slip a misshapen ring on an appropriate mandrel and use a small rubber or plastic mallet to hammer the rings round again.

Step 9

Use a flat faced hammer larger than the small ring to flatten it on a bench block. Use the largest side of a Mini TruStrike Embossing Hammer or a small domed faced hammer to texture one side of thering.

Step 10

Center a large ring on the ring press base. Place the top of the ring press in place. Hammer until a ripple is achieved. The ring work hardens quickly so will not become wide enough yet

Step 11

Use the Butane Torch Head and butane canister to anneal the rippled ring on a solderite board. Allow the ring to cool on the board.

Step 12

Place a ring back in the ring press and hammer again. The ring on the left is before hammering the second time. The one on the right is after the second hammering

Step 13

Anneal the ring again as in Step 10.

Step 14

Shape the ring by using pliers to pull it into an oval shape.If the two sides of the pliers being used are different sizes, flip them during the process so the bend at either end of the link is the same. Wubbers Small Bail Making Pliers were all I had that would open far enough to do this. Then I realized that I could have used my Acculoop Precision Round Nose pliers in the same manner.

Pro Tip: It may be easier to place the plier jaws in the center of the ring if the ring is marked where to place the jaws.

Step 15

Fit the small ring or the domed disc inside the rippled oval. Adjust the rippled oval as needed to make sure that the fit is tight.

Step 16

With the ring or domed disc held in place, carefully place medium paste solder on the back of the rippled oval where the center ring or domed disc meet the oval frame.

Step 17

Place the unit right side up, solder down, on a solderite board. Heat until the solder flows. Let the piece cool on the board.

Pro Tip: My workspace is in a small basement laundry room with a very tiny window just above ground that does not open. I wear a respirator when I solder, but several years back decided to add a Fume Extractor from jewelry tools.com. No more odor from the fumes makes it a big WIN!

Step 18

Pickle, rinse and dry the links.

Step 19

Clean up the solder joins on all the links. Use sanding pads, coarsest to finest, to clean up the edges of each link.

Step 20

Use a premade closed jump ring or make your own to construct the bail. There are two ways to make a jump ring into an oval to make a bail. Place the ring over the tips of a round nose pliers and stretch the ring into an oval shape. Since 16 gauge wire is pretty thick and may be hard to bend, the other option is to use flat nose pliers to gently flatten the 16 gauge jump ring into an oval shape. Center the jump ring between the jaws of the pliers. Squeeze the pliers gently,
flattening one side of the jump ring slightly. Turn the jump ring around and squeeze the other end. Repeat this process until a long narrow oval shape is achieved.

Step 21

Bend the oval jump ring evenly around the second smallest barrel of the 6-step barrel pliers. Use soft jaw pliers to pinch the narrow ends of the jump ring together. Remove the formed jump ring from the 6-step pliers. Use the soft jaw pliers to press the ends of the oval jump ring bail together so it is a tight fit to slip onto the rippled pendant.

Step 22

Optional: If desired, melt a small bit of wire on a soldering block to make a ball to fit into the bottom of the "U" on the front of the bail. Sand the flat back of the cooled ball to clean and remove soldering block residue.

Step 23

A shallow well dug into a magnesia soldering block will help with the positioning of the bail during soldering. Slide the bail into position on the pendant. It should be a tight fit. Place medium paste solder around the bail where it touches the back of the pendant, as shown in the second photo. Turn the pendant over. Place the bail in the well in the soldering block. Add medium paste solder to the bail on the front where it touches the pendant. Note: the photo showing the paste solder placement is of the bail put on a disc so solder placement is more visible in a photo. Put the ball in place, if desired. Heat the unit until the solder flows, paying particular attention to the bail and the well in the soldering block under the bail.Immediately remove the heat. Allow the piece to cool before checking the back of the bail to make sure the solder flowed there, too. If not, turn the pendant right side up and heat again until the solder flows.

Step 24

Pickle, rinse and dry the pendant.

Step 25

The pendant can be tumbled and be done at this point or embellishments can be added. One 6mm stone in a snap set fits on one side of the center ring. Multiple 4mm snap sets can be set in many places inside the pendant. Audition snap sets with stones set on top (Don't secure them in the settings!) to find a pleasing arrangement.

Step 26

When the placement of the snap sets is decided, use an ultra fine point Sharpie to mark where each touches the pendant frame.

Step 27

Place easy paste solder on the pendant frame in each of the places where the snap sets will touch.

Step 28

If the snap sets sit too low in the pendant frame, small thin metal shims can be placed under them. Be careful that the shims do not get too close to the solder or they will solder to the bottom of the snap sets. Place the pendant on the soldering block with the bail in the well carved out in Step 23. Heat around the pendant until the solder flows. Immediately remove the heat. Allow to cool on the solder block.

Step 29

Pickle, rinse and dry the pendant.

Step 30

Clean and refine the solder joins.

Step 31

Tumble for several hours to polish and work harden.

Step 32

Set the stones out in the order they will be put in the pendant.

Step 33

Place the first stone, table (flat top) down and culet (pointy side)side up, on a bench block. Place the correct snap set in the pendant down on top of the stone. Notice in the second photo that the bail will get in the way of setting the stone. Move the stone to the edge of the bench block so the bail can hang over the edge. Place the snap set back on the stone and push until a click is heard. The stone is set! Repeat the process for all the stones.

Step 34

Admire your work!

Reviews

Judy Larson

My philosophy has always been "I will never live long enough to learn everything I want to learn, go everywhere I want to go and see everything I want to see!" So, what I make and how I create it is always changing and evolving. I was born shortly after WWII to parents who grew up during the Depression. They always had a "we can do it, we can make it" attitude which rubbed off on my two younger brothers and me. My brothers are amazing and can make and do ANYTHING! When I was a little girl, my mother gave me an old carved cigar box, which I cherish, filled with pop beads, wooden beads and yarn for stringing. That was the beginning of my jewelry making journey.

On a visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a young woman, I was fortunate enough to help a Native American silversmith sand cast my first silver bracelet and bezel set a large turquoise nugget on top. I was in love, hook, line and sinker! While working full time and having a family here in northern Minnesota, my artistic endeavors slowed down but never stopped. I am an artist, scrapbooker, seamstress, woodworker and jewelry artisan. Now that I am retired, I am able to indulge in all my hobbies. However, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all, but I try!

I have been teaching community education beginner and intermediate jewelry making classes since my retirement. Many of my students have been bitten so hard by the jewelry making bug that they say I have turned them into monsters-they just can't get enough. Making jewelry, seeing something take shape from small bits and pieces, is so rewarding that I hope it brings out the "monster" in you, too!