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BuildaFriction-FitFrame

Swap out your favorite beads in this

convertible pendant.

ONE FRAME, ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

by Julie Glasser

© 2008 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.

onlineexclusive

The completed pendant comes apart so that you can showcase whichever beads you desire. 11⁄4 x 7⁄8 in. (32 x 22 mm).

intermediate

metal

The common saying, “measure twice, cut once,”

goes double when it comes to making this

pendant. When finished, the pendant pulls

apart, allowing you to change your look as

often as you’d like. In order for the pendant to slide

apart (and back together), the prongs on one side of

the pendant must be precisely aligned with the tubes

on the other. The natural friction of the prongs in

the tubing holds the pendant together; while the fit

shouldn’t require effort to slide apart, it should be

tight — “wiggle room” is not what you’re going for.

7.25 mm

13.5 mm

7.25 mm

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Part 1: Preparation

Prepare the wire for the frame and bead holderPrepare the silver. Anneal a 7-in. (17.8 cm) piece of 5 mm, 16-gauge (1.3 mm) flat wire. Use a jeweler’s saw with a 2/0 blade to cut the wire into four pieces: two 46 mm pieces and two 27 mm pieces. (For video tutorials on annealing and using a jeweler’s saw, go to www.artjewelrymag.com/howto). The 46 mm pieces will become the frame of your pendant, and the 27 mm pieces will become the bead holder.

Place the pieces on a bench block, and use a leather or plastic mallet to hammer each piece flat. If necessary, use a hand file to file the sides until they are smooth and straight [1].

Mark the drill holes. Set a pair of dividers to 2.5 mm, and use them to lightly score a line lengthwise down the center of all four pieces. Lay the pieces on your work surface scored-side up.

Use calipers to measure 7.25 mm from each end of a 27 mm bead-holder piece. Mark each point with a permanent marker. Then measure and mark the middle, at 13.5 mm [Figure 1]. Repeat to measure and mark the second bead-holder piece.

Drill holes in the bead-holder pieces. One of the bead-holder pieces will have holes that will fit 16-gauge (1.3 mm)

wire and the other will have 2 mm holes for tubing.

On each bead-holder piece, use a center punch to make a dimple at each drill-hole mark. Insert a 1.3 mm drill bit in your flex shaft, and drill a hole through each dimple on each piece [2]. Set one piece aside to become the prong side of the bead holder.

On the other piece, use progressively larger drill bits to increase the size of the holes until 2 mm tubing fits tightly. (This will be approximately a 1.9 mm drill bit.)

On both bead-holder pieces, use 400-grit sandpaper to sand off any burs left from drilling, and sand away the score line in the center. File 1 mm off each end of each bead-holder piece so they’re exactly 25 mm in length.

Drill holes in the frame pieces. To ensure that the bead holder fits properly in the frame, use the bead-holder piece with the 2 mm holes as a guide for where to drill the holes in the frame pieces. Use masking tape to tape the bead-holder piece on top of a 46 mm frame piece, leaving approximately 1 mm of the frame piece exposed on one end [3].

Use an awl or center punch to punch through the tape over the holes on the bead-holder piece and to make dimples on the frame piece. Remove the tape, and separate the bead-holder piece and the frame piece. Insert a 2 mm drill bit in your

flex shaft, and drill the holes in the frame piece. Sand off any burs from the drilled holes, and use a hand file to clean up the edge of the frame piece closest to the holes. Repeat with the other frame piece.

Part 2: FrameMiter the frame corners. On each frame piece, measure 24 mm from the drilled end, and use a permanent marker to mark a straight line across the frame piece. Then, use the corner of a square needle file to file a notch at the mark [4].

TIP: Don’t use a three-square

file to score a line for a box

frame, since the file’s profile

will create a bend that’s

1 2

3

Figure 1

Bead holder(prong side)

Frame

Bead holder(tube side)

Bail

Beads

Before you begin, familiarize yourself with the parts of the pendant.

square �le three-square �le

bend higher than 90˚90˚ bend

square �le three-square �le

bend higher than 90˚90˚ bend

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wider than 90°. For a 90°

bend, either stick with a

square file [Figure�], or

start the notch with a

three-square file and

finish with a square file.

Also, when mitering

a corner, file your notch

three-quarters of the way

through your metal. Don’t

score too deep, or your metal

will break when you bend it.

Bend each frame piece inward along the score, forming a 90° angle [5]. Place sandpaper on a flat surface, and sand the edges of each frame piece until they’re level.

Align the frame pieces. Place the frame pieces together to form a 25 x 17 mm rectangle. To get these dimensions, there will be overage on each short side. Use a permanent marker to mark where the pieces meet [6]. Make sure that the three holes on one side of the frame match up with the three holes on the other side.

NOTE: To ensure that your holes stay aligned properly, try threading scrap copper wire through each of the pairs of holes while you solder the frame.

Solder the frame. With the frame pieces aligned on your soldering surface, place a

pallion of hard solder on top of each corner, and heat the entire assembly evenly with a torch until the solder flows [7]. Turn the frame over and heat all four corners to draw the solder evenly through the seam. Quench, pickle, and rinse your frame. (For basic information on soldering, visit www.artjewelrymag.com/howto.)

Refine the frame. Use your jeweler’s saw to trim the excess material from the corners of the frame [8], and then file the joins smooth with a hand file [9].

Remove any firescale by sanding the frame with 220-grit sandpaper. Then prefinish the top of the frame where you will place your bail by sanding with progressively finer grits of sandpaper (320-, 400-, and then 600-grit paper) until it is smooth. Don’t finish any section other than the top; you still have some soldering to do near the sides.

Figure 2

4 5 6

987

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Part 3: Bead holder

Make the side with tubingCut the tubing. Use a jeweler’s saw to cut three 30 mm pieces of 2 mm tubing. If desired, use a tube-cutting jig.

Position the tubing. Insert the pieces of tubing through the 2 mm holes in the larger-hole bead-holder piece, positioning each tube so that it protrudes only slightly on one side of the bead-holder piece.

Slide the tubing through the holes on both sides of the frame [10].

NOTE: Using the frame as an anchor this way will ensure that the tubing is properly aligned when you solder it.

Solder the tubing. Place a pallion of hard solder on the short end of each tube. During soldering, direct the torch’s heat to the bead-holder piece on the side opposite the solder, drawing the solder along the tubing and through the holes [11]. Don’t direct any heat toward the frame, or you may re-melt its solder joins. Quench, pickle, and rinse.

Refine the bead-holder piece. Use your jeweler’s saw to trim the excess material from the soldered end [12]. Insert the bead-holder piece fully into the frame, and mark the tubing where it extends from the opposite side of the frame. Use your jeweler’s saw to trim the tubing to that mark; the tubing should lie flush with the edge of the frame.

Make the side with prongsCut the prongs. Use your jeweler’s saw to cut three 30 mm pieces of 16-gauge (1.3 mm) round wire for the prongs.

Position the prongs. Insert the prongs through the drilled holes in the remaining bead-holder piece, positioning them so they protrude only slightly on one side of

the bead-holder piece. With the first bead-holder piece inserted in the frame, insert the prongs into the tubing slightly so that they are supported and aligned.

Solder the prongs. Place a pallion of hard solder at the short end of each prong, and direct the heat at the bead-holder piece, drawing the solder down the wires and through the holes. Again, make sure to avoid heating the soldered frame. Quench, pickle, and rinse.

Trim the excess material, using a jeweler’s saw. Slide the new bead-holder piece into place in the frame. If it does not sit completely flush against the frame, remove it, trim the wires slightly, and try the fit again. Repeat until the fit is flush.

Part 4: BailMake the bail. Use a jeweler’s saw to cut a 10 mm length of 5 mm-inside-diameter (ID) tubing for the bail. Use sandpaper to smooth any rough edges.

Then, sand one portion of the bail with 220-grit sandpaper until that portion is flat and the bail no longer rolls [13]. Rinse and dry the bail.

Solder the bail to the frame. Mark the area on top of the frame (the finished side) where you will place the bail. Place the frame and the bail on a firebrick, and use medium solder to attach the bail to the frame [14]. Quench, pickle, and rinse.

If you’re making your pendant for specific beads, be conscien-tious when you select the size of your tubing. If the bead hole is larger than the tubing, gravity may not be your friend! The top of the bead hole will rest on the top of the tubing and the bead will hang down; this can make the space above the top bead appear bigger than the space below the bottom bead. Ideally, you want tubing that fits snugly in your beads. If you can’t find anything just right, adjust the spacing of your holes to account for the hang factor and create your pendant based on these measurements.

10 11

12 13 14

howdoyourbeadsfit?

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Part 5: AssemblyComplete the pendant. Use chainnose pliers to bend the outer edges of the bead-holder pieces out slightly [15]; this will make it easier to open and close the pendant.

Secure the frame in a bench vise cushioned with scrap leather, and use a hand file to remove any remaining burs from the drilled holes in the frame [16]. If the holes aren’t clean, the sides will catch and won’t slide smoothly. Repeat with the bead-holder pieces, inserting each into the frame for filing.

Sand the pendant, progressing through 220-, 320-, 400-, and 600-grit sandpaper until all the firescale is gone and all the edges are smooth. Finish the piece as desired (see “Finishing Options,” below).

finishingoptionsIf you want a satin finish, scrub your piece with a brass brush in soapy water.

For a high polish, pre-polish the pendant with tripoli or bobbing compound on a muslin buff in your flex shaft. Clean the piece completely, making sure to get inside any holes or crevices, using a toothpick or toothbrush. Then, use a compound, such as ZAM, rouge, or white diamond on a new muslin buff for a final high polish.

•

•

materials:Sterling silver wire:

16-gauge (1.3 mm), 5 mm flat, 7 in. (17.8 cm)16-gauge (1.3 mm), round, 4 in. (10.2 cm)

Sterling silver tubing:2 mm outside diameter, 1.3 mm inside diameter (ID) (to fit 16-gauge wire), 4 in. (10.2 cm)5 mm ID, 1 in. (25.5 mm)

Spacer beads: at least 2 mm ID

tools & suppliesJeweler’s saw, 2/0 bladesBench blockLeather or plastic malletHand and needle filesDividersCalipersPermanent markerCenter punchFlex shaft:

Drill bits: various sizesSandpaper: various gritsMasking tapeScrap copper wireSoldering station: torch, solder (hard, medium), firebrick or charcoal block, pickle pot with pickle, flux, cross-locking tweezers, copper tongs, soldering pickTube-cutting jig (optional)Chainnose pliersBench vise, scrap leatherFinishing items (choose from):

Brass brushTripoli or bobbing compound; muslin buff; ZAM, rouge or white diamond compound

See Safety Basics at www. artjewelrymag.com/howto

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“My earliest memory of jewelry making dates back to middle school, during the 80s, when bigger was better! My designs were made from seed beads and wire, and everything was hoops, dangles, and sparkle. Now all my jewelry is done with either seed beads, a needle and thread, or sterling silver, and is designed nice and petite for me to wear and enjoy!” — Julie Glasser, www.julieglasser.com

Pro

cess ph

oto

s by J

ulie G

lasser.

15 16

Julie Glasser made peyote-stitched beads for her pendant. To make your own, visit our sister magazine’s Web site at www.beadandbutton.com/peyotebeads.

®

IN THIS ISSUE: METAL ■ METAL CLAY ■ WIRE ■ POLYMER CLAY ■ CHAIN MAIL

Volume 3 • Issue 5

artjewelrymag.com

Q&A with renowned metals artist

Harold O'ConnorBuyers guideto benchespage 36

RESOURCE

Frame a pictureagate with silver tocreate a landscape page 28

STONES/METAL

DON'T MISS Basics page 79 • Gallery page 47 Product Reviews page 20 • Market Savvy page 18

JULY 2007

METAL CLAY

How to make a mold totransfer textures page 72

METAL

EASYways touse wirepages 52, 69

Reticulated silver, 24k and 18k gold, and spectrolite brooch by Harold O’Connor page 33

page 33

Get started with gold page 42

AR

T

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