Fine Silver Earring Posts

First posted in 2009, but might still be of use :)  The fine silver wire has held up to years of use now.  They bend a bit, but they don't break.

Fine Silver Earring Posts
Materials: PMC3 PMC 3 paste 20 gauge fine silver wire Tools and Supplies Teflon work surface olive oil wire cutters small torch small round cutters in 2 sizes roller, cards or slats, paint brush, small drill bit,  texture sheet or rubber stamp kiln
	Ball up 20g fine silver wire with a torch and cut into approximately 1/2" lengths.
	Roll out clay 2 cards thick, stamp with signature or apply texture if desired and use cutters to make small circles.
	Dry to a mostly dry stage.
	Drill a small hole in the center of each circle.
	Roll out some more clay 2 cards thick and apply texture if desired.
	While the second set of circles are still damp, place a little water on the back of the smaller circles and a little paste on the front of the larger circles.
	Insert the balled up wire pieces from the back to the front of the smaller circles.
	Place the small circle onto the larger circle, pressing the balled up portion of the wire into the still damp clay of the larger circle.  Allow to dry.  Hint: You can make a lot of these up in advance and leave them at this stage until you need them.
	Attach the preformed post to the back of an earring with water and slip, allow to dry to completely dry stage and then fire at 1650 degrees for 2 hours.  Before tumbling, work harden the wire by closing pliers on it several times or tapping it lightly with a small hammer.  After tumbling, straighten and work harden the wire again, trim the wires to the desired length and round the ends of the wire with a small cup burr or sandpaper.
	A finished earring with fine silver posts.
	The posts with an earrnut.
	Enjoy!

Bead Pendant Bail Tutorial

When I first started making glass beads I was frustrated by my inability to turn them into pendants.  I wanted them to have an elegant yet easy to make bail, so I started experimenting with PMC (Precious Metal Clay).  This is the result of those experiments which I am pleased to share with you.  This tutorial assumes a basic knowledge of metal clay technique.
Materials Needed:  PMC3 - clay and slip (Paste) 28 gauge 3/32 fine silver bezel strip shaping tools - roller, cards, tissue blade, paint brushes, knitting needles, round tapered chop stick, texture sheet or rubber stamp mold for accent piece if desired 8 mm rod finishing tools - emery boards, wire brush, burnishers or tumbler 2 part epoxy particle mask kiln
	Roll out a small piece of PMC3 2 cards thick.
	Use a texture sheet or rubber stamp to add texture to the PMC.
	Using a tissue blade, cut the PMC to 1/2" x 1 1/2", rounding one end.
	Roll the PMC strip onto a 8 mm rod (I'm a lampworker, so of course I use a glass rod :), adding a small amount of PMC slip at the end to secure it.
	Use a small paintbrush to run a bead of water around the joined edge.  Allow bail to dry to leather hard stage and remove from glass rod.  Use an emery board to refine the shape.  Always wear a particle mask when sanding.  PMC is non-toxic, but inhaling any small particles is bad for your lungs.
	If you desire, you can add a small molded PMC accent using PMC slip.  Allow to dry.
	Drill a hole in the bottom of the bail using a 9/64 drill bit. Fire the piece at 1650 degrees for 2 hours.  Allow to cool.  Brush with a wet, soapy brass brush and then tumble for 1 hour or burnish by hand.
	Cut a piece of bezel wire about 2 times as long as your bead plus one inch and fold it in half.
	Insert the folded end of the bezel wire into the hole on the bail and partially open it up (it start opening with the tip of a craft knife and then use two sizes of knitting needles).
	Mix two part epoxy and apply to inside of bail with a toothpick.
	Pushing the bail onto a tapered chopstick will fully open the inserted bezel wire and push it into the epoxy. If you prefer not to use epoxy, you can use PMC paste to attach the bezel wire to the tube and then refire, but you will need to burnish it again by hand afterwards - the bezel wire gets mangled in a tumbler.
	Your bail should now look like this.  Insert the bezel wire into the bead and pull through.  Trim the wire 1/4" longer than your bead and use a file to round the ends of the wire.
	Put a small amount of epoxy into the holes in the bead.  Insert the bezel wire into the bead and pull through.
	Spread the bezel wire apart and up over the sides of the bead.  Allow the epoxy to set.
Sit back and admire your work.

Enjoy!

    

Book Of Kells Pendant

In this tutorial you will learn to make a pendant with a decorative attached bail and how to add a gemstone cab using a premade bezel cup.
Materials Needed:  25 gm PMC3  PMC 3 paste PMC 3 syringe 6mm gemstone cab 6mm fine silver bezel cup shaping tools - roller, cards, paint brushes, needle tool, craft knife needle files olive oil rubber stamps or texture sheets fat straw sanding sponges 3 M polishing papers sunshine cloth liver of sulphur emery boards finishing tools -  wire brush, burnishers or tumbler Stone setting tools - stone pusher and curved burnisher particle mask vermiculite kiln shelf kiln
	Create a template for your bail.  I created this one using a fleur de lis shape with a strip added for the rolled part of the bail.  The strip portion needs to be about 1 1/2" long.
	Roll out your clay 3 cards thick.  This time we are going to add two different textures.  The idea is for it to look old, like something from an archeological dig.  The first texture can be anything that has an organic feel to it.  I used a rubber stamp of an antique map of Africa.  The second texture can be any text stamp - I used one that is from the Book of Kells. Both stamps are my own designs. Apply the first texture and then the second right over the first.  Cut out a large circle using a round template and set aside to dry or use a dehydrator.  You want the clay to come to a leather hard stage.  This is where some, but not all, of the moisture has been removed.  The clay will feel cool to the touch, but not damp.
	Roll out the clay again, this time 4 cards thick (I always use thicker clay for bails - they are going to get a lot of wear and I want them to be strong).  Texture with just the organic stamp this time.  Cut out the shape for your bail.  Cut out another small circle, about 8 mm in diameter. Stamp with a signature stamp if you have one  Set aside to dry.
	Turn the clay for the bail over and roll the strip portion over a fat straw.  Moisten the top edge with some water using a small paintbrush.  Roll the straw with the clay until it touches the base portion.  Unroll and put some paste on the mark the wet end of the clay made on the base.  Roll the straw and clay back again so that the end is in the paste.  Clean up any excess paste with a damp paintbrush. Allow to dry to leather hard stage.  Remove the straw.  Check the point where the edge of the bail meets the base.  Fill in any gaps with a syringe.  Smooth out the syringe work with a damp paintbrush.  Check the back of the join and fill and smooth that as well.  Allow to dry. Remember to keep the tips of your syringes submersed in water so they don't dry out.
	Refine the 3 pieces with emery boards and needle files.  Run a damp finger over to smooth the edges (the idea is something that has been worn by time, so it's more realistic if it's not perfectly round with straight edges).  Remember to capture what you sand off for making your own paste later.  Use a sanding sponge to smooth the back of the pendant (always pay as much attention to the finish work on the back of your pieces as you do to the front).
	Drill a hole in the round part of the pendant where you want to place your gemstone (I just hold the drill bit between my fingers and twist it).  Enlarge the hole with a round file (#2 Swiss from Contenti - my students love this file!) until it is a little bit larger than the size of your 6mm bezel cup The file is not quite 6mm in diameter so I finished enlarging the hole with a round needle file.  Make sure the hole is a little bit larger than the bezel cup - the clay will shrink as it fires - if the hole is too tight the clay will buckle around the cup.
	Here are the components of our pendant, ready to be assembled.  I'm using amethyst cabs - the Celtic princess who wore this necklace was fond of amethyst ;)
	Place some paste on the small circle and moisten the area around the hole in the pendant on the back side. (Check the consistency of your paste if it's the first time you are using it that day.  It should be as thick as very thick whipped cream.  Add water , a few drops at a time and stir until it reaches the desired consistency). Place the circle over the hole and run a bead of water around the edge with a small paintbrush.  Allow to dry.
	Place some paste on the bottom part of the bail and moisten the back of the round pendant.  Place the bail on the pendant so that the rolled portion just clears the top of the circle.  Allow to dry.  Add some syringe to on the front at the point that the bail meets the pendant.  Smooth with a wet paintbrush.  Allow to dry.  Check to see if there are any gaps where the dry elements were joined.  Fill them in and smooth with a wet paintbrush and allow to dry.  Inspect your piece carefully.  Smooth away any imperfections with a damp finger or paintbrush.  Sand again if needed.  Take your time and make it as perfect as you can.  It's easier to correct any imperfections at this stage than it will be after it is fired.
	Moisten the hole for the bezel cup with water and dip the bottom of the bezel cup in some paste and insert into the hole.  Check to make sure that the bezel cup is level.  Allow to dry to bone dry stage (clay will feel warm and dry to the touch).  Fire at 1650 degrees for 2 hours. Allow to cool. Check around the edges of the cup.  If there are any gaps between the clay and the cup, fill them with paste and refire.  Brush with a wet, soapy brass brush.  Place 1 1/2 lbs of mixed stainless steel shot in a tumbler.  Add a drop of dishwashing soap or a pinch of burnishing compound.  Add enough water to just cover the shot.  Add your pendant, close the tumbler and tumble for about 1 hour.  You can also burnish by hand.
	Place a small chunk of Liver of Sulphur (LOS) in a glass cup with a little warm water.  Dip the silver pendant into the LOS for a few moments and rinse.  Repeat this process until you have the patina you desire.
	Allow to dry and polish the back with a sunshine cloth.  If desired, remove some of the patina from the front as well (I want the patina in the recessed portions only in my pendant).
	Check the fit of the stone in the bezel cup.  Place a short piece of dental floss over the cup and insert the stone over the floss (the floss will allow you to remove the stone so you can adjust the height of the cup.)  The cup is too high for this stone.  On a large cab I would raise the stone, but for a small cab like this I will use a file to adjust the height of the cup so that it comes just up to where the stone begins to curve. Use the dental floss to pull the stone out of the cup....
	...and a flat file to adjust the height of the cup.  Then sand the top of the bezel cup lightly to remove file marks.
	Place the stone in the bezel and use a pusher to gently push the sides of the bezel up and over the stone in the sequence shown.  Continue around the stone gently pushing to maintain the round shape.
	Use a curved or agate burnisher to smooth the bezel against the stone.
	Use polishing papers to bring your pendant to a smooth, shiny finish.  This piece was quite sooth to begin with, so I only used the 3 finest grits.  Then give it a last rub with a sunshine cloth.

Sit back and admire your work.

Enjoy!