Saturday, September 20, 2008

Tool Time Jewels


I love tools and equipment. I found myself yesterday, looking at a metal press mill, trying to decide if I needed it. I'm sure I could find a way to use it, and some people swear by them. So far I have resisted the urge.

I got myself a hardwood dapping block a while back, and recently a metal dapping set.

Just yesterday I ordered a disk cutter. Can't wait until it arrives. Just a small one. That makes the larger sized disks. I ordered this through Etsy from Romazone, good communications and prices.
For making charms, stamping words, and etching metal. And to make lockets. I still want to make lockets.

Now I will be able to cut out the circles, etch and dome them, to make the ideas I have in my fuzzy head about lockets.

I have been sketching and thinking about this for a while now. Does staring at the mailbox make the package come faster?
On another note, here are some tutorials I located recently at the website for Lapidary Journal Step by Step, for using a dapping block. Great ideas, and yet another use for my new disk cutter tool when it arrives!

This one is for no-solder metal beads, they do take some finesse to make but look very visually interesting. There is a mix of metals on these. Copper, brass and silver.


This one is for hollow silver beads, requiring soldering, for the more adventurous and non-torch fearful among you. It's good to read it even if you don't plan to do the soldering because the dapping instructions are helpful and interesting. And the use of a tumbler to polish and de-bur silver beads.

4 comments:

Amanda said...

As someone completely torch-oblivious (learning about metal and glass work is a goal that is far from completion), the hollow silver bead tutorial you linked were practically in Arabic.

The no-soldering metal bead tutorial seems to be a broken link.

It's probably so much more cost-convenient to craft your own hollow beads.

I can't wait to see what you do with your new disk cutter. (:

(and oh, if -only- staring at the mailbox made packages come faster.)

LLYYNN - Lynn Davis said...

I re-checked the no-solder beads, I think it's working, not sure what changed, or maybe I can't type today.

I worked up a lot of designs today, I hope to post them tomorrow.

Lockets. Really want to make them.

Terry said...

I've got a disc cutter and a real professional-looking dapping set...each of which I've used a couple of times. But man, do I *look* cool or what with those tools in my shop!? ;-)

What kind of self-respecting Gemini "resists temptation" anyway?

LLYYNN - Lynn Davis said...

Terry, Other than reading on-line tutorials I'm self-taught so if you have hints and tips for using tools I'd be thrilled to hear them. And there's something to what you say - I'm a June Birthday girl myself.

Now that the disk cutter and dapping block are here I want to try the no-solder beads, they look very fun in mixed metals.