Tuesday Tips and Helping Hands and Eyes

I got my new DELPHI GLASS catalog.



Remember when you were a kid and the holiday Sears catalog would arrive? I'd spend hours looking it over, thinking about all the cool stuff.

When the Delphi Glass catalog comes, it's just like that. I think anyone who reads this blog knows, I'm a tool loving fool.


I have soldering stands. Two sizes, to fit my two sizes of soldering irons.

And I have magnifying lights. But I don't have a third hand. What's that?


It's something that holds things in place while you use a torch or soldering iron, so you don't get burned while you work. But your items stay still, and you can clamp things together. This one has a spotlight built into it. And two little helping hands.

Helpful for things like making glass birdhouses. Or adding tiny loops to pewter. It's so tempting sometimes to just reach down and hold onto things, but I can't. Burn warning!

I've been cheating and using wooden clothes pins. So far nothing has ignited. Don't you think this would be much safer, yes?


I saw this cool tool. It has the magnifier. And a lamp. Plus a soldering stand for the soldering iron. And best of all, it has a double third hand built right in. SWEET!

I think I must have this. Maybe I'll get a coupon for Delphi with a discount. I'm really sure I need this. And it's not expensive, as tools go.

Tools! Wonderful Tools!
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Well, the lightning strike fun never ends.
I went to do a load of laundry on Monday, and the washing machine wouldn't turn on.
OH NO!
I opened the dryer, and the light came on. HMMMMM.
I got a wooden chopstick from the kitchen and poked the Ground Fault Plug Reset Button. The light came back on in the electric plug.

WHEW - I thought - The washing maching isn't fried!
Then I remembered.
The DEEP FREEZER CHEST is plugged into that same Ground Fault outlet.
And it's been TWO WEEKS now since the lightning strike.

I leave the rest to your imagination. I will just say that I wish, REALLY wish, I had tried to do laundry and found out about this a long, long time ago.

Just picture a fairly full chest deep freezer that's been unplugged and warming up for two weeks.

I need say NO more!

Tuesday Tips and Recycling Saving Repurposing

I like to use the type of toothpaste brand that has the container that sits up. The tube toothpaste takes up so much room, and it has to be rolled and squeezed. The gravity-fed type just suits me better.

One day when I had finished out the toothpaste and washed it out I started looking at the container. The top part pops off, and it could be re-filled with something else. I had a VOILA moment.


In the studio, there are things I use that are messy, caustic or sticky, and I need to keep them from spilling or evaporating. But I need them close by, available and handy. Could I refill the empty toothpaste container with some of my chemicals and keep them sealed, yet handy?

Guess what! It works. A gel or even a fluid will go into it and seal tightly, yet the flip top is easy to open and squirt out a controlled amount just where it's needed.

So now I keep my gel flux in a re-purposed toothpaste container. It sits beside the soldering iron, and it's all sealed up and safe, but handy when I need to appy some flux.

I also use one like it for ammonia, one for flux cleaner. How do I keep straight which is which?

The toothpaste brand comes in different flavors and they have a different colored lid. So I use a specific color for each differing chemical or liquid.


So simple! Now my hubby isn't sure what he should save and what he should throw away so he asks "Is this trash" before he gets rid of anything!

I don't have children or visitors who come into the studio, but if you do and you decide to use some of these containers, you may want to put them away in a sealed box when you're not using them so no one is confused about what's inside, or put a big label on them saying that it's NOT toothpaste!

Tuesday Tips Says Alloy, There, Matey!

What's an alloy? It is a combination of two metals that each enhance each others' properties. An example is stainless steel, which is a combination of iron, chromium and nickel metals. So here's some information for your Tuesday Tips on Metal Alloys and why something called "silver" might not have a bit of silver in it!



It can be confusing, talking about metal alloys.

For example, german silver, or nickel silver, which is an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc, doesn't have any silver in it, not at all. Many people who can wear silver but are allergic to nickel should avoid german silver because of its nickel content. Interestingly, musical instruments like the flute and french horn are frequently made of nickel silver.


Pure silver, or fine silver at .999 silver is what I use to create the fused silver chain links in these pictures. It's softer by nature than sterling silver (.925) which is an alloy of silver and copper. Those two metals together give the silver more strength while keeping the beautiful look of the silver metal.


Argentium sterling silver is a sterling silver alloy that replaces some of the copper with germanium, so that it is still 92.5% silver but the germanium give the silver a high resistance to tarnishing and prevents firescale during torch soldering.

Some people swear by argentium silver's properties, if they do a lot of torch soldering and don't want the firescale, or if they want their finished pieces to resist tarnishing.

You'll see lovely jewelry and charms these days made with shibuichi, which is an alloy of silver to copper that's higher in copper content. The word means "one-fourth" in japanese because the formulation of the alloy is one part silver to three parts copper. Because of the added copper, shibuichi will patina to lovely and muted shades of blue or green.

I haven't tried casting the shibuichi silver yet, but I've seen beautiful things made with it.


Many jewelry charms are made from pewter instead of sterling silver. Lead-free pewter is an alloy that's usually between 85 and 99 percent tin, with copper, antimony, bismuth and occasionally silver added in various proportions to the tin. To be a true pewter the alloy should be at least 90% tin. These days pewter is lead-free and nickel-free, and the finest quality English pewter contains at least 94% tin.

Britannia silver is an alloy of silver with 95.84% silver and the rest copper, used to replace sterling silver in England after an act of Parliament in 1697. It's a high-grade alloy of silver, even higher in silver content than sterling silver.

Britannia metal is different again from britannia silver. Britannia metal is a pewter-like alloy that doesn't contain any silver at all. It usually contains 93% tin, 5% antimony and 2% copper, and is often used as the base metal for electroplating with silver to create silver plated items like cutlery.

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, while bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. Each has a slightly different look because of the differing metals being used, but they have a warmer color tint than the silver alloys because of the high copper content in them.

So there you are - a list of alloys and their contents. Hope that's helpful and clears away any confusion about metals and mixtures of metals that are alloys.

Tuesday Tips Rotary Grind And A BlogAward

Last week I mentioned that if you had a grinder you could get an adaptor to turn it into a flex shaft tool. It fits where the grinder bit usually attaches, and uses the power of the grinder motor to turn the shaft. Very convenient!

I have a grinder, but I decided to go ahead and get a rotary engraving tool instead of the adaptor for the grinder. Why?


My grinder (I've had it several years, the model and style isn't made any more but it still works great) has a top built so that I can bevel the edges of the fused faux gemstones. See the glass faux gems, the 45 degree angle on the edges? Getting the beveling top aligned just right and tightened up is a trick sometimes. Once it's on there, I don't like to take it off again.


So rather than take the beveling top off to put the flex shaft adaptor on it, I went ahead and got this cool set when it was on sale at Delphi Glass. Coupons and discounts are a wonderful thing! Go Go Gadget Tools!

It came with a whole set of cutters, engraving bits and grinders too. I'm using it to drill metal, polish pewter and grind holes in glass with a diamond drill bit. Lots of uses for it.

It hangs on a stand to keep it off the work surface and has a long reach. I like it a lot, but it's a little noisy, so if you get one be prepared for that surge of power that comes with a little racket.


If you've never had or used a grinder, here are some tips for making it last a long time.

1. Before putting your bits on the shaft, put the appropriate lubricant on it and on the set screw that holds it on tightly. You don't want it to seize up on you and get stuck, hard to remove.

2. Check your coolant water supply and remove the glass dust residue often. It will build up as you work, and you need fresh coolant water to protect your diamond drill bit and your glass.

3. Be sure to use the liquid grinder coolant in your coolant water to make your diamond drill bits last a long time.

4. Don't put your coolant water down the sink, it's okay to dump it in the toilet and flush. Putting it down the sink drain might stop up your drain, causing a plumbing problem you'd rather avoid.

5. At the end of the day, give the whole grinder, coolant trough and even the bits a good wash-down, so the glass dust residue doesn't stick to them and they'll be ready for you the next time you need to grind some glass.

6. Some stained-glass or fused-glass local supply stores will let you have studio time and use their grinder for a minimal hourly fee if you don't have a grinder of your own and just have a few things you need to grind. Give them a call!

7. If you have a flex-shaft adaptor, dremel or rotary engraving tool, invest in four sizes of collets. Those are the inserts that let you use several sizes of attachments, drill bits and having all four sizes means you won't stretch yours out and you'll always have the size you need for the attachment called for at the tip of your fingers.

8. Don't use your glass diamond drill bits to grind metal, it will ruin the diamond bit coating.

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I got a nice surprise from GAEA, she shared a blog award. Secretly I'd been wanting it, because it's in french. I have some blog links on my sidebar that are in french, I can read it and almost sorta speak it. Now I have a blogaward in french, too!

The rules of the award:

Mention the blogger that awarded this to you. (hi, Gaea!)
Name 5 things you love.
Choose 10 blogs to receive this award.

5 things I love...

1. My family ( especially kissing grandbaby girls, of course)
2. Sleeping late on weekend mornings
3. Reading a book outdoors on the deck until twilight on weekday evenings
4. Home baked bread and homemade ice cream, made by my hands and recipes
5. Learning new ways to create art and express ideas

If they would be interested in participating, I pass this award on to:

Nancy Schindler at the Rabbit Muse
http://therabbitmuse.blogspot.com/

LeAnn Weih at Summers Studio Pottery
http://summersstudio.blogspot.com/

Julie Haymaker Thompson
http://juliehaymaker.blogspot.com/

Melissa J. Lee at Strands
http://strandsofbeads.blogspot.com/

Cindy Gimbrone the Lampwork Diva
http://lampworkdiva.blogspot.com/

J'adore ses blogs!

Tuesday Tips and Delphi Nuggets

Thankfully, not everyone is crazy like me and feels the need to make everything themselves from scratch. It's a good thing I don't know how to make wire or I'd probably do that too!

So if you don't want to fuse glass and make your own nuggets like those in the photo, I thought you'd like to know that Delphi Glass is having a sale on them. Three pounds in three sizes and different colors. And it's a BOGO, too. Whee! Three pounds of shiny nuggets!

What to do with glass nuggets? Cindy Gimbrone, the Lampwork Diva, has a tutorial on her site about grinding and wire wrapping them. Fantastic idea, huh? and her tutorial is so clear and well-photographed, you have to check it out even if you don't want to do it. You'll appreciate how much is involved!

But if you decide you want a grinder, Delphi Glass is a source for those too. After all, there's no way to have too many tools, right? Delphi has the special channel grinder bits.


And there's an adaptor you can get that turns the grinder into a flex-shaft for when you aren't grinding using the grinder motor. Multi-purpose - what's better than that, kind of Tool Transformers! You can use drill bits, engravers or any dremel style tool in this and get extra power at your fingertips. Power Tools Rule!


Okay, now you know for sure that I'm a tool fool!


If you don't have a grinder to make the channel, you can check out the article showing Alexander Calder's cold connection designs using wire wrapping and stitching with wire for another idea of things you can do with colorful glass nuggets. Alexander Calder made some fantastic wire wrap jewelry in Paris in the 1930's using shards of ceramic pottery and glass, if you're interested I did a previous post about him and his jewelry.

There are no instructions in the article about how to do it but I do know how, it's not hard - maybe I'll write up a tutorial on that and keep the learning going!



Here are some helpful hints and tips about grinding and drilling glass.


1. Always wear safety glasses when grinding glass. I can sometimes feel a little grain of glass hit my cheek when I use the grinder and I'm always glad I have those safety goggles on to protect my eyes.

2. Glass heats up when you grind so be sure it stays wet to keep it cool. Otherwise the thermal shock may cause the glass to crack.

3. When you use a diamond drill bit to make holes in glass, put the glass in a shallow dish with a little water and a wet sponge on the bottom. The water and sponge will keep the glass and the drill bit cool while you drill. It's the grinding of the bit, not the pressure, that makes the hole in the glass so there's no need for pressure behind the bit. Just patience!

4. Be sure that your bit is diamond-coated, nothing else will drill through glass. And you can use the same bits for drilling holes in river rocks, too.

Tuesday Tips and the Ices of Summer

You may have noticed that I pick out things I find that inspire me from Etsy and showcase them on the left sidebar of the blog. I might be poking around and accidently find something wonderful, or I might be looking for something specific. Occasionally I put in a word that's on my mind just to see what fun things might come up in the search under Handmade on Etsy.

There's a clever lady named Lisa at EverydayGourmet, who makes miniature food and beverages that look real and good enough to eat! The photo is of her Lemon Granita Dessert and Limoncello Liqueur. Those are tiny miniature food replicas ... Don't they look luscious!

So for my Tuesday Tip this week I thought I'd include some easy recipes for real, life-sized granita. If you're on a diet and don't want to cool off from the hot summer weather with the real thing, at least tempt yourself with Lisa's miniature versions.


GRANITA or ITALIAN ICES

Don't have an ice cream maker? Love fruit juices and slushy yummy coolers?

How about fruit ices? They're easy to make, you don't need much equipment, and for this time of year when it's hot, and you want something cool and soothing, they're just the thing. With a frozen, grainy and coarse texture, they're different from ice cream or gelato.

Here are a couple of easy recipes.

COFFEE GRANITA
3 C hot brewed espresso or flavored coffee
1/3 C
1/2 C heavy cream, whipped (or store bought whipped cream spray)

Dissolve sugar in bowl using hot brewed coffee, cool to room temperature. (or if you're like me and you make cold brew coffee, use the sweetened concentrate out of the refrigerator)

When cool, transfer to shallow pan that fits in the freezer (test this first, before you try to put a too-large tray full of liquid and find out it won't fit - or make a level space in your chest freezer to do this)

Every 30 min stir using a fork, scraping the sides and bottom so all liquid freezes evenly.
Do this, freezing and breaking up crystals until completely frozen, about 3 hours, keeps in freezer up to 2 days.
Put serving in cooled ice cream bowl and top with whipped cream, either homemade or store bought whipped topping spray


LEMON GRANITA
4-5 large lemons
2 C water
1 C sugar
Take long strips of zest without the rind off the lemons, then cut in half and squeeze to get 1 C juice each (or use store bought bottled lemon juice, undiluted)
Combine water and sugar in saucepan and bring to a boil, then simmer and add lemon juice to dissolve sugar.
Add lemon zest and allow to cool to room temperature.

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and transfer to shallow pan and put in the freezer. (see note above about checking for fit of pan in freezer first)
Stir with a fork, breaking up the ice crystals, every 30 min until completely frozen, about 3 hours, keeps in freezer up to 2 days.

MORE GRANITA TIPS AND HINTS:

You can make the simple syrup with water and sugar and keep it on hand, mixing together with raspberries, peaches, strawberries or other summertime fruits. Even watermelon!

Don't let the ice form heavy blocks or lumps of ice. The texture should be grains and flakes of ice, but not liquid.

The smaller the pan, the longer it takes to freeze, so use the largest shallow metal or glass pan you have, to make it go more quickly.

Don't forget to test for room in your freezer with the shallow metal or glass pan before you fill it with liquid and try to put it inside.

Be sure to scrape and re-mix frequently to get the right texture.

I've heard that substituting Splenda or another sugar-based sweetner for the sugar works also, but I haven't tried that and don't know if it will make the same simple syrup with the fruit - try it if you prefer that and let me know if it works.

If it melts before you get it all eaten, drink it like a slushy lemonade or iced coffee!

Tuesday Tips - Wire Wheels Go Round

Before I left on vacation, I ordered some wire from Rio Grande. They were having a sale, so I splurged.

Not sure how long this much 18 gauge wire will last, but I can't wait to get it unwrapped and start shaping and hammering it.


I will patina and darken some of it for rosary wrapping, to make necklaces and bracelets. And for cold connections like rivets and stitching things together.


Each wheel is one pound of copper wire! It was waiting for me when I got back from vacation. I have some projects in mind to use with it, and now I won't have to keep making trips to the hardware store to pick up copper wire.


I can solder with it, make wire wrapped beads and all sorts of lovely ideas to try out. If you're in need of copper wire, check out Rio Grande, they have sterling and fine silver wire also. They ship quickly and package nicely.

Here are some Tuesday Tips for working with copper wire:

1. If you want to patina the wire with liver of sulphur or other oxydizing items, be sure to use uncoated wire. If the liver of sulphur can't reach the copper, it won't darken. Some wire is coated with plastic to keep it from changing color. Choose raw copper wire if you want to use a patina.

2. Although it seems backward, the higher the number of the gauge of the wire the smaller the diameter of the wire. A 24 gauge wire is thinner in diameter than an 18 gauge or 14 gauge wire. If you want a really thin wire, for crocheting with beads or something of that sort, use a 30 gauge wire.

3. Sterling silver wire comes as hard, half-hard and soft. This indicates how easy it is to bend. For wire wrapping you will start with either half-hard or even soft. Copper wire doesn't come with these different initial choices.

4. As you work with wire, it begins to stiffen due to being work hardened. If you hammer it or wrap with it, gradually the wire begins to get harder to work with. To make it softer again, it needs to be heated to its annealing temperature. Copper wire in coils can be annealed using a torch or by putting it briefly in a kiln at the annealing temperature. Just be careful and don't melt it, or handle very hot copper wire and get burned!

5. Copper wire, together with copper foil, solder and a soldering iron, can be coated (or "tinned") with lead-free silver solder, to use the wire with your glass or other projects. You'll need a good water-based flux and the lead-free silver to use in projects that will be worn, to keep them safe and non-toxic for handling and wearing next to skin.

6. When learning a new wire wrapping technique, practice on copper wire before you do the newly learned technique on sterling silver or fine silver wire. You can measure your wire lengths and also master the technique using inexpensive copper before you start the same project with silver wire.

Tuesday Tips and Right Sizes

I did a little online shopping, and got some things I'd been needing, couldn't find locally and just had been putting up with not having.


To drill holes, small holes for jump rings, into fused glass you use diamond tipped bits. I ordered a six-pack of small drill bits, planning to use them in my cordless dremel tool.

I found out right away that the collets I had for the dremel weren't small enough to hold the small drill bits.


The cordless dremel was a gift from my daughter, I've had it quite a while and use it a lot. So I went online to find other sizes of collets, and ordered a package of 4 sizes, with a collet nut included. They weren't expensive at all, and now I can use my tiny drill bits in the dremel.

While I was looking around, I found a great sale at DelphiGlass.com on their flex shaft engraving tool, so I ordered that too! It plugs into regular electricity, so I can save my cordless dremel for times when I really need the mobility.


So here are a few tips on taking care of diamond drill bits and drilling glass, in case you are interested.

1. Always drill glass with water on the drill bit, to keep it cool. Otherwise the friction will heat up the glass and it may crack.

2. Be patient while drilling glass. Don't apply pressure to the drill bit, it's the rotation of the bit, not any pressure you apply, that makes the hole. If you press down, you may crack the glass.

3. Take frequent breaks, don't always try to get through the glass in one pass. Let the glass and the drill bit cool off, take a break and rinse things off and you won't risk damaging your drill bit or cracking the glass.

4. Be sure to wear your safety glasses to protect your eyes, sometimes small bits of glass or shards and dust can fly up into your face - you don't want them to get into your precious eyes and harm your vision.


Now I'll be able to make small holes in the fused glass, for hanging with jump rings! I'm waiting for the rotary engraving tool to arrive, to see if the new collets will fit that tool too. Don't you just love tools?

Tuesday Tips and Random Thoughts

This piece called "Walden" was created a while back, I really like the main focal piece in it. I'm wanting to make some more faux tintypes in fauxtique cabinet cases like this, using the cast pewter I'm making up for the fleur de lys charms this time. I need to order some more mini-Moo cards, I'm almost out again - this image is one I use on them and it reminded me.


Wandering around the studio doing a bit of clearing up (calling it cleaning would be too much of a stretch) I was thinking of a few random things I've been meaning to put into a Tuesday Tips post, haven't done one in a while. No particular theme or order to it, hope you find something here that's useful!

1. When fusing fine silver wire (see the links on "Walden" - those are fused fine silver) - don't forget that they remain extremely hot for a surprisingly long time, use metal tweezers or a hemostat to pick them up to quench them in water, so you don't get a blister on the tip of your finger like mine right now!

2. Be sure to top off your liquid liver of sulphur mixture in a jar with a tight lid and keep it in a cool dark place, to avoid having it lose strength. It interacts with the air, but if the liquid goes all the way to the top (like in a baby food sized jar) it will last a long, long time and you won't waste any.

3. Be careful and hold wire links for hammering with a tool and not your fingers, if you whack your pointer fingernail or thumbnail, it will break, and you'll have a manicure like mine that looks like it was done with hedge clippers.

4. If you use 2-part silicone to make molds of your carvings so you can create polymer clay components, don't ever use latex gloves while mixing or working with the silicone. The latex dust has something in it that keeps the silicone from curing properly and it will stay mushy for a very, very long time. Oh - and be sure to wash your hands carefully if you've had latex gloves on before you use the 2-part silicone, the dust stays around. Learned that the hard way!

5. Finally, a memory aid for making sure my "hot" tools are turned off when I leave the studio - I plug the radio, work lights and soldering irons into a power strip. When I leave (even for a short time) I turn off everything by turning off the power strip. If I can hear the radio, I know the "hot" tools are still on. Keeps me from forgetting and leaving things on by accident!

Hope you have a great, productive week.

PS - to see the whole series of Tuesday Tips in the blog, click on this link.

Tuesday Tips - Toolbag

One of the things I did to prepare for Artfest was to create a carrying case for my my commonly used tools in working with metal and wire. I wanted something portable but sturdy and not too bulky, but easily opened and with spaces to handle my hammers, tools and my pointed, easily blunted or sharp items.

I found a very inexpensive set of cosmetics (cheap! not fancy!) in a carrying case with a handle. It had places for cosmetic brushes, a zippered pouch in the lid, and a vinyl surface that wouldn't warp easily out of shape even with my metal bench block and hammers inside.


I removed all the cosmetics and nail polishes that came with it, and I had a perfect container for my metalworking tools. My pliers and cutters are inside the red plush zippered bag.

If you want to take your creativity on the road, to go to a friend's house for a play day or to organize your tools to take a class, keep an eye out for a similar bag for cosmetics or baby supplies, with an idea toward whether they will work for your tools and supplies. I will keep my wire and metalworking tools in this bag now, ready to go mobile with creativity at a moment's notice!


Things to consider when choosing your bag:

If there will be a lot of weight, cloth bags may not be sturdy enough, look for something hard sided or heavy vinyl, you don't want your tools tumbling out at just the wrong moment.

Try to find a bag that has a way to secure your awl, drill bits in handles, sharp scissors and pointed tools. It will protect your tools if they aren't rolling loose, and it will protect your hands against accidental punctures.

Personalize your bag to identify it, I attached a laminated suitcase tag with images printed from my journals, to make it easy to identify your things, especially in a class environment. If you have time, paint or collage on the surface for fun!

A bag that opens up while lying flat, to expose the whole inside, will be more convenient than one with a small opening at the top into a deeper bag, you won't have to dig around to find things, everything will be easily visible right away.

If you come up with some other ideas for similar take-and-store toolbags, be sure to let me know!

For more photos of this arrangement check out the post on the Artfest 2009 blog!

Tuesday Tips - Pearls of Wisdom, Be Prepared

Working with words lately, I've been putting some into resin to create cabochons to add to the jewelry designs.

I wanted something fresh and clean-looking that would be consistently readable, as I've had some problems in the past with obscuring the words in the resin.

And I didn't want the words to become translucent, I wanted them to stay opaque.


It has warmed up just enough to do some resin casting, so I had a session over the weekend. These rough versions haven't been cleaned up, sanded or colored yet, but I'm pleased with the legibility of the words in them. I found some pearlescent glass seed beads that I think would look great combined with these, they have a glassy, milky look to them.


The interesting part is creating the words and combining them, sometimes they suggest the jewelry piece they may become, other times the other beads call out for certain words. It reflects my mood, too, and what I'm pondering as I work, the words that find their way into the resin.

Sometimes the words rearrange themselves to tell a story on their own. I'm thinking these might be fun to put into magnets, sort of like the poetry magnets you see around. For refrigerator poetry.

And I have an idea kicking around to create stickpins. Not everyone wears necklaces or bracelets, it might be good to have something you can just add to your lapel on your coat, put on your ball cap. With a favorite phrase or word, to generate conversation.


Here are some tips for working with resin that I was reminded of by the recent session creating these word gems.

Prepare everything ahead of time, your work surface, any masking tape, inclusions and things you will need. Once you mix the two-part resin the clock is ticking and you want to be ready to pour when it's ready. It won't wait for you.

Don't forget to wear your gloves. I put on a double pair, so if the outside glove gets sticky or messy, I can just strip it off and my hands are still covered.

Do all your leveling before you start to pour. The resin will slant and settle if your pieces aren't level, and it's much trickier to fix when the bezel is full of sticky, gooey resin.

Make some extras, you can use them for experimentation. If your favorites come out well and you want to try something new with them, try it out on one of the blanks or extras first, to avoid spoiling your most favorite one, so you can adjust whatever you're doing as needed.

Follow the directions of your particular resin and don't mess with the percentages. You want your finished casting to be hard and not sticky. Measure carefully and use the right proportions. Mix a little less than you think you'll need to avoid a lot of waste, you can't save the resin for later use once it's been mixed up. And be sure you really mix well, it's important.

Finally, do your resin pour at a time when you can continue to check the surface for emerging bubbles for at least fifteen minutes, and thirty minutes is even better. Once you're sure no more bubbles are coming to be dealt with, leave the pieces alone. Let them cure with something over them to avoid dust or particles getting into the resin, but don't move, touch or bother them.

Twenty-four hours is not too long to leave them before messing around with them.

Got any words or pearls of wisdom to add?

Anneal Me - Tuesday Tips Checking In

I started the series for Tuesday Tips and Hints because the Poll I ran at the beginning of the year showed there was interest in tutorials and tips. But I'm not sure how much it's hitting the points, and before I go on making up the tips for Tuesdays posts, let me know if I'm on track.

So leave me a comment or reply and let me know - either way! I won't mind if you tell me - Take Away Tuesday Tips! Begone!
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A few things I learned over the weekend.

It's much, much easier to make a rivet using wire if the wire is already softened by annealing.

It's also easier to finish off the rivet if the hole for it is very snug and grips it tightly.

It's a good idea to anneal copper disks before using in the dapping block, the copper bows out much more easily.

I learned that my small microtorch that uses butane does get hot enough to anneal copper disks and copper wire.

Now I'm investigating how to take a roll of copper wire and anneal all of it in the kiln. If you know of reliable sources for that information, post a reply. It would be a lot quicker and more convenient, for sure!

More about annealing in another Tuesday Tips post later.

Tuesday Tips - Nuggets of Darkness, Pearls of Wisdom

Liver of sulphur.
 As part of my series on fusing fine silver links, there's a post about patina and liver of sulphur.
 What is it?
 It's a patina chemical mixture that works on silver, bronze and copper metals. The metal needs to be very clean with any grease or finger oils removed so the patina will take uniformly.
 The best way to buy it is usually the dry nugget type, which is added to warm or hot water to dissolve it. Keep even the nugget form very dry and out of the light and air, as it will deteriorate and not have as much power when you mix it up. You can buy it already mixed as a liquid, but it will lose strength much more quickly.
 The chemical name is potassium sulfide. It smells like rotten eggs, so use a ventillation fan or take it outdoors. Don't breathe the fumes. You won't want to anyway, this mixture does not smell good at all.
 A little bit goes a long way. Sometimes I leave the mixed liver of sulpher at a cool temperature and instead warm the metal before I put it into the solution. When the liver of sulpher solution isn't heated, it doesn't seem to smell quite so much, either.
 Rinsing between dipping is important, to get good coverage. It's better to go slowly on how dark you go with the patina. Even if you remove it by tumbling, the metal seems to reclaim the same level of color when you re-apply the liver of sulphur solution.
 A weak solution, at a cooler temperature, will sometimes reveal a blue, green, maroon or yellow patina. To preserve the color coat the clean, dry patinaed metal with a clear jeweler's laquer to seal out the air. Otherwise the patina will continue to darken, or may rub off with long wearing and friction.
Don't put wire that already has turquoise stone beads into liver of sulphur, the turquoise often has a lot of copper in the matrix of the stone and liver of sulpher will dull your stone. I don't know of a fix for it, either.
I've also heard that it's not wise to put real pearls into liver of sulpher. It's best if you only put metal into the patina, just a word to the wise, so you don't learn the hard way.
I store my liver of sulphur solution after mixing in a small glass jar (like a baby food jar) with a tight lid, and with no airspace at the top. The air will react with the solution, so fill all the way to the top of the lid and tighten down. I keep it in a dark room out of the sunlight. It lasts a long time for me when stored that way.
It doesn't work well on brass or gold. Most Blick Art Stores will have liver of sulphur, or you can order online from Rio Grande or Volcano Arts suppliers. I have links to both on my sidebar if you need them.