The Multi-Stranded Bangle.

[Dennis]

When I first started, my head was full of way out images, so it is only now that I am attempting some of the basics. Here is a multi-stranded bangle made from ten rings of 1.2mm silver wire, each looped through the ones before.

Ideally they would have been welded, but for soldering I made a special tool with clips, on the lines suggested by James Miller, from two strips of stainless steel. The clips have extensions which were riveted in the shape of a cross using a piece of wire from a coat hanger. This has the advantage of avoiding waste and the resulting, rather stiff hinge allows for adjustment.

The wire rings were first soldered separately and rounded on a mandrel. Then they were cut, assembled , re-soldered one at a time and hammered again. By using hard drawn wire, easy solder, and the new tool as a heat sink, only a short length of wire was softened by heating.

I purposely used surplus solder, thinking that the little nodes would be a design feature to distinguish it from just a reel of wire, which of course it is. That’s my story anyhow. Dennis.

[mizgeorge]

I like that very much Dennis. I make a lot of intertwined bangles, bur rarely with as many strands as that!

I'm a little concerned about your friend, however....

[RubyRoo]

Yes the friend looks a bit spineless!

[Tabby66]

Don't worry Ruby, he's 'armless really..........................well somebody had to...................

[Dennis]

It's a she actually; she's been a pillar of strength and I wooden be without her.

How about the new tool then, derived from James' clips? It could have been a real hassle matching up the wire ends without it. Take a bow, James.

[medusa]

gorgeous bangle and the clips look great. where do you get stainless steel like that? can you just adapt something?

[Dennis]

Mine was cut from an unwanted letter box flap, Liz, but You can buy some here, I think:http://www.plhillsales.com/productli...?Type=Phosphor. Dennis

[medusa]

sadly the letter box flap I have sitting in my workshop awaiting 're-purposing' is brass. I must get sorted with some of those doo-dahs.

[Patstone]

gorgeous bangle and the clips look great. where do you get stainless steel like that? can you just adapt something?

I got my stainless steel for clamps from :-

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/met-all-fab...4.l1581&_pgn=2

If you buy the 1mm thick, it is quite difficult to cut, it can be cut with a 0 grade saw blade in a jewellers saw, but it takes ages. When the clip is made and bent to shape, I find that it is quite difficult to open, so the last lot I made with 0.8mm thick stainless which I could cut with shears and open quite easily, and they did the job very well.

[medusa]

ahhh thanks for that! maybe my soldering will start to improve!