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The Bijou Dragon
20-07-2009, 06:36 PM
Well, I fixed a ring, made some headpins and then made a ring using D Wire.

Pretty good overall except I really need more practice with solder. The mended ring I used hard solder and the ring melted before the solder did so I had to cut a piece out and use easy which worked.

Then I made head-pins and I couldn't get the bobbles straight so I hammered them into a little lolly-pop shape which looks quite sweet.

WOW the ring was hard work... I had to get my OH to bend it for me :o Then we used hard solder again and had to cut it out as it only partially melted, then we used easy and it was OK but when I hammered it it split and cracked grrrr!

So, despite being overall happy, it's going to take alot more practice until I can feel confident enough to sell these things... or hammer the bands without belting my thumb *OUCH* :confused:

Onwards and upwards as they say though... I'm a tenacious so and so, I won't stop until I can do it... which is a good job really lol

Anyway, the shiny in question can be found here: http://thebijoudragon.blogspot.com/2009/07/its-almost-all-here.html

SilverByRosie
20-07-2009, 07:43 PM
Ooh, lovely! It doesn't look like a first attempt to me.

~Rosie

Charlotte
20-07-2009, 08:02 PM
My first ring was a piece of copper wire with big solder splodges all over it so your attempt is amazing!;)

I hate using hard solder, I've never had much luck with it, but I don't think my torch can get to a high enough temperature.

As for the hard work, you said you fixed it (was it already ring shaped when you started?) Did you anneal it lots or was it just so thick that that didn't help much?

julie
20-07-2009, 08:03 PM
good job, lovely ring ;)

The Bijou Dragon
20-07-2009, 08:16 PM
My first ring was a piece of copper wire with big solder splodges all over it so your attempt is amazing!;)

I hate using hard solder, I've never had much luck with it, but I don't think my torch can get to a high enough temperature.

As for the hard work, you said you fixed it (was it already ring shaped when you started?) Did you anneal it lots or was it just so thick that that didn't help much?

The Claddagh ring was one of my old ones which had split at the back but the hammered one was from a flat piece of D Wire when it started so I had to shape it myself (or rather my OH did as I couldn't bend it) It was annealed but it was still pretty hard to work with but then it is 6mm x 2mm so it's quite chunky!

Thanks for the kind words... I can't stop looking at them, so pretty and all my own work (well apart from the mend, that was a cheap buy a few years back)

MuranoSilver
20-07-2009, 10:51 PM
A superb first ring - onwards to great things!!

Ominicci
20-07-2009, 11:39 PM
Yes, a fantastic hammered ring!! Love the 'paddled' headpins too - it is just practise to get them straight, or you can twist them to straighten them sometimes.