Dennis
22-02-2011, 05:26 AM
My spelling check said ‘Delete repeated word’. I clicked ‘Ignore’ and might have written ‘add to dictionary for services rendered.’
Here is the carved onyx bought at IJL, which has been beckoning to be made into earrings since September. It was decided to outline the hollow studs with a silver border, but rather short of the surface in order to let the material speak for itself.
The problem was how to locate the silver rings accurately within the outer frames for soldering. The rings were centred on the backing first and soldered to it with hard solder. Then the stones and frames were assembled around them and a minute drop of superglue added to each corner from the outside with the end of a saw blade. Within seconds the onyx could be safely withdrawn using Blu Tac and the frames soldered on using easy solder. Surprisingly, the solder flowed undeterred as the superglue burnt away.
You will note that the stones have been labelled to ensure that they were always replaced in the same way. The green lines were added as a guide to cutting off the surplus without damaging the bezels. Because the onyx was opaque and the bezels rather low the stones were secured with Devcon epoxy, which allowed for a gentle rub over before it set. Dennis.
Here is the carved onyx bought at IJL, which has been beckoning to be made into earrings since September. It was decided to outline the hollow studs with a silver border, but rather short of the surface in order to let the material speak for itself.
The problem was how to locate the silver rings accurately within the outer frames for soldering. The rings were centred on the backing first and soldered to it with hard solder. Then the stones and frames were assembled around them and a minute drop of superglue added to each corner from the outside with the end of a saw blade. Within seconds the onyx could be safely withdrawn using Blu Tac and the frames soldered on using easy solder. Surprisingly, the solder flowed undeterred as the superglue burnt away.
You will note that the stones have been labelled to ensure that they were always replaced in the same way. The green lines were added as a guide to cutting off the surplus without damaging the bezels. Because the onyx was opaque and the bezels rather low the stones were secured with Devcon epoxy, which allowed for a gentle rub over before it set. Dennis.