Silver checker

[Julian]

I have been asked to make something like this;


3851

Does any one have a pattern / tutorial ?

J

[Dennis]

I think Medusa (Liz) would have some ideas on making silver chokers, Julian, but she might be away. Unless someone can point you to a tutorial, I would cut the first one out of cheap paper to give you some idea of dimensions, particularly the length required.

Then using a ball-pein hammer I would attempt to forge one out of a strip of cheaper metal, such as copper, starting at the centre and working outwards.

Then, using the lessons learned I would attempt it in silver, using a strip say 15mm wide by 1.5mm thick, which naturally would become longer, thinner and wider.

Now comes the rub: unless you have a captive model to keep trying it on, you also need a bust. This one would allow you to bend and bash on it:
http://www.cooksongold.com/category_select.jsp?query=999+1017, but not too hard, as it is only thin cast metal. You would probably be glad of a stake, or at least a steel block for harder bashing.

Regards, Dennis.

[medusa]

I'm here! However the chokers I make all lock. I've never bothered going for a torque style as it's not really my market. I've been toying with the idea of making ones which are more solid but like with this style, finding something suitable to form them on is proving tricky. I really need a big turned cone of delrin or something.

[jille]

I made a simple one of these from D wire, I have a fat neck and was really pleased that I could make one that fit me perfectly and sat at the length I wanted. I made mine on a course with Pauline Payne at Urchfont manor. It was really easy to form the torque on the mandrel. I even bought a neck mandrel with the intention of making these to fit customers but never have. I wear mine all the time, and just change the pendant.
I'm no expert but I think with a piece of sheet cut to shape it would be easy to form on the neck mandrel.
I bought mine off ebay and it wasn't very expensive.

[medusa]

how big does the neck mandrel go up? I sometimes get orders for 17 inch collars and if I were to offer solid ones, it makes sense to be able to make them in all sizes.

[Dennis]

I worry about making this from silver sheet, as it would incur a lot of expense and a lot of waste. Hence my suggestion to form it from strip.

[jille]

Dennis you are right, that was my inexperience talking LOL.
The neck mandrel is shaped like a neck, a bit like a metal display bust, have a look on etsy for them. I'd find you a link but I'm on a new laptop and just adding all my favourite sites including this one

[medusa]

If you hammered it from wire, wouldn't you get thicker ends than in the middle? I suppose it might balance out in the end. (puts bashing metal on my to do list)