Mesh Bracelet

[Didi]

Here's a little something I finished he other day. Can't claim that the design is original but I wanted to make it as an exercise in soldering.
Would be really interested in your opinions and thoughts
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Didi

[mizgeorge]

That's fabulous! I keep meaning to do one of these, but never seem to find the time. Love the clasp as well - beautifully executed :)

[Patstone]

Love it, really clever. Lots of patience cutting all those jumprings.

[Didi]

Thanks for you comments. Pat, not jump rings - springs!
Didi

[Patstone]

Cant figure out how they are put together, if its springs how do they join to the next one.

[ShinyLauren]

Beautifullly engineered! I can't work out how it fits together either...

[Dennis]

A real labour of love. Deserves a recipient who can appreciate the construction too. Dennis.

[Tabby66]

WOW!! WOW!! Beautiful Didi, a little further info on the making would be of great interest, are discs soldered onto the top and bottom of each spring??......and I can't work out it's construction either!!.....rather like the clasp too <3<3

[Didi]

I took some photos while I made it. Will try and get them loaded.
To be truthful - I do try to be - it was really fiddly but there was so much of it that I got the knack and them it kinda flowed. It did improve my soldering but I did hold my breath a lot.
Thank you for all your kind comments. I am proud of it and for the time being it's mine!!! I suppose I will sell it if someone really wants it, but for now I'm enjoying it.
As I said, not an original idea but a bit of a mission and a LOT of .8mm wire.
Didi

[Patstone]

I would be really interested in the construction, I would like one myself.

[medusa]

Beautifully done. Did you follow Revere? I also love the catch. Very clever

[Summer]

Wow that's a beauty, really love it, so much patience :-) the clasp is great too.

[Didi]

Beautifully done. Did you follow Revere? I also love the catch. Very clever

How did you guess ;) That and a brill u tube video.
Didi

[Didi]

As Promised, photos of construction. Didn't take as many as I could have done but I'm sure you can fill in the gaps.

First, wind two strands on 0.8mm wire clock wise around a mandrel, A handy nail worked for me. You will need to repeat the exercise winding anti clockwise. Winding double wire means you have the correct gap between the coils of each spring so they interlock.
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I found it easier to keep winding until I'd run out of wire and then snip the coil into the correct lengths
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Snuggle one clockwise spring next to an anticlockwise spring and feed a length of .8mm wire down inside the interlocking part.
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Photo attachments went a bit loopy then - sorry
Didi

[Didi]

I found it easier to fit about a dozen springs together, stand them on edge (supported by one of James' excellent clasps) and solder them like a little production line. The turn it over and o the other side. It was really important to use TINY snips of hard solder and make sure you only solder one spring to one pin! I used the pick method of soldering. Balancing solder chips on wire really didn't work at all.

Once you've done the whole length it looks like this
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The you file down the edges, taking off the little pokey pins and any flapping edges of springs. You could leave it like that but I wanted it tidier. I punched out hundreds of little discs from 0.3mm sheet. The alternative was to hand pierce them but I just couldn't face that. Unfortunately the discs were a tiny bit too large so I couldn't solder them directly over each pin. I had to jiggle them around so they fitted together. Not all the pins have a disc on the top but they are all covered..

I sweat soldered little blobs on the underside of each disc, positioned them over the fluxed ends of the coils and heated until they just nestled into place. Again be very careful that you don't solder the wrong bits together. I used copious amounts of tippex to make sure solder didn't flow over an adjoining coil.
Didi

[Didi]

I made the clasp, again not my own design, but watching a YouTube video entitled 'fabricating a silver mesh bracelet'. I looked at the photos I took but honestly the video is better!
Didi

[medusa]

How did you guess ;) That and a brill u tube video.
Didi

Its my fantasy book. I find his books really clear and engaging so I can actually imagine how to do it and how it couuld be adapted. You did a fab job.

[Didi]

My OH refers to the Revere book as 'Jewellers porn" I can be found reading it a lot.

[Nick martin]

That looks fantastic, and although I can't confess to being able to figure out how it all fits together, it's technically a great accomplishment too I'm sure. As per others comments, I think the clasp is very clever too!

Nick

[medusa]

My OH refers to the Revere book as 'Jewellers porn" I can be found reading it a lot.

are we married to the same person?

[caroleallen]

Looks fabulous. How long did it take?

[Tabby66]

Thanks Didi, getting those discs on sounds like a nightmare, and even though I love saw piercing, I would have most definitely stamped those out too. It's those secret strands of wire in-between each clockwise and anticlockwise link that helps it all to make sense. Fantastic and informative thread, thank you and still wowed by the bracelet!!

[surfergirl]

Absolutely gorgeous, Didi! I've seen the video you linked to and already have this on my to-do list but shouldn't imagine I'll get round to it anytime soon!

Well done on all that soldering - a super job. Would be interested to know how long this took you to make, too :) as well as how much wire you used! How much is 'oodles' in mm? A great job on the clasp, too - how have you attached it, please?


A great job on the clasp, too - how have you attached it, please? Der! Have watched the video again (I didn't remember that bit!)

[Didi]

Sorry to take so long getting back - have been on holiday! Tried to work out how long it took as I did it between the day job. Winding and cutting the springs - probably 1 hour (I think about 8 mtrs but I did waste a lot due to making the springs overland to start with). Fiddling and soldering them all together - probably about 6 hours all told. Punching the discs out - about 1 hour, took WAY longer that I expected. Soldering the discs on - about 2 hours. Making the clasp - about 4 hours, polishing etc - not too long. So, in all about a day and a half but I don't think I could have done it all in one go - my brain would have fried.
The video is good isn't it!
Thank you all for your kind comments.
Didi

[Petal]

That it exquisite Didi and a labour of love. Many thanks for sharing your pics and info on how you made it; I had no idea that coils were involved and how it all fitted together. I really like the clasp and am off to check out the video you mentioned and look up the Revere book... which one did you refer to btw?

[Keia]

Simply stunning Didi, you must have the patience of a saint.

[Patstone]

Dont know if I am just being stupid but I couldnt find the video on You Tube. Can someone send me a link please.

[Didi]

Hi Pat. I think this is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRR8_ex5I-4. or type in 'Fabricating a sterling silver mesh bracelet'. Its not a video as much as a series of photos. The clasp section is better than the mesh part. Looking at it again there seem to be bits of the mesh bracelet that aren't made very clear, the soldering section for example. If you need more info just ask me. The book is Professional Jewelry Making - Paul Revere. Its brilliant for the mesh but doesn't cover the clasp.
Didi

[WitchfordSilver]

Didi, that is just brill, I have seen how to do in a book I've got but have not had the nerve to have a go. Now I've seen yours I think I've got to have a go.

Just coming to the end of a silversmith evening class, so it's time to get back to the bench and make something.

Thanks for stirring the mojo with this post

neil

[Didi]

Hi Neil, hope the mojo can survive it Real sense of achievement whenever I look at it. I'm just a self taught bunny so if I can do it I'm sure you can.
Didi