making bails from sheet ?

[snowdrops]

I've made a few st silver bails with 2mm wire, annealed, hammered and twisted over to make tube at the top. I'm beginning to wonder whether I'm better off using sheet st silver ? I know I would need a piercing saw, however, not sure what mm thickness I'd need as I've never worked with sheet before. Also not sure what size sheet to start with for a few bails and maybe a few small square pendants ? Any advice please ?

[Dennis]

0.7mm sheet would do for that, but why not experiment with copper first to try out the effect? It would also allow you to decide how much silver to buy.

http://www.cooksongold.com/Base-Metal/Copper-Sheet-225x225x0.7mm-prcode-860-236. Dennis.

[CJ57]

I would think the size and thickness of the bail would depend on what you are attaching them to. When I put a bail on a pendant it's usually part of the design,once you have a design for a pendant it will be easier to get a feel for the bail

[snowdrops]

I would think the size and thickness of the bail would depend on what you are attaching them to. When I put a bail on a pendant it's usually part of the design,once you have a design for a pendant it will be easier to get a feel for the bail

I've made small, medium and large dichroic glass pendants. One of the large ones I drilled a hole into the glass and have attached a sterling silver jump ring, it looks really nice as the pendant is transparent and so no bail shows behind. However, I love the bails that glue on to the back of the pendants, finish them off really nicely. Expensive to buy so I thought I'd make my own. The ones I've made out of 2mm sterling silver look lovely, but I'd prefer a little more width-wise behind the actual pendant.

Thanx for your reply :)

[snowdrops]

To be honest Dennis, once the bail is glued onto the back of the glass with epoxy, it's impossible to get off. I love working with copper, but despite wax, it does tarnish a lot quicker than silver and so not quite the look I want with the glass I've currently made. Thanx very much for the suggestion tho :)

[Dennis]

Hi Snowdrops, I'm not sure that I understand your reply.

Many of us when we have a construction problem, make it in copper first, so as not to add to our silver scrap pot. Having found out how, we then go on to make it in silver.

Metal glued on is very easy to remove again BTW. Hold the bail with tweezers, a little way above a dish or saucer and apply gentle heat from a mini-torch. The pendant will quickly drop off as the glue softens. Dennis.

[CJ57]

I've made small, medium and large dichroic glass pendants. One of the large ones I drilled a hole into the glass and have attached a sterling silver jump ring, it looks really nice as the pendant is transparent and so no bail shows behind. However, I love the bails that glue on to the back of the pendants, finish them off really nicely. Expensive to buy so I thought I'd make my own. The ones I've made out of 2mm sterling silver look lovely, but I'd prefer a little more width-wise behind the actual pendant.


Thanx for your reply :)
Maybe if you could post a few pics of your beads then we would get an idea of what would be best :)

[snowdrops]

Thanks Caroline, here's one I made out of 2mm sterling silver wire. Hard work and impossible now I'm just getting over a dislocated shoulder ................ 6688

[CJ57]

Ooh that must be painful, I've had a trapped nerve in mine for months and that pain is awful. You don't realise just what it stops you from doing. It will give you time to do some planning.
The pendant looks pretty though, I would worry if that's all the width that's behind the stone though for that size of stone

[Dennis]

Dear Snowdrops,

Thank you for showing us one of your completed necklaces. Forums thrive on feedback.

Simplicity and economy are what make a piece modern, but Caroline has expressed concern that the support might not be strong enough.

Although it is traditional not to make adverse comments on show and tell, I hope that you will not mind a constructive suggestion. Caroline has said that the supporting metal might not be strong enough for the pendant.

I am sure you have already tested that and found it sufficient, so the unease is in the eye of the beholder. If you had extended the metal and curved it around the bottom, to show the support just slightly, she might not felt the same way about it.

To take an analogy from music: sing Ba Ba Black sheep and stop at Bags. now sing it again and stop at Wool.

I hope you will continue to elaborate on your design and show us the results from time to time. regards, Dennis.

[CJ57]

Dear Snowdrops,

Thank you for showing us one of your completed necklaces. Forums thrive on feedback.

Simplicity and economy are what make a piece modern, but Caroline has expressed concern that the support might not be strong enough.

Although it is traditional not to make adverse comments on show and tell, I hope that you will not mind a constructive suggestion. Caroline has said that the supporting metal might not be strong enough for the pendant.

I am sure you have already tested that and found it sufficient, so the unease is in the eye of the beholder. If you had extended the metal and curved it around the bottom, to show the support just slightly, she might not felt the same way about it.

To take an analogy from music: sing Ba Ba Black sheep and stop at Bags. now sing it again and stop at Wool.

I hope you will continue to elaborate on your design and show us the results from time to time. regards, Dennis.

That's seems a very detailed interpretation of what I said Dennis and perhaps I should have asked how much of the 2mm of metal was fixed to the stone. I wasn't aware that I had made an adverse comment, I'm not in the habit of doing so! It was a response to an earlier discussion we had been having when she asked for advice a couple of months ago and then sadly dislocated her shoulder

[snowdrops]

Thanx Caroline, it is a lot more solid behind. I have a substantial length going down behind the cabochon. I attach bails using a specialist epoxy and have tried to prise a bail off to test, didn't budge. I wasn't offended by your comment at all. However, thank you Dennis for your advice too.

The ones I bought were really flimsy, compared to the ones I make, which are unbendable when they're formed. I may get back to popping an order in for some sheet today, tho will have to be cuttable by scissors due to shoulder :/