hinging bangles.

[medusa]

So this morning I got an email off someone who wants one of my seaweed bangles, but they want it to be hinged, with a kind of locking mechanism.

Given what my bangles are like, I'm not sure if I can hinge them and if so, how I'd go about it. would it make sense to incorporate the hinge into the seaweed pattern somehow and then cast it as two bits, or make the bangle, cast it in copper, and then create the two working halves and have those cast?

any ideas?

[Di Sandland]

this is something I've often contemplated - then changed me mind! Will be interested to see the answers

[medusa]

well, having ambled with the mutt for an hour or so, the problems I'm anticipating (this is assuming I manage to acquire the skills overnight!) are that the seaweed would have to be twice cast, because the first casting can make it a bit porous so not ideal for hinging or screwing shut. Also the shape of the seaweed I suspect, would make it really difficult to hinge effectively. So what I'm thinking is to cast two parts and have the hinge rings part of the seaweed and then a large-ish hinge pin so it's almost like a big elaborate link, but with blobbed ends rather than circular and then on the other side overlapping again but this time make it so I can fix a screw fitting in to close it.

I don't think I've described it very well. I will need to draw it out, I think.

[Di Sandland]

um - yeah, maybe! I thought I understood, then I got lost x

[Dennis]

Hi liz,

Here is a story I wrote in July, about a bracelet to which I added a hinge. Maybe some of it is relevant? http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/tut...xtra-mile.html. Dennis.

[Joe]

I'm glad you reminded me about that post Dennis, because it's only now that I've made some tube hinges that I understand it! I think your method is very well worth trying! It's clearer now I've fallen in all of the traps!

One day you must tell us about your pedagogical activities (there are many hints...).

[medusa]

could be. I'm concerned that I won't have the requisite skill to make the hinge invisible in something as unpredictable as my seaweed stuff. and If I can't make it invisible, then It has to become a feature. I'm thinking of hinging it a little bit like a snaffle bit. I will bang some sketches out probably middle of next week to explain.

I love that wedge bangle as well.