Swage problems

[Vanessa]

Hmm it auto cropped the image - at the top of the image is the top plate with the mouth cut out and eyes roughly placed in position ill try take another photo. But anyway the swaged tube is the tail looking large at the moment but I have a bit to cut off and slits to cut so that I can create segments. There will be another attachment to the tail as well that I will be working on tomorrow. Then I'll be soldering and threading through steel for the legs and additional bits to finish. Hoping to finish by Friday his body will be copper plated and dipped to turn him a silvery colour.

[Vanessa]

The top plate ... Any suggestions re the eyes. There is a hole drilled through for the pupils after soldering the domes I then popped them in the pickle then rinsed. As the day wore on I noticed a crusty formation around the drilled points washed them again took them home (forgot to look until today) and noticed a crusty formation again so I submerged them in bicarb of soda and then rinsed and dried them... But still thus crusty stuff keeps forming and has turned the metal blue black which rubs off. But I know its probably acid leaking out... How do I neutralise it? I though bicarb of soda would work.

[CJ57]

It's pickle still leaking out, you could boil it in clean water and then I sometimes put it on a radiator or turn upside down on paper towel. You should be able to draw it out from such a small item. It's not really too much to worry about if it's safety pickle other than the discolouration which you can rub off

[Vanessa]

Ok great will try that then. I knew there was a solution but I felt a little panicked by it too I must admit! 😊

[Dennis]

The trouble with a one hole bead Vanessa, is that there is not enough circulation to let out the pickle. It might eventually work if you boil it in soda soluion for a few minutes, and then boil in plain water. A quicker way is to drill right through so that there are two holes to allow a better flow.

As for eyes, an easy option is to glue in mirror backed faceted stones, with clear five minute epoxi. That is effective without requiring much thickness of metal and the seats can be made to fit them with just a round burr turned by hand in a pin vice.

They come in various colours, but red or clear might be appropriate. AE Ward have some, but you would probably have to phone them. They are very cheap.

An alternative is to glue in reversed stones of your choice, so that the culets show as spikes. This gives a more sci-fi look.

Dennis.

[Vanessa]

Yeah I'd like to do that but we're not allowed to use glue at all although i know jewellers do use it and for this project we are limited to certain skills. The addition of stones for the eyes would be fab but wont be marked as its not in the skills set we are being assessed on so I'll save my stones for a later project.


He's not quite scifi but more of a singing insect his body will look like a musical instrument. inspired by a cicada. Fir when I need stones I'll note them though for my future projects 😊


I think the spheres are too small now for me to drill another hole into them. I've boiled the eyes and have them drying on a paper towel now. I'll reassess them in the morning. I'll be soldering them to the top plate as well so ill have to think about how I clean then up after....! 😊 thanks Dennis


V

[Wallace]

dry them near a heat source to help the evaporation

good luck with your assessment

[Vanessa]

Thanks Wallace ... I'll do that

[Vanessa]

Thanks everyone fir taking the time to look at my original query and offer your advice ... I'm sure I'll be back on here to ask further daft questions again ... I know I have tutors to ask these q's to but my mind is constantly thinking and I only have my tutors around on a Tuesday Thursday and Friday so I come to you guys for extra guidance and opinions and I really appreciate it. Its frustrating though that I am only in my first term and haven't yet learnt the skills sometimes mentioned or that we are limited to a certain skills set as I'd like to do more like set stones for the eyes but I appreciate all your advice. Thanks again. 😊 I hope to photograph my finished insect once assessed 😊 there's such a lot to learn and despite some frustrations along the way in loving it .... I know I'm at uni and perhaps things are different but my old job I couldn't wait for 2.30 to come around so I could shoot off as I mostly spent the day doing not a lot but now I am in for 9 or 9.30am leave at 8 pm and never regret the hours I put in and I never watch I'm just too busy! I love it right now ... 😊

[Vanessa]

*never clock watch!