Craftzine.com blog: Metalwork Archives

Archive: Metalwork

May 20, 2009

How-To: Dapping Punch From Steel Bolts

Instructables user cr8ive1 writes:

This is how I make steel doming punches to shape soft metals (gold, silver, copper, brass) for jewellery making. Doming (or dapping punches as they are often referred to by jewellery makers) punches are expensive for what they are- basically highly polished pieces of curved steel. I have a few commercially made punches and a brass dapping block but I needed larger ones for a project. I couldn't justify the expense knowing they would only see occasional use, so I made my own. For this project I've used an old carriage bolt (domed bolt). As I don't have a lathe to remove large amounts of material a piece of preshaped steel was important to reduce the need for labourious hand work (this project is about saving money not losing time).

Hey jewelry makers, how do you improvise your own tools? Post in the comments.

May 6, 2009

Baby Food Jar Chandelier

Babyfoodjar Chandelier600
Here's a clever tutorial on how to make a baby food jar chandelier from Natural Home magazine.

From the site:

This chandelier has all the charm of medieval ironwork—but it comes from the recycling bin. Used baby-food jars, a few yards of twisted wire, a couple repurposed barrel hoops and a length of rusty chain are all it takes to spark images of exotic locales. Powered by votive candles, the chandelier crackles with energy without drawing a single watt.

[ via AT Re-Nest ]

April 29, 2009

Game Controller Cufflinks

These game controller cufflinks in sterling silver will set you back a pretty penny, but they sure are fetching! Via Sprite Stitch.

April 27, 2009

How-To: Knife Wire Inlay

Gareth @ MAKE writes:

In this tutorial, bladesmith Ben Potter shows how he inlays a Celto-Norse design in non-ferrous metals into a steel blade. You can see one of the tutorials of him making one of his incredible blades and hilt here.

April 23, 2009

I just finished this piece for my metalworking class, it's a necklace with the ultra-nerdy ASCII method of typing a heart (perfect for online chatting), hollow formed in sterling silver. The <3 necklace is the only kind of bling I'm able to pull off.

April 9, 2009

Vicodin Ring

To go along with my Vicodin earrings, I made this Vicodin ring from sterling silver. I sanded one side of the pill flat (while wearing a dusk mask, of course!), and bezel set it.

April 1, 2009

How-To: Wire Scorpion

Gareth @ MAKE found this neat little how-to on Instructables for making this vicious little wire scorpion. Rawr!

March 23, 2009

Victoria Altepeter's Metalwork Show

A fellow graduate student at Arizona State, Victoria Altepeter, is having her MFA show right now in Tempe, AZ. She makes amazing celestially-influenced works in metals, and her show just blew my mind. It's up all week in the Harry Wood Gallery, but if you're not local you can enjoy it through my Flickr set and shop for her work in her Etsy shop.

Dynamical Balance
Works by Victoria Altepeter
Harry Wood Gallery, Arizona State University [map]
March 23 - March 27
Opening reception Monday, March 23rd 7-9pm

February 18, 2009

Copper Band-Aid

I'm taking an introductory metalworking class, and for our first sample project I made this copper Band-Aid. I formed the strip on a hydraulic press (read: car jack in a steel frame) sandwiched between layers of acrylic (bottom) and flexible urethane (top). The pad is textured by running it through a roller against some window screen, then I applied a water-based white patina. The overall texture of the strip is hammered and buffed. It's about seven inches long. I'm excited to learn more about metalworking!

February 6, 2009

Checkin' In: Dev Khan's Inspired Wirework and Lapidary

Wire wrapstress and lapidary goddess Dev Khan is busy at work making her signature stunning wire-wrap jewelry. Dev wrote a DIY on her technique back in CRAFT Volume 03, and we check in with her to see what she's up to these days. Dev cuts, grinds, and polishes her own stones in her in-house workshop. She's posted pictures of her workspace on her website, and they give a great window into the world of lapidary arts.

Here are an assortment of stones waiting to be polished:

Dev works the slabs on her Diamond Pacific Genie lapidary machine:

Here are ten slabs Dev got from Leigh Becker of Eidos polished into 36 stones:

The polished stones then move on to Dev's main workbench with tools, lights, gemstone beads, cut stones, and crystals laid out like a palette.

And finally, the finished pieces move to this location for photographing.

Her pieces are truly breathtaking and it's amazing to watch this soulful artisan at work! Learn how to make your own wire-wrap jewelry in CRAFT Volume 03. Here's a sneak peek in our Digital Edition.

January 21, 2009

Bitty bubblewrap earrings

Spotted in the CRAFT Flickr pool: user myfriendroze made these sterling silver earrings by casting a mold from tiny bubble wrap. They remind me of octopus tentacle suckers.

December 9, 2008

Waveform Jewelry

Collin @ MAKE points us to Sakura Koshimizu's waveform jewelry which uses audio to create patterns:

Waveform Series is the laser-cut shapes of the waveform of the sound in sound editing software environment. I used some human sound such as yawn, atchoum, giggle, wow, and the sound of church bell.

December 5, 2008

Embroidered Platters From Artist Lynette Andreasen

I am in awe of the work by Lynette Andreasen, a graduate metal arts student at Arizona State University. Embroidery is my favorite craft, and seeing it worked into metal like this leaves me breathless. She shares more of her work on her blog and through Flickr, and one of my other favorite pieces is this platter which includes a piece of her father's old work gloves.

December 1, 2008

Steampunk Sewing Machine and Steampunk Show in Phoenix

You know steampunk has gone mainstream when it seeps into academic institutions... I recently was given a steampunk assignment in one of my sculpture/metalworking classes, so I modded a vintage Kenmore sewing machine with some spare parts from Phoenix's favorite junk shop, Apache Reclamation. The propellers on the drive wheel and thread spool spin when the machine is running.

This piece as well as many, many others will be on display at First Studio in downtown Phoenix this friday, December 5 as part of a steampunk show put on by Arizona State University.

ASU's evening of Steampunk
Friday, December 5, 6-10pm (part of the First Friday art walk)
First Studio
631 N. 1st Ave. Phoenix

November 10, 2008

HOW TO - Make Your Own Cookie Cutters

Juggling Frogs has a bunch of great DIY projects, really frugal and creative. Here she makes cookie cutters from clip-art and a foil pan. via Meggiecat

October 30, 2008

Casper's Bronze Heart

Casper's brother made him this totally sweet bronze sculpture using Styrofoam and a LEGO minifig. Via Brothers Brick

October 20, 2008

Highlights from Maker Faire Austin: Austin Metal Authority

At Maker Faire Austin I got the chance to watch the folks from Austin Metal Authority demonstrate some hot metalworking techniques as well as see all the neat sculptural and functional works they make. There are more photos in my Maker Faire Austin 2008 Flickr set.

June 26, 2008

HOW TO - Bezel-Setting

Check out this very detailed instructable by user MaggieJs on setting a stone in a ring with a bezel.

June 2, 2008

Octopus Tentacle Ring

This ring is cast from a real octopus tentacle in sterling silver and is available on Etsy. Amazing! Via BoingBoing.

May 30, 2008

Hand Wrench

Paul Julius Martus designed this "hand" wrench and cast it out of bronze. It reminds me of a monkey's paw. Via Core77.

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