How I Make Things

Step 8: Patina and stones

Aug 31, 2020

I use a liver of sulfur patina after soldering everything and bringing the surface of the piece close to its finished stage. There is another surface finishing stage after the patina. Then after all the metal work is finished, I set the stones.

Step 7: Putting it together.

Aug 25, 2020

After cleaning up each part of the necklace, I lay the piece out with all its jump rings and chains and everything. Before I solder all the joints I try it on to make sure I haven’t made any mistakes. This can take a while. Don’t want to solder until I know the piece works.

Step 6: Ak! Sprues!

Aug 18, 2020

The bane of casting. The caster shoots the wax into the molds which comes out with these little tails on them. These tails are called sprues which are used to connect to trees so that many pieces can be cast together. The cast piece then has these sprues you have to cut and sand off before you can begin clean up.