DAK4442
Elite Cafe Member
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Critique Request Starting my First Sterling Cuff
- Thread starter DAK4442
- Start date
Willem Parel
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Great border, sterling is difficult, the graver tends to dive, you managed well.
Looking forward to the bright cut.
Looking forward to the bright cut.
KCSteve
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Time for me to pass along some forming tips I was given:
1) Cover the bracelet with tape (I use blue painter's tape).
2) Mark which side is the face. This is important.
3) Check that you marked the right side. It's important.
4) Make sure you feed the blank into the former FACE DOWN. This is important.
5) Feed it through slowly - I go about 1/4" per step, sometimes less.
6) Watch that you're keeping it centered - the former makes a compound curve and you want the top of it right down the centerline.
7) The former makes a (semi) circular shape. For a wrist you want an oval so it's good to have and oval mandrel to finish the bracelet on.
When you take the tape off and find you bent the bracelet backward (it will happen, unfortunately) you can probably get it to go through again and re-form the right way.
I learned this from Diane Scalese, including the tips about forming one backward. I've tested them many times, and yes, bent a couple backward.
1) Cover the bracelet with tape (I use blue painter's tape).
2) Mark which side is the face. This is important.
3) Check that you marked the right side. It's important.
4) Make sure you feed the blank into the former FACE DOWN. This is important.
5) Feed it through slowly - I go about 1/4" per step, sometimes less.
6) Watch that you're keeping it centered - the former makes a compound curve and you want the top of it right down the centerline.
7) The former makes a (semi) circular shape. For a wrist you want an oval so it's good to have and oval mandrel to finish the bracelet on.
When you take the tape off and find you bent the bracelet backward (it will happen, unfortunately) you can probably get it to go through again and re-form the right way.
I learned this from Diane Scalese, including the tips about forming one backward. I've tested them many times, and yes, bent a couple backward.
pretty cool start you did there. i've made a few bracelets with my former. never got one backward. maybe my turn is coming !
KCSteve
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Uh oh Monk!
Now that I've put the thought in your head I better apologize in advance.
It's not something you think would happen. When I was taking my Basic Engraving class at GRS Diane was doing Western Brightcut next door so I asked her for tips on using the former I was buying. She warned me about sending one through face up and I figured you'd have to be doing a lot of bracelets to get in that much of a hurry. Obviously never happen to me, plodding along doing one here, one there....
Fortunately it was a copper test piece. Finished it up and didn't even have to take the tape off to tell since I could clearly see the word "FACE" there on the inside...
For all I keep mentioning making sure you send your bracelet through face down the most important tip, IMHO, is to take very small bites. In a perfect world you'd feed the piece into a pair of rollers to get a perfectly smooth bend. It's a lot cheaper just to take a few extra seconds with the GRS former.
Now that I've put the thought in your head I better apologize in advance.
It's not something you think would happen. When I was taking my Basic Engraving class at GRS Diane was doing Western Brightcut next door so I asked her for tips on using the former I was buying. She warned me about sending one through face up and I figured you'd have to be doing a lot of bracelets to get in that much of a hurry. Obviously never happen to me, plodding along doing one here, one there....
Fortunately it was a copper test piece. Finished it up and didn't even have to take the tape off to tell since I could clearly see the word "FACE" there on the inside...
For all I keep mentioning making sure you send your bracelet through face down the most important tip, IMHO, is to take very small bites. In a perfect world you'd feed the piece into a pair of rollers to get a perfectly smooth bend. It's a lot cheaper just to take a few extra seconds with the GRS former.
davidshe
Elite Cafe Member
Nicely done and I am also glad to get those tips on the bracelet former! Thanks Steve.
Willem Parel
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Looks very good, what is the thickness of the sheet you are using? Love western bright cut.
Caty Blom
Elite Cafe Member
Very nice work, and promising for the future, we will continue to follow you. Thanks for the tips Steve, I will use them, greetings Caty.
oiseau metal arts
Elite Cafe Member
Beautiful work. Love the boarder on inside of cuff!
16ga usually works fine when forming with compound curve. 14ga if doing deeper background removal, or planning to set stones after forming.
16ga usually works fine when forming with compound curve. 14ga if doing deeper background removal, or planning to set stones after forming.
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