Silver Bracelet

Weldon47

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While I was at the Grand Master's held at GRS this past month, I had the opportunity to order one of the GRS Metal Formers. It recently arrived and I found it to be a pretty neat little device for bending metal. Shown is a 1/2 inch cuff bracelet I made for my wife. It is solid sterling and is about .080 in thickness x six inches in length. The center pattern is my adaptation of a Nimschke design he used in various places, most frequently seen on the butt of a Colt or similar style revolver. The remaining scroll is again, my adaptation of a Nimschke pattern.
Thought you might enjoy seeing it.

Weldon
 

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Sam

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Wow! First off, I love the layout. Second, the depth is just awesome. Really NICE cutting, Weldon. I like everything about this bracelet. Bravo! / ~Sam
 

Norm

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Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Very nicely done....I too have a metal former but I haven't used much at all. The pics of your work has inspired me to get busy. Xmas is fast approaching. The silver sheet I buy is usually half hard, do you find you need to anneal the Sterling before you start your piece and eventually use the metal former?
 

Weldon47

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Thank you, Sam!
Wow, is silver soft after getting used to gun steel!! Yikes, I really have to back off a lot!
After talking with a couple of my classmates (Steve T. and Neal H.), I decided to make a few of these to sell. Couldn't think of a better place to display the samples than on Miss Toni's arm!

Weldon
 

Weldon47

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Norm,

I believe mine was half-hard as well. I made one 5/8 wide & had a little trouble with it crimping around the edges. No problem with the 1/2 width. I did lay a thin piece of leather in the die part of the former when I bent the second bracelet. It would probably bend better in the softest state but again, I did ok as it was.

Weldon
 

Denny

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Weldon -
The bracelet is just beautiful. Great design and perfect cutting. I'm sure your wife loves it and has totally forgotten about anything you were in the dog-house for. My wife has a lot of silver bracelets. On a more serious note, I buy a rectangular sterling wire from Indian Jewelers Supply that is about a half inch wide and about 16 guage thick. It comes dead soft. All you have to do is cut to length, engrave, and bend around a bracelet mandrel. They are fast and fun. I make a lot of them, and I used to think they were real nice until you go and show the picture of yours. Your stuff always inspires me to shoot higher. Thank you.
 

Andrew Biggs

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Hi Weldon

Beautiful work on the bracelet.....just stunning.

I've had the pleasure of seeing Weldons work at the GM where he brought along a couple of his gun pieces. I can tell you right now that his work is drop dead gorgeouse.

Not bad for a guy with a bear skin rug for hair, plays a mean guitar and still uses hammer and chisel !!!! :D

Cheers
Andrew
 
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joseph engraver

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Love,one of the greatest motivators,LDN would approve,See if you can find a foundry to cast some in bronze and silver to sell as a limited edition and make some easy money.
 

KCSteve

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Weldon,

I took advantage of Diane teaching the Bright Cut class the same week as Marty was teaching the Basic class I took and got to see her demo of the metal former. She covers both sides of the piece with masking tape before forming. She seemed pretty insistent on her advice to mark which side was which - something about it being a real pain if you bent it the wrong way. ;)

For this 1/2" wide bracelet did you use the wide or narrow 'head' on the metal former? I picked one up and did a test bracelet in copper for my ever-indulgent wife. It's a 1" wide cuff so I used the wide head that comes on the former.

Great design and execution - gives me something to work towards (like everything else around here).
 

Tira

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Wow Weldon! You better watch out or you'll be a jeweler before you know it! It looks great. :)
 

Weldon47

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Thanks to all!

Joseph; not a bad idea, I'll have to check into it.
KC Steve; I used the wide face, not the narrow one.

Wedlon
 

ddushane

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I love your work Weldon, can't add much to what has already been said, It is beautiful! Thanks for posting! Dwayne
 

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