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   Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️ (mlanger@mastodon.world)'s status on Sunday, 27-Oct-2024 07:07:14 JST Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️

   Ready for another round of behind the scenes in Maria's jewelry shop? Here goes.

   I'm making the silver version of this.

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     Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️ (mlanger@mastodon.world)'s status on Sunday, 27-Oct-2024 07:07:02 JST Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️

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     This didn't work out very well today because the wire stretched and moved so not all the lines are straight. 🙄 The solution was to create separate tape and wire bundles for each piece. There's more texturing to be done so I'll just used the messed up pieces anyway. 🤷🏻♀️

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     Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️ (mlanger@mastodon.world)'s status on Sunday, 27-Oct-2024 07:07:03 JST Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️

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     The next part is weird because I've come up with a technique that doesn't work perfectly every time. The goal is to get a line embossed across the middle of each pick-shaped piece. I do that by taping the pieces onto a bit of masking tape with a piece of copper wire to make the line. I then run the whole thing through my rolling mill.

     Bill repeated this.
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     Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️ (mlanger@mastodon.world)'s status on Sunday, 27-Oct-2024 07:07:04 JST Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️

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     Even though the metal is only 26 gauge, the hammering will harden it so it's not likely to bend. The resulting earrings will also be a lot lighter than if I made them with 24 or 22 gauge metal. And yes: they cost less to produce so I can sell them for less.

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     Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️ (mlanger@mastodon.world)'s status on Sunday, 27-Oct-2024 07:07:05 JST Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️

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     The next step is texturing. I'll do the washers first because they're easier. I use a special texturing hammer to put lines all around all 12 washers. Each one must be done separately. The trick is to keep rotating the washers as I hammer and to not hit my fingers. If they get warped from texturing, I can use a nylon hammer to flatten them back out.

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     Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️ (mlanger@mastodon.world)'s status on Sunday, 27-Oct-2024 07:07:06 JST Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️

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     Here's the washers (bottom) and scrap (top). The "donut hole" pieces will make identically sized silver balls for some other pieces of jewelry.

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     Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️ (mlanger@mastodon.world)'s status on Sunday, 27-Oct-2024 07:07:07 JST Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️

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     Next, I use a centering plug to find the center of the first hole on the punched sheet. I tighten down the tool, insert the punch, and hammer it through the metal. The result is the washer I need for the earrings. Again, I have to do this 12 times.

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     Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️ (mlanger@mastodon.world)'s status on Sunday, 27-Oct-2024 07:07:08 JST Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️

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     That's one piece for the earrings. The other piece is the washers. I use my disc cutter for that. First, I mark up a strip of metal so I know where to punch out the center of the disc. I line up the + in the hole that will make the center and put a 26 ga disc on the other side of the tool to balance it. I prep the punch with some Cut Lube, insert the punch, and then hammer it home with my stamping hammer.

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     Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️ (mlanger@mastodon.world)'s status on Sunday, 27-Oct-2024 07:07:09 JST Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️

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     Next job is cutting out the pieces. While some silversmiths like to use a jeweler's saw, I don't. I use Joyce Chen kitchen shears. (Really!) I save every scrap that's cut out and use it form something else, if possible. This silver scrap will make silver accent balls and an ear cuff.

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     Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️ (mlanger@mastodon.world)'s status on Sunday, 27-Oct-2024 07:07:11 JST Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️

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     Next, I use a fine point sharpie to trace the shape I want onto the metal, keeping the shapes as close together as I can to reduce waste. I need two shapes for each earring, so I must have an even number of shapes. Today, I'll make 6 pairs so I need 12 shapes. And yes, I call this shape "pick" because it reminds me of a guitar pick.

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     Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️ (mlanger@mastodon.world)'s status on Sunday, 27-Oct-2024 07:07:12 JST Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️

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     I start by by using my metal shear, which looks like a paper cutter, to cut off strips that are easier to work with. For these earrings, each strip needs to be just over 1 inch wide. I cut the piece in the second photo from a smaller sheet of silver; my goal is to use the smallest pieces I have first to reduce waste.

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     Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️ (mlanger@mastodon.world)'s status on Sunday, 27-Oct-2024 07:07:13 JST Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️

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     I start with 26 gauge solid sterling silver sheet, which I buy in 6x12 inch pieces. They come packed in a flat box, separated with tissue paper. Each sheet costs about $250, so this box contains $500 worth of sterling silver.