Diary of a Rookie Silversmith: Part Almost-4
I AM SO EXCITED!!
Not many pics, I'm afraid - forgot to take the camera to the workshop this week to take staged photos - but the pendant is almost finished!! All that's left for me to do next week is set the stone.
In fact, this week's session was really good for a number of reasons...
1. I managed to successfully solder a bail onto my pendant without having to ask Lex how to do any of it beforehand. (Yes, I'm THAT confident at soldering now. Only taken me seven weeks!)
2. Formed a ring - and it was actually round!! (Shan't tell you that I had measured it wrong though, and had to chop a fair few mm off.. It's still a little bit big)
3. I managed to tension the ring, saw the join and solder it...all in the space of about half an hour. You might remember my first pinkie ring took a total of four hours over two sessions.
4. I chose a sapphire cabachon to mount in the ring.
5. I polished the pendant and it's all silvery and shiny...
Downside...I sawed my thumb. Sod'd Law says I did it just after I thought to myself 'must move the ring a bit further up the sacrificial block in case it goes through and hits my thumb first...'
Wonder if I'll get them both finished next week?
Not many pics, I'm afraid - forgot to take the camera to the workshop this week to take staged photos - but the pendant is almost finished!! All that's left for me to do next week is set the stone.
In fact, this week's session was really good for a number of reasons...
1. I managed to successfully solder a bail onto my pendant without having to ask Lex how to do any of it beforehand. (Yes, I'm THAT confident at soldering now. Only taken me seven weeks!)
2. Formed a ring - and it was actually round!! (Shan't tell you that I had measured it wrong though, and had to chop a fair few mm off.. It's still a little bit big)
3. I managed to tension the ring, saw the join and solder it...all in the space of about half an hour. You might remember my first pinkie ring took a total of four hours over two sessions.
4. I chose a sapphire cabachon to mount in the ring.
5. I polished the pendant and it's all silvery and shiny...
Downside...I sawed my thumb. Sod'd Law says I did it just after I thought to myself 'must move the ring a bit further up the sacrificial block in case it goes through and hits my thumb first...'
Wonder if I'll get them both finished next week?